Git is a distributed version control system that is widely used for tracking changes in source code during software development. By default, Git is case-sensitive, but the underlying file systems (like NTFS on Windows and HFS+ on macOS) can be case-insensitive. This can cause issues when renaming files where only the case of the letters changes. This article will guide you on how to commit case-sensitive filename changes in Git effectively.

Understanding the Issue

On case-insensitive file systems, renaming a file from filename.txt to Filename.txt might not be recognized as a change by the file system. As a result, Git may not detect this change, leading to issues in tracking and committing the change.

Using Git’s ‘mv’ Command

Before moving on to the approach, make sure the file exists in the directory, and use the exact name of the file when renaming it.

Step 1: Rename to the Desired Case-sensitive Name

git mv filename.txt Filename.txt

Step 2: Commit the changes

git commit -m "Rename filename.txt to Filename.txt"

Note: This approach works directly in environments where the file system’s case sensitivity does not conflict with Git’s tracking.

Configuring Git to Ignore Case Changes Globally

This approach is used when we want Git to ignore case changes globally, ensuring that filenames are tracked case-sensitively across all repositories. This approach is particularly useful when working across multiple projects.

Step 1: Set the Global Ignore Case Config

Use ‘git config’ to set ‘core.ignorecase’ to ‘false’, this tells git to globally configure and able to track filenames with case sensitivity, which means now it can able to distinguish between the filenames.

git config --global core.ignorecase false

Step 2: Rename to the Desired Case-Sensitive Name

git mv filename.txt Filename.txt

Step 3: Commit the change

git commit -m "Rename filename.txt to Filename.txt"

Note: This prevents the issue with case changes in the filename across all the environments. However, changing global git configuration might not be suitable for all the user or projects.

Conclusion

Renaming files with case changes in Git can be tricky due to the case insensitivity of some file systems. By following a two-step commit process—renaming the file to an intermediate name and then to the desired name—you can ensure that Git correctly tracks these changes. This article provides a detailed guide and a script to help you handle case-sensitive filename changes in Git efficiently.