Git - ignore all non-dotfiles

Question

I'm trying to figure out a rule for .gitignore file to only keep track of my dotfiles. I've tried combinations of !.* and !^.* used after * and also [^.]* as advised here. None of those ignored all of the visible, non dotfiles. What am I missing?

Answer 1

Try

*
!/**/
!.*

Ignore everything, unignore all directories, unignore dotfiles.

Answer 2

• * ignores everything
• !.* except dot files
• !.*/** except any files inside dot files

*
!.*
!.*/**