Git Exclude Manager

A native macOS app for editing .git/info/exclude — the per-clone ignore file that is never committed. Keep your editor folders, local notes and secrets out of git status without touching the team's .gitignore. In 12 languages.

Website & download: gomin2013.github.io/git-exclude-manager

Same window layout as Hosts Manager — a sibling app for editing /etc/hosts. If you use one, you already know the other.

Features

• Visual editor — add, edit, enable/disable (#pattern), search and delete patterns from the mouse or the keyboard (Space toggles, ⌫ deletes, Return edits). Every save is atomic and keeps a backup.
• History — the last 30 edits, Photoshop-style: click one to go back, pin states to keep (the file as opened is pinned for you), remove the ones you don't need.
• Your file stays yours — comments, blank lines and unknown lines are written back byte-for-byte.
• Sections — blank lines become draggable section breaks with an optional # heading (double-click or Return to rename); drag anything to reorder.
• Multiple repositories — browser-style tabs (drag to reorder, ⌘1…⌘9, ⌃Tab), restored on relaunch.
• Pattern Clipboard — ⌘-click / ⇧-click to select patterns, ⌘C to collect them, paste into another repository (only missing ones are added).
• Pattern Suggestions — patterns your other repositories use that this one doesn't, one click to add.
• AI Agent (optional) — chat about your patterns with live steps, the model's thinking and Markdown answers, plus Generate Comment, with Apple Foundation Models, Ollama, OpenAI, Gemini or Claude. API keys live in the Keychain. Load models lists only the recommended low-cost picks per provider (e.g. Gemini Flash-Lite, GPT mini, Claude Haiku).
• Your look — Liquid Glass on macOS 26, Sukhumvit Set type, Light / Dark / System, 16 accent colours and 8 gradient themes; side panels open one at a time from the icon rail (⌥⌘1…7).
• Check for Updates — from the app menu or About: asks GitHub for the latest release and shows what's new; Download opens the DMG. A daily automatic check is optional and off by default.
• Import / Export — import any text file including .gitignore (merge or replace).

Install

Download (recommended)

1. Download GitExcludeManager-x.y.z.dmg from Releases (optionally verify it: shasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS.txt).
2. Open the DMG and drag Git Exclude Manager to Applications. Run it from Applications, not from the DMG.
3. First launch — the app is not yet notarized by Apple, so macOS blocks it once:
   • Open it, click Done on the warning, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to "Git Exclude Manager" was blocked and click Open Anyway; or
   • in Terminal: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/GitExcludeManager.app"
4. Allow the background helper when macOS asks (System Settings → General → Login Items). It only reads and writes the .git/info/exclude files you open.

Build from source

Requires macOS 14+ and Xcode 16+ (Xcode 26 to regenerate the macOS 26 icon).

git clone <this repo> && cd git-exclude-manager
scripts/build-app.sh && open build/GitExcludeManager.app

Apps you build yourself are not quarantined, so there is no Gatekeeper prompt.

Requirements

• macOS 14 Sonoma or later
• AI is optional: cloud providers need your own API key; Ollama needs ollama serve; Apple Foundation Models needs macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled

Privacy

Files are read and written locally by a user-level helper — no root, no telemetry. With a cloud AI provider, the chat sends the repository name and the current .git/info/exclude content to that provider. Choose Ollama or Apple Foundation Models to keep everything on-device. Check for Updates asks GitHub for the latest release only when you click it (or once a day if you turn that on in About); nothing about you is sent.

Development

swift build && swift test                 # 130+ tests: parser, file I/O, XPC round trip, view models, AI clients
scripts/build-app.sh                      # build/GitExcludeManager.app (ad-hoc signed, helper registered on launch)
scripts/make-dmg.sh                       # build/GitExcludeManager-<version>.dmg
swift scripts/make-icon.swift             # regenerate icons from Packaging/source/

Path	What
Sources/Shared	Models, .git/info/exclude parser/serializer, file service, XPC protocol
Sources/GitExcludeManagerHelper	User-level LaunchAgent that does the file I/O over XPC
Sources/GitExcludeManagerApp	SwiftUI app: views, view models, AI service, strings in 12 languages
Packaging/	App icon (Icon Composer + .icns), mascot, AI source renders

Releasing: bump CFBundleShortVersionString in both Info.plist files, update CHANGELOG.md, then git tag v1.2.3 && git push origin v1.2.3. GitHub Actions builds the DMG and opens a draft release.

Troubleshooting

• "Connection failed" errors — the helper isn't registered. Quit and reopen the app from /Applications; check System Settings → General → Login Items that Git Exclude Manager is allowed.
• AI says "not configured" — open the ⚙ in the AI Agent panel and pick a provider/model.
• Reset all app settings — defaults delete com.gitexcludemanager.app

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please add tests for new behavior and make sure swift test passes.

Support

Git Exclude Manager is free. If it saves you time, you can sponsor me on GitHub.

License

MIT © 2026 Watthajak Jinasam