.DS_Store

A .DS_Store file is a file that stores custom attributes of a folder, such as the position of icons and the choice of background image in the macOS Finder. It is automatically created by the Finder in every directory it accesses. The "DS" stands for "Desktop Services".

These files are hidden by default in the Finder, as they begin with a period, making them invisible to most users under standard settings. However, they are still present in the directory and can be seen using the command line or by changing Finder settings to show hidden files.

.DS_Store files are generally harmless but can become problematic when accidentally included in version control systems or shared with users of other operating systems (like Windows or Linux) where they are irrelevant and can clutter the user's view of the directory's contents. They do not pose a security risk in themselves but can inadvertently reveal information about a directory's configuration.

To prevent .DS_Store files from being created, users can disable their creation globally in macOS via the command line. It is also common practice to configure version control systems like Git to ignore .DS_Store files using a .gitignore file.