Global ignore management

Open Settings → Git → Global ignore to manage rules that should apply to every local repository. Desktop Material reads Git's effective core.excludesFile; when none is configured, it proposes a user-level .gitignore_global file without creating or activating it until Save global rules is chosen.

The editor provides optional starter rules for common operating-system and editor artifacts. Repository .gitignore files remain independent, so teams can continue sharing project rules while personal rules stay outside commits.

Configuration and safety

• Paths are resolved without a shell and NUL or oversized values are rejected.
• Rule documents are limited to 512 KiB and saved with crash-safe, same-directory replacement before Git configuration is changed.
• Linked directories are refused by the persistence layer. A failed file write never leaves core.excludesFile pointing at an unaccepted replacement.
• The UI reports whether the effective file exists and keeps unsaved text in place after an error.

Failure modes

An unreadable file, directory-valued path, oversized document, configuration lock, or permission failure is shown in the Global ignore panel. Resolve the filesystem/configuration issue and choose Reload before trying again.

Verification

app/test/unit/git/global-ignore-test.ts covers path resolution, inert default behavior, write-before-activation ordering, reload, size limits, and binary input rejection. app/test/unit/ui/global-ignore-editor-test.tsx covers load, starter rules, save success, and retained editor state after failure.