The .DS_Store Strikes Back: Finder Edition

A long time ago, on a remote server far, far away…

EPISODE V: THE .DS_STORE STRIKES BACK

The Dark Side of macOS

Imperial .DS_Store files have driven Rebel developers from their remote server folders. These hidden files spread like the Dark Side across every folder you visit.

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EPISODE VI: THE .DS_STORE STRIKES BACK

• Darth .DS_Store: “Your lack of defaults write is disturbing. My hidden files will spread across every folder you visit.”

• Luke: “But I’ve tried .gitignore! It has no power here on remote connections!”

• Yoda: “Use the Terminal, Luke. Or the sacred command to disable .DS_Store on network volumes.”

• Han: “I’ve been running from these hidden files for ten years. Not a remote server is safe in the galaxy!”

The Solution: Clean Up the Dark Side

1. Remove Existing .DS_Store Files

   # Clean up all .DS_Store files
   find . -name ".DS_Store" -delete
   

2. Prevent Future .DS_Store Creation

   # Disable .DS_Store on network volumes
   defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool TRUE
   
   # Restart Finder to apply changes
   killall Finder
   

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EPISODE VI: THE RETURN OF THE METADATA (._*)

“The ._* files are back, and they’re more annoying than ever.”

!!! warning “The Hidden Menace” When you copy files to a remote server, macOS creates mysterious ._* files. They’re like the Ewoks of the file system - small, seemingly harmless, but they can cause big problems.

• Darth Metadata: “Your files are not complete without my metadata. I will follow them everywhere.”

• Luke: “But these ._* files are causing issues with my Python scripts!”

• Yoda: “Hidden they are, but dangerous they can be. Clean them you must.”

The Solution: Defeat the Metadata Menace

1. Remove Existing Metadata Files

   # Remove all ._ files
   find . -name "._*" -delete
   
   # Or clean both .DS_Store and ._ files
   find . -type f -name "._*" -o -name ".DS_Store" -delete
   

2. Understanding the ._* Files - The Unstoppable Force

   On macOS, preventing the creation of ._* files (AppleDouble metadata) entirely is not officially supported—especially on non-HFS+ or non-APFS volumes.

   Why ._* files are created: macOS uses ._* AppleDouble files to store:

   - Resource forks
   - Extended attributes (e.g., custom icons, tags)
   - Finder metadata
   
   These are automatically created when copying files to filesystems that don't support extended attributes, such as:
   - SMB shares (Linux Samba servers)
   - FAT, exFAT, NTFS drives
   - Some WebDAV volumes
   

3. Best Available Solutions

   Just kidding, there are no best available solutions for this problem. That’s why I said mount the remote server as a local drive by Finder is not an elegant solution (Check this.

4. For Git Users

   Add the following to your .gitignore file:

   # Add to your .gitignore (won't prevent creation, but prevents tracking)
   echo "._*\n.DS_Store" >> .gitignore
   

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Final Words

“The Force is strong with clean file systems.”

May your remote development be free of metadata files, and may the Force be with you! 🚀