git-annex/ walkthrough/ using bup

Another special remote that git-annex can use is a bup repository. Bup stores large file contents in a git repository of its own, with deduplication. Combined with git-annex, you can have git on both the frontend and the backend.

Here's how to create a bup remote, and describe it.

Instead of specifying a remote system, you could choose to make a bup remote that is only accessible on the current system, by passing "buprepo=/big/mybup".

    $ git annex initremote mybup type=bup encryption=none buprepo=example.com:/big/mybup
    initremote bup (bup init)
    Initialized empty Git repository in /big/mybup/
    ok
    $ git annex describe mybup "my bup repository at example.com"
    describe mybup ok

Now the remote can be used like any other remote.

    $ git annex move my_cool_big_file --to mybup
    move my_cool_big_file (to mybup...)
    Receiving index from server: 1100/1100, done.
    ok

Note that, unlike other remotes, bup does not really support removing content from its git repositories. This is a feature. :)

    $ git annex move my_cool_big_file --from mybup
    move my_cool_big_file (from mybup...)
      content cannot be removed from bup remote
    failed
    git-annex: 1 failed

See bup for details.

Comments on this page are closed.