git-annex/ install/ ArchLinux

There is now an official git-annex package for Arch, so to install it:

    pacman -S git-annex

There are at least three non non-official packages for git-annex in the Arch Linux User Repository. Any of these may be installed manually per AUR guidelines or using a wrapper such as `yaourt` shown below.

1. A git-annex package is available in the haskell-core AUR https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ArchHaskell

2. A development package is available at git-annex-git that functions similarly to the source package but builds directly from the HEAD of the git repository rather that the last official release.

       $ yaourt -Sy git-annex-git

3. A Cabal sandbox build is also available

       $ yaourt -Sy git-annex-cabal

Finally you may choose to forgo the Arch Linux package system entirely and install git-annex directly through cabal.

    $ pacman -S git rsync curl wget gnupg openssh cabal-install
    $ cabal update
    $ cabal install git-annex --bindir=$HOME/bin

Arch packages
@CandyAngel the Arch package in community has only been flagged as out of date since last week. It usually takes about a week once packages get flagged for the updates to drop. If it doesn't drop by the end of this week we can file a bug and get somebody on it. Using the -git package from AUR should not be necessary to get the latest released version of software on arch. If it is something is broken and should be fixed.
Comment by caleb — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
comment 8

Right now, the git-annex package in community is quite outdated (2016-06).

If you wish to install a newer version, you can use git-annex-git from AUR instead. You will need to disable S3 support in the PKGBUILD (and perhaps add haskell-core in pacman.conf), because haskell-hs3 doesn't seem to be available (Not that I looked too hard, as I don't use it..).

Comment by CandyAngel — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
I solved it installing dependencies....but dont know hot to start it...

cabal install gsasl cabal install happy cabal install language-javascript cabal install alex cabal install c2hs

after installing writing in terminal: git-annex, git-annex webapp does nothing... can you help how to start git-annex?

Comment by https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmqWbWVRH2k9spSMqKfIXBP1G3ekkj9Igg — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
Correct way to install git-annex directly through cabal.

The effective way to install git-annex and resolve dependencies:

    $ sudo pacman -S gsasl git rsync curl wget gnupg openssh cabal-install
    $ cabal update
    $ cabal install c2hs
    $ cabal install git-annex --bindir=$HOME/bin
    $ sudo cp ~/bin/git-annex /usr/lib/git-core

Comment by dropped — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
dep problems

@rado The Haskel dependencies can be a nightmare to sort out for the un-initiated. You can side-step the whole issue by uninstalling the pre-built version that that has all the dependencies built in out of the box.

Just grab the git-annex-bin package from the AUR and be done with it. (The -bin and -standalone packages recently merged so there is just -bin now).

Comment by http://alerque.com/ — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
problem installing using cabal: language-javascript missing

Configuring gnuidn-0.2.1... cabal: The program c2hs is required but it could not be found. Failed to install gnuidn-0.2.1 Configuring language-javascript-0.5.9... cabal: The program happy version >=1.18.5 is required but it could not be found. Failed to install language-javascript-0.5.9 cabal: Error: some packages failed to install: git-annex-5.20140320 depends on language-javascript-0.5.9 which failed to install. gnuidn-0.2.1 failed during the configure step. The exception was: ExitFailure 1 hjsmin-0.1.4.6 depends on language-javascript-0.5.9 which failed to install. language-javascript-0.5.9 failed during the configure step. The exception was: ExitFailure 1 network-protocol-xmpp-0.4.6 depends on gnuidn-0.2.1 which failed to install. yesod-static-1.2.2.4 depends on language-javascript-0.5.9 which failed to install. [r-c@rc-laptop ~]$ cabal install language-javascript Resolving dependencies... Configuring language-javascript-0.5.9... cabal: The program happy version >=1.18.5 is required but it could not be found. Failed to install language-javascript-0.5.9 cabal: Error: some packages failed to install: language-javascript-0.5.9 failed during the configure step. The exception was: ExitFailure 1

Can you help how to solve?

Comment by https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmqWbWVRH2k9spSMqKfIXBP1G3ekkj9Igg — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
comment 4

Done [0]. Not much debug output, unfortunately...

[0] http://git-annex.branchable.com/bugs/Assistant_stalls_when_adding47creating_repo_on_ArchLinux/?updated

Comment by http://olivier.mehani.name/ — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
comment 3
Please post a bug report and start the webapp with the --debug option.
Comment by http://joeyh.name/ — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
Stalling when creating repository in assistant

I am experiencing a weird issue with any install I've had on this one (and only) ArchLinux machine: all of aur/git-annex 4.20130516-1, aur/git-annex-bin-4.20130909-1, aur/git-annex-standalone-4.20130909-1 and a Cabal install just stall when trying to create the initial Git annex repo in the webapp.

When started, it offers me to create the annex in ~/annex/ or ~/Desktop/annex/, where ~ gets turned into /home/USER when I press “Make repository”, but nothing else happens. This is regardless of if that repo exists when I try to create it or start the webapp.

If I start the webapp from an existing annex (now in ~/annex), it seems to work a bit better, but any other remote (SSH) server that I try to add fails. I just get a fleeting Bootstrap message box when I click “Check this server”, and nothing in the logs of eithr git annex webapp or the ssh logs of the server.

Any idea? Where should I look for more debug information? .

Comment by http://olivier.mehani.name/ — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
git-annex-bin package?

Seems the git-annex-bin package is no longer in AUR.

@caleb any interesting in resurrecting the old git-annex-bin package?

It would be a welcome option for users that have no other haskell-based packages installed vs. the community/git-annex package that now depends on ghc and many separate haskell packages. Reply or ping me, I can assist.

Comment by douglass.doug — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
comment 10

@caleb I didn't mean to slight the maintainer, if that's how it came across, just letting people know what I had to do to get a more recent version, in case they need the same (e.g. finding an issue like I had).

I'll go and flag it any time a new release is done from now on, so it doesn't get missed :)

Comment by CandyAngel — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
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