How to case sensitivity in Git

In Git, by default, filenames are case-insensitive. This means that if you work on a case-insensitive filesystem (such as Windows or macOS's default filesystem), Git treats 'README.md' and 'readme.md' as identical files. However, on case-sensitive filesystems (such as Linux), these filenames are treated as distinct files.

How to Make Git Case-Sensitive?

If you need Git to be case-sensitive in a default case-insensitive environment, configure the core.ignorecase setting. To check the current setting, use the following command:

bash
git config core.ignorecase

If the command returns true, Git is currently case-insensitive. To make Git case-sensitive, set this option to false:

bash
git config core.ignorecase false

Example

Suppose you have a file named 'readme.md' in a project and you want to add a new file 'README.md' while ensuring Git treats them as distinct.

First, ensure Git is configured to be case-sensitive:

bash
git config core.ignorecase false

Then, add the new file and commit:

bash
touch README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "Add README.md with different case"

In this way, Git treats 'README.md' and 'readme.md' as distinct files and tracks them separately in the commit history.

Notes

• In collaborative projects, standardize filename case sensitivity from the start to avoid confusion caused by inconsistent casing.
• If your project runs on multiple operating systems, explicitly mention filename case sensitivity in documentation and guides to ensure all team members configure Git correctly.
• After changing the core.ignorecase setting, recheck the existing file status to prevent accidental renaming or merging of files.