title: Keep file in a Git repo, but don't track changes
body: <p>I need to include some files in my GitHub repo, but not track changes on them. How can I accomplish this? An example use case is for a file that includes sensitive user information, such as login credentials.</p>
  <p>For example, I deploy a new installation of this framework to a new client, I want the following files to be downloaded (they have default values CHANGEME) and I just have to make changes specific to this client (database credentials, email address info, custom CSS).</p>
  <pre><code>// The production config files. I want the files but they need to be updated to specific client needs
  application/config/production/config.php
  application/config/production/database.php
  application/config/production/tank_auth.php
  // Index page, defines the environment (production|development)
  /index.php
  // All of the css/js cache (keep the folder but not the contents)
  /assets/cache/*
  // Production user based styling (color, fonts etc) needs to be updated specific to client needs
  /assets/frontend/css/user/frontend-user.css
  </code></pre>
  <p>Currently if I run</p>
  <pre><code>git clone git@github.com:user123/myRepo.git httpdocs
  </code></pre>
  <p>and then edit the files above, all is great. Until I release a hotfix or patch and run <code>git pull</code>. All of my changes are then overwritten.</p>