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.

       Unlocking  a  file  changes how it is stored in the git repository (from a symlink to a pointer file), so
       this command will make a change that you can commit.

       The content of an unlocked file is still stored in git-annex, not git, and when you commit  modifications
       to  the  file,  the  modifications will also be stored in git-annex, with only the pointer file stored in
       git.

       If you use git add to add a file, it will be added in unlocked  form  from  the  beginning.  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.) 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)