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)