Why does Git ignore png files and how do I 'un-ignore' them?

Question

So I have a repo where I didn't add anything to ignore .png files but they are ignored anyways.

Why is this happening, and how can I fix it?

Answer 1

If you want to be sure if a file is ignored, and (if it is) by which .gitignore, simply use:

git check-ignore -v -- myfile.png

git check-ignore will display the relevant .gitignore file and the relevant rule.

Answer 2

In order to start tracking previously ignored files or patterns:

1. First, you need to change your working directory to the repository by typing cd <path> .
2. Second, you need to specify the files or patterns to track them by typing git add -f <file name>.extension for a specific file or git add -f *.png for all png files.