How to fix error: pathspec 'filename' did not match any file(s) known to git in Git

# List all local branches
git branch

# List all branches including remote tracking branches
git branch -a

# Search for a specific branch pattern
git branch -a | grep -i feature

# List files Git is tracking
git ls-files | grep -i filename

# Check if file exists on disk
ls -la path/to/file

# Search for files matching a pattern
find . -name "*filename*" -type f

# Fetch all branches from all remotes
git fetch --all

# Fetch from a specific remote
git fetch origin

# Now try checking out the branch
git checkout feature-branch

# Or explicitly track the remote branch
git checkout -b feature-branch origin/feature-branch

git switch feature-branch

# If the branch doesn't exist locally, create it tracking remote
git switch -c feature-branch origin/feature-branch

# See exactly how Git stores the filename
git ls-files | grep -i yourfile

# Check the case in the branch
git ls-tree -r HEAD --name-only | grep -i yourfile

# Option 1: Use the exact case Git knows about
git checkout -- "src/Components/Header.jsx"  # Not "header.jsx"

# Option 2: Rename with two steps (to avoid case-insensitive filesystem issues)
git mv OldName.txt temp.txt
git mv temp.txt newname.txt

# On Mac, check if the volume is case-sensitive
diskutil info / | grep "Case-sensitive"

# Check if the file is being ignored
git check-ignore -v path/to/file

# List all ignored files
git status --ignored

# See what .gitignore rule is matching
git check-ignore -v --no-index path/to/file

# Force add an ignored file
git add -f path/to/file

# Or remove the rule from .gitignore first
# Then add normally
git add path/to/file

# Add the file to start tracking it
git add path/to/newfile.txt

# Then your checkout/stash commands will work

# Check which repository you're in
git remote -v

# See the repository root
git rev-parse --show-toplevel

# Confirm the current working directory
pwd

# Navigate to the correct repository
cd /path/to/correct/repo

# Then retry your command
git checkout feature-branch

# Go to repo root
cd $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)

# Now try your command with full path
git add path/from/root/file.txt

# Initialize all submodules
git submodule update --init

# Initialize and update recursively
git submodule update --init --recursive

# Check submodule status
git submodule status

# The submodule directories should now have content
ls path/to/submodule/

# And Git operations on those files should work
git diff path/to/submodule/file.txt

git fetch --unshallow
git submodule update --init --recursive

# Use quotes for paths with spaces
git add "path/to/my file.txt"
git checkout -- "My Documents/config.json"

# Escape special characters
git add path/to/file\(1\).txt

# Use single quotes to preserve literal characters
git checkout -- 'file with $pecial chars.txt'

# Escape asterisks in filenames
git add 'test*.txt'  # Matches files starting with "test"

# To match a literal asterisk in the name
git add 'test\*.txt'

# Use -- to separate options from paths
git checkout -- *.txt

# Always use forward slashes, even on Windows
git add src/components/Header.tsx  # Correct
git add src\components\Header.tsx  # May cause issues

# See what would be pruned
git remote prune origin --dry-run

# Remove stale remote-tracking branches
git remote prune origin

# Or fetch with prune in one command
git fetch --prune

# Set prune to happen automatically on fetch
git config --global fetch.prune true

# Delete the local branch
git branch -d old-feature-branch

# Or force delete if it has unmerged changes
git branch -D old-feature-branch