bionic (1) git-annex-unlock.1.gz

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)