How to clean out sticky dust

Question

I am using Windows and Git and I had modified a file. No matter how many times I did a git add and commit, the file kept showing up as modified and i could not for example do a git pull --rebase. I assume I did something wrong and screwed up the local Git repo so I decided to clone the repo from github, into a completely new directory. To my surprise, even in this new directory tree when I do a git status the same file shows up as modified -- it is as if it is somehow modified in the github (remote) repo which does not make sense to me. Moreover, the version of the file in cloned local repo does not have the latest version of the code that i can see when i look at the code on github. How can i fix this? I am concerned that someone else cloning the code will end up with the same problem. (Apparently only I am seeing this problem -- I did not somehow manage to corrupt the github repo which leads me to believe this is a git/windows issue.) As far as what I think I did wrong is when I modified a file and did a git add, i misspelled the directory path by using a lower case letter instead of an uppercase and then adding one file resulted in the other, properly spelled path showing up as modified and vice versa. I don't know if a symlink on windows got created -- the file contents are identical. But one would think cloning (via Eclipse) into a completely new directory tree would make this a non-issue.

Solution

The kind of dust stuck in my computer was sticky due to the oils. I found that WD40 seems to work well.

1. Carefully spray WD40 on the surface that needs cleaning (or spray into a cap and wet the greasy/dusty surface with a Q-tip if it's something like a fan blade).
2. Leave it to soak for 10-30 mins helps loosen/dissolve the oils.
3. Wipe off greasy dust with a tissue.

It's a similar process with heatsinks, but you can be less careful. Spray WD40 on the fins, leave to soak, rub off the dust with your hands, and rinse everything off with soapy water.

Alcohol did not, and should not work because "like dissolves like", and alcohols are not like oils.

Comments

[ignoring_gravity]

You've done a git clone to a new directory, and when you do git status, it shows a file as being modified? What does git diff show?

[eftshift0]

If you haven't touched the file, it' s probably that the EOL format of the file is changing because of your settings. auto.crlf comes to mind. If you git diff the file, does it show up as completely removed and added as a whoe? Then it's the EOL format, for sure.

[IInspectable]

If this is indeed due to your global core.autocrlf setting you can initialize your local repository by passing the -c command line option to git clone and apply an appropriate setting for core.autocrlf.

[torek]

You might have a Git commit that contains files whose name differ only in case. For instance, commit a123456... might contain both a/readme.txt and A/README.TXT. See this related question for more about that situation.

[releseabe]

@torek: this is exactly the situation, lower case "l" and uppercase "L" and there appears to me no safe way to get rid of the lower case folder and its contents. It might delete both folders -- so far I did a git pull but i am afraid to push to github. i also commented on the related question you directed me to.

[Thalys]

It should - i tend to abuse screenwipes for that since they're available, and tend to get grease off, and dry quickly - they use a mix of water, alcohol and some surfactants.

[Mawg says reinstate Monica]

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