NAME

       git-annex-unlock - unlock files for modification

SYNOPSIS

       git annex unlock [path ...]

DESCRIPTION

       Normally,  the  content  of  annexed  files is protected from being changed.  Unlocking an
       annexed file allows it to be modified. This replaces the symlink for each  specified  file
       with the file's content.  You can then modify it and git annex add (or git commit) to save
       your changes.

       In repositories with annex.version 5  or  earlier,  unlocking  a  file  is  local  to  the
       repository, and is temporary. With version 6, unlocking a file changes how it is stored in
       the git repository (from a symlink to a pointer file), so you can commit it like any other
       change.  Also  in  version  6,  you can use git add to add a file to the annex in unlocked
       form. This allows workflows where a file starts out unlocked, is  modified  as  necessary,
       and is locked once it reaches its final version.

       Normally, unlocking a file requires a copy to be made of its content, so that its original
       content is preserved, while the copy can be modified.  To use less space,  annex.thin  can
       be  set  to  true;  this makes a hard link to the content be made instead of a copy. (Only
       when supported by the file system, and only in repository version 6.) While this can  save
       considerable disk space, any modification made to a file will cause the old version of the
       file to be lost from the local repository. So, enable annex.thin with care.

OPTIONS

       file matching options

              The git-annex-matching-options(1) can be used to specify files to unlock.

       --json Enable JSON output. This is intended to be parsed by programs that  use  git-annex.
              Each line of output is a JSON object.

       --json-error-messages
              Messages  that  would normally be output to standard error are included in the json
              instead.

SEE ALSO

       git-annex(1)

       git-annex-edit(1)

       git-annex-add(1)

       git-annex-lock(1)

AUTHOR

       Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>

                                                                              git-annex-unlock(1)