Git's Magic Files
Summary
This article explains Git's so-called magic files that travel with a repository and shape its behavior, including .gitignore, .gitattributes, .lfsconfig, .gitmodules, .mailmap, .git-blame-ignore-revs, and .gitmessage. It also covers forge-specific folders and other conventions that influence tooling, language detection, and history. The piece is a practical guide for developers building tools that interact with Git repositories and for teams standardizing repo practices.