# git-lfs(1)

## NAME

git-lfs - Work with large files in Git repositories

## SYNOPSIS

`git lfs` <command> [<args>]

## DESCRIPTION

Git LFS is a system for managing and versioning large files in association with a Git repository. Instead of storing the large files within the Git repository as blobs, Git LFS stores special "pointer files" in the repository, while storing the actual file contents on a Git LFS server. The contents of the large file are downloaded automatically when needed, for example when a Git branch containing the large file is checked out.

Git LFS works by using a "smudge" filter to look up the large file contents based on the pointer file, and a "clean" filter to create a new version of the pointer file when the large file’s contents change. It also uses a `pre-push` hook to upload the large file contents to the Git LFS server whenever a commit containing a new large file version is about to be pushed to the corresponding Git server.

## COMMANDS

Like Git, Git LFS commands are separated into high level ("porcelain") commands and low level ("plumbing") commands.

### High level porcelain commands

git-lfs-checkout(1)

  Populate working copy with real content from Git LFS files.

git-lfs-completion(1)

  Generate shell scripts for command-line tab-completion of Git LFS commands.

git-lfs-dedup(1)

  De-duplicate Git LFS files.

git-lfs-env(1)

  Display the Git LFS environment.

git-lfs-ext(1)

  Display Git LFS extension details.

git-lfs-fetch(1)

  Download Git LFS files from a remote.

git-lfs-fsck(1)

  Check Git LFS files for consistency.

git-lfs-install(1)

  Install Git LFS configuration.

git-lfs-lock(1)

  Set a file as "locked" on the Git LFS server.

git-lfs-locks(1)

  List currently "locked" files from the Git LFS server.

git-lfs-logs(1)

  Show errors from the Git LFS command.

git-lfs-ls-files(1)

  Show information about Git LFS files in the index and working tree.

git-lfs-migrate(1)

  Migrate history to or from Git LFS

git-lfs-prune(1)

  Delete old Git LFS files from local storage

git-lfs-pull(1)

  Fetch Git LFS changes from the remote & checkout any required working tree files.

git-lfs-push(1)

  Push queued large files to the Git LFS endpoint.

git-lfs-status(1)

  Show the status of Git LFS files in the working tree.

git-lfs-track(1)

  View or add Git LFS paths to Git attributes.

git-lfs-uninstall(1)

  Uninstall Git LFS by removing hooks and smudge/clean filter configuration.

git-lfs-unlock(1)

  Remove "locked" setting for a file on the Git LFS server.

git-lfs-untrack(1)

  Remove Git LFS paths from Git Attributes.

git-lfs-update(1)

  Update Git hooks for the current Git repository.

git-lfs-version(1)

  Report the version number.

### Low level plumbing commands

git-lfs-clean(1)

  Git clean filter that converts large files to pointers.

git-lfs-filter-process(1)

  Git process filter that converts between large files and pointers.

git-lfs-merge-driver(1)

  Merge text-based LFS files

git-lfs-pointer(1)

  Build and compare pointers.

git-lfs-post-checkout(1)

  Git post-checkout hook implementation.

git-lfs-post-commit(1)

  Git post-commit hook implementation.

git-lfs-post-merge(1)

  Git post-merge hook implementation.

git-lfs-pre-push(1)

  Git pre-push hook implementation.

git-lfs-smudge(1)

  Git smudge filter that converts pointer in blobs to the actual content.

git-lfs-standalone-file(1)

  Git LFS standalone transfer adapter for file URLs (local paths).

## EXAMPLES

To get started with Git LFS, the following commands can be used.

1. Setup Git LFS on your system. You only have to do this once per user account:

       git lfs install

2. Choose the type of files you want to track, for examples all `ISO` images, with git-lfs-track(1):

       git lfs track "*.iso"

3. The above stores this information in gitattributes(5) files, so that file needs to be added to the repository:

       git add .gitattributes

4. Commit, push and work with the files normally:

       git add file.iso
       git commit -m "Add disk image"
       git push