--force will cause add, etc, to operate on ignored files.

Command.hs

@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ withFilesMissing a params = do
 withFilesNotInGit :: CommandSeekBackendFiles
 withFilesNotInGit a params = do
 	repo <- Annex.gitRepo
-	newfiles <- liftIO $ runPreserveOrder (Git.notInRepo repo) params
+	force <- Annex.getState Annex.force
+	newfiles <- liftIO $ runPreserveOrder (Git.notInRepo repo force) params
 	newfiles' <- filterFiles newfiles
 	backendPairs a newfiles'
 withWords :: CommandSeekWords

Command/Add.hs

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import Control.Monad.State (liftIO)
 import System.Posix.Files
 
 import Command
+import qualified Annex
 import qualified AnnexQueue
 import qualified Backend
 import LocationLog
@@ -60,5 +61,8 @@ cleanup file key = do
 	let mtime = modificationTime s
 	liftIO $ touch file (TimeSpec mtime) False
 
-	AnnexQueue.add "add" [Param "--"] file
+	force <- Annex.getState Annex.force
+	if force
+		then AnnexQueue.add "add" [Param "-f", Param "--"] file
+		else AnnexQueue.add "add" [Param "--"] file
 	return True

GitRepo.hs

@@ -382,13 +382,15 @@ reap = do
 {- Scans for files that are checked into git at the specified locations. -}
 inRepo :: Repo -> [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]
 inRepo repo l = pipeNullSplit repo $
-	[Params "ls-files --cached --exclude-standard -z --"] ++ map File l
+	[Params "ls-files --cached -z --"] ++ map File l
 
-{- Scans for files at the specified locations that are not checked into git,
- - and not gitignored. -}
-notInRepo :: Repo -> [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]
-notInRepo repo l = pipeNullSplit repo $
-	[Params "ls-files --others --exclude-standard -z --"] ++ map File l
+{- Scans for files at the specified locations that are not checked into
+ - git. -}
+notInRepo :: Repo -> Bool -> [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]
+notInRepo repo include_ignored l =
+	pipeNullSplit repo $ [Params "ls-files --others"]++exclude++[Params "-z --"] ++ map File l
+	where
+		exclude = if include_ignored then [] else [Param "--exclude-standard"]
 
 {- Returns a list of all files that are staged for commit. -}
 stagedFiles :: Repo -> [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]

debian/changelog

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ git-annex (0.20110611) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * unlock: Made atomic.
   * git-union-merge: New git subcommand, that does a generic union merge
     operation, and operates efficiently without touching the working tree.
+  * --force will cause add, etc, to operate on ignored files.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:53:24 -0400
 

doc/bugs/git_annex_should_use___39__git_add_-f__39___internally.mdwn

@@ -3,4 +3,9 @@ I have this line in the .gitignore file of one of my repos:
 
 So the command 'git annex init name' fails to add the file ".git-annex/uuid.log", and the same problem happens when git-annex-add'ing files.
 
+> This is avoided on the v3 branch, which does not store these files in the
+> same branch as your repository.
+
 Also, when a file is git-ignored, it should be possible to 'git annex add' it with a -f/--force option, the same way git does it.
+
+> Reasonable, [[done]] --[[Joey]] 

doc/git-annex.mdwn

@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ Many git-annex commands will stage changes for later `git commit` by you.
 * --force
 
   Force unsafe actions, such as dropping a file's content when no other
-  source of it can be verified to still exist. Use with care.
+  source of it can be verified to still exist, or adding ignored files.
+  Use with care.
 
 * --fast