The meaning of LFS is: Large File Storage
Git LFS is an extension of Git designed to solve the problem that Git cannot handle large files efficiently.
Typically, Git stores entire files in version control, which can be inefficient for large files and take up a lot of storage space.
Git LFS, on the other hand , enables more efficient version control by storing large files on remote servers and keeping pointers to those files in Git repositories.
1. Introduction to Git LFS
Git LFS ( Large File Storage ) is an open source extension to solve Git 's efficiency and performance problems when dealing with large files. Git LFS extends the capabilities of Git to better handle version control and storage of large files.
The traditional Git version control system stores the complete file content in the warehouse, which may cause the following problems for large files (such as image, audio, video files):
- Efficiency issues: Every time a file is versioned, a copy of the complete file needs to be kept in the Git repository, which can lead to slower operations, especially if the file is large.
- Storage issues: Frequent updates and storage of large files will take up a lot of disk space, making the warehouse huge, which is not conducive to team collaboration and version control.
Git LFS solves the above problems by storing large files on remote servers and keeping pointers to those files in Git repositories. It provides the following key functions and features:
- Pointer storage: Git LFS works by storing pointers to large files (called LFS pointers) in the Git repository , rather than storing the contents of entire files. This saves storage space and is more efficient for version control operations.
- Remote Storage: The actual content of large files is stored on the Git LFS server instead of in the Git repository. The Git LFS server can be a private server built by oneself or a server of a hosting service provider (such as GitHub , GitLab ).
- Transparency: For Git users, using Git LFS does not require additional commands or complex operations. Git LFS is integrated through Git hooks and filters, making operations on large files transparent to the user.
- Tracking and Version Control: Git LFS provides command-line tools and Git extensions to easily track and manage large files. You can use a command like git lfs track to specify the type of large files to track, and then version control via normal Git commands.
In conclusion, Git LFS extends the functionality of Git to better handle large files, improve efficiency and save storage space. It is very useful in many projects that need to deal with large files, such as machine learning, multimedia content and large datasets, etc.
2. Hooks and filters
In Git , hooks ( hooks ) and filters ( filters ) are two mechanisms for executing custom scripts or processing at specific points in time or operations.
2.1 Git hooks
A Git hook is a script that is triggered to execute when a specific Git operation event occurs.
Git hooks allow you to execute custom logic before or after code commits, pushes, merges, etc. By using Git hooks, you can automate various tasks, verify committed code, execute tests, build documentation, and more.
Git hooks are located in the .git/hooks directory, which contains a series of script files, each of which corresponds to a specific Git event. You can write your own logic in these script files and trigger execution when related events occur. For example, the pre-commit hook will be executed before the code is committed, and the post-receive hook will be executed when the remote warehouse receives a push.
You can customize the behavior of the hook by creating or editing the corresponding hook script file. That way, your script will be executed whenever the relevant Git operation occurs.
2.2 Git filters
A Git filter is a mechanism for transforming or processing the contents of files during Git operations. By using Git filters, you can define a set of rules that apply custom transformations to file content when committing, checking out, or merging files.
Git filters are implemented by defining filtering rules in the .gitattributes file. You can specify the file matching pattern as well as the filter type and parameters to apply. Common filter types include text conversion, binary conversion, sensitive information filtering, and more.
When Git commits, checks out, or merges files that match the rules, Git will convert or process the file content accordingly according to the defined filter rules. This allows you to perform necessary transformations on files, such as automatic line-ending formatting, image compression, encryption, etc., while versioning.
Filters and hooks are two extension mechanisms provided by Git that allow you to customize and control specific behavior and processing during Git operations. By using hooks and filters, you can achieve more advanced version control and automated workflows.
3. How to install
sudo apt-get install git-lfs
Running sudo apt-get install git-lfsthe command will install Git LFS on your system . Execute this command with administrator privileges using the sudo command to ensure you have the required privileges to install the software.
git lfs install
is the command of Git LFS , which is used to enable the Git LFS function in the current Git repository .
Running this command will do the following:
- Configure the global settings of Git LFS to take effect in this repository.
- Add the necessary hooks and filters in the Git configuration file to properly handle large files when using Git LFS .
By running git lfs install , you can integrate Git LFS into your current Git repository, so you can start using Git LFS features such as tracking, storing, and retrieving large files.