svn:ignore on file already in version control?

I have a configuration file that holds local settings, which may be
different for every working copy (mostly absolute paths that vary from
machine to machine). I would like to have a template stored in the
repository. When the repository is checked out, the user will get the
template, and make modifications that are machine specific. However, I
do not want these changes to be commited back over top of the template
accidentally.
I was hoping that adding a matching svn:ignore pattern to the
directory containing the configuration file would prevent the changes
from being committed, but that didn't seem to work. Should this have
worked (i.e. did I just do it incorrectly), or if not, is there a
better solution for the problem?

Regards,

-- 
Eli Gibson
Simon Fraser University
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