title: How to tell Git that it's the same directory, just a different name
body: <p>After getting past a few hurdles learning Git, I came across a new challenge: Renaming a directory (locally, in the working directory).</p>
  
  <p>When I type <code>git status</code>, it lists all the files in the old directory name (that exist with the same exact filenames in the new directory) as <strong>deleted</strong> and the new directory name as "untracked".</p>
  
  <p>Is there a way to tell Git that "it's actually the same directory, just a different name"?</p>
  
  <p>So that all the files will be listed by  <code>git status</code> as modified only?</p>
  
  <p>To exemplify the problem, here is the output I receive from <code>git status</code> when I rename an entire directory:</p>
  
  <pre><code>git status
  # On branch master
  # Changes not staged for commit:
  #   (use "git add/rm &lt;file&gt;..." to update what will be committed)
  #   (use "git checkout -- &lt;file&gt;..." to discard changes in working directory)
  #
  #   deleted:    old-dir-name/file1
  #   deleted:    old-dir-name/file2
  #   deleted:    old-dir-name/file3
  #
  # Untracked files:
  #   (use "git add &lt;file&gt;..." to include in what will be committed)
  #
  #   new-dir-name/
  no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
  ~/sb/ws&gt;
  </code></pre>