Keep files from syncing to the DataHUB

In this guide we show you how to keep files from syncing to the DataHUB. This can help to keep large intermediate, sensitive or unpublished data from uploading to the DataHUB.

The .gitignore file

Section titled The .gitignore file

Every ARC can contain a special file called .gitignore, that typically resides in the root of the ARC. Files and folders listed in your ARC’s .gitignore will be ignored by the ARC’s version control system. That means changes to those files will not be tracked by ARC tools (e.g. ARC Commander or ARCitect) nor will the files be synced to the DataHUB.

Tip

1. If .gitignore does not exist in your ARC, you can simply create it in your ARC’s root using a text editor or the ARCitect.
2. By default, this file is hidden from your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS).

Caution

1. Since files added to .gitignore on one machine will not be synced to the DataHUB, they will also not be available on another machine, to where you sync your ARC.
2. If a file in your ARC was already synced to the DataHUB, adding it to .gitignore will only keep it from future syncs, it will however not remove the existing file.

Adding .gitignore

Section titled Adding .gitignore

You can create and add a new .gitignore file via any simple text editor or via ARCitect. A default .gitignore that includes typical hidden system and temporary files can be downloaded here.

Adding files to .gitignore

Section titled Adding files to .gitignore

1. Open your ARC in the ARCitect or in your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS)
2. Add a new file my-personal-notes.txt or folder intermediate-results to the ARC
3. Open .gitignore via ARCitect or a text editor.
   1. Add a new line my-personal-notes.txt or intermediate-results/ at the end of the file
   2. Save and close the file.
4. Sync the ARC via ARC commander or ARCitect.
5. Check your ARC in the DataHUB, to see that the file my-personal-notes.txt or folder intermediate-results/ does not exist there.

Allowing files to sync

Section titled Allowing files to sync

If at some point you want the ignored file or folder to sync, you can simply remove the respective line from your ARC’s .gitignore file.