Remove old data from Git repo and Git history

remove-from-git.sh

# Taken from https://docs.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/removing-sensitive-data-from-a-repository

# Warning:
# --------
# All stashes may be lost!

PATH_TO_REMOVE=big-folder/commited/by/error

# 1. Force Git to process, but not check out, the entire history of every branch and tag
# 2. Remove the specified file, as well as any empty commits generated as a result
# 3. Overwrite existing tag
git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
  "git rm -rf --cached --ignore-unmatch $PATH_TO_REMOVE" \
  --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
 
git push origin -f --all
git push origin -f --tags  # if necessary

# All collaborators must now REBASE their local branches on this one.
# MERGE is forbidden: it may re-introduce the files we just got rid of.

# It nothing caused unintended side-effects:
git for-each-ref --format="delete %(refname)" refs/original | git update-ref --stdin
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now

Alternative (but very similar) method described here https://stackoverflow.com/a/27745221