Git-annex allows users to manage files with git without checking file contents into the repository. It uses git for version control and file tracking, but stores file contents separately. File contents can be distributed across multiple drives, servers, and locations for redundancy and access from different devices. Git-annex also supports various workflows like archiving data, consuming media, and syncing files while traveling.

1. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
git-annex
manage files with git, without checking their contents in
Richard Hartmann,
RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet},
richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
2012-02-05
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

2. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Outline
1 Intro
2 Use cases
3 Technical details
4 Outro
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

3. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Outline
1 Intro
2 Use cases
3 Technical details
4 Outro
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

4. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Who am I?
Project & Network Operations Manager at Globalways AG
freenode & OFTC staff
Passionate about FLOSS
I am not the author of git-annex, but an interested early
adopter
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

5. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
What is git?
Version control system
Distributed
No need for central repository
Commit while offline
Full history of all files in every checkout
Best version control system available (imo...)
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

6. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
What is git-annex?
Based on git
No need to check files into git
Still able to check files into git if you want
Able to maintain full history, but does not do so by default
Written with low bandwidth and flaky connections in mind
Various work-flows
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

7. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Outline
1 Intro
2 Use cases
3 Technical details
4 Outro
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

8. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
The Archivist
Put data into git-annex
Distribute data among any number of drives, tapes,
remotes, etc
Store offline media in a safe place
Maintain full information about number and location of all
copies
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

9. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Media consumption
Import podcasts, videos, and slides
Sync or export to consumption devices
Consume media
Drop consumed media from annex
Deletion propagates through all annexes over time
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

10. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
The Nomad
Keep copies of data on www
Optionally sync between several local devices for backup
Add data locally and/or remotely while on the road
Sync data between local and remote once at an Internet
´
cafe or similar
Perfect for photos while travelling
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

11. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Outline
1 Intro
2 Use cases
3 Technical details
4 Outro
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

12. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Internal workings 1/2
Written in Haskell, so strong typing etc internally
Uses rsync to transfer data
Moves files into .git/annex/objects
Makes files read-only
Puts symlink in place of file
Stores location data in branch git-annex
User adds and commits symlinks to master branch
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

13. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Internal workings 2/2
Read-only files force you to git annex unlock prior to
changing them
Ensures that you will git annex add all unlocked files
git-annex can then discard or keep old data, depending on
setup
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

14. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Data integrity
Set minimal number of required copies per suffix, directory,
etc
SHA1, SHA2-{224,256,384,512} for integrity
All remotes and special remotes can be verified
remotes verify locally and transmit the result
special remotes transfer all data to verify
Verification takes required amount of copies into account
git fsck; git annex fsck
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

15. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Special remotes 1/2
Stores data in non-git-annex remotes
Tracks all data stored in special remotes
Supports encryption for storage on untrusted
machines/media
Hook system lets you write to and read from arbitrary
remotes
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

16. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Special remotes 2/2
bup
directory
rsync
S3, Swift, etc
Tahoe-LAFS
web (media.ccc.de, Project Gutenberg, archive.org, etc)
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

17. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Outline
1 Intro
2 Use cases
3 Technical details
4 Outro
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

18. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Where to get it
cabal install git-annex --bindir=$HOME/bin
Native packages for
Debian
Ubuntu
FreeBSD
Arch Linux
NixOS
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

19. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Further reading
https://github.com/RichiH/talks
http://git-annex.branchable.com/
http://www.slideshare.net/RichiH/
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex

20. Intro Use cases Technical details Outro
Thanks!
Thanks for listening!
Questions? Follow me outside when my time-slot is over.
See slide footer for further contact Information.
Richard Hartmann, RichiH@{freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}, richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
git-annex