Understanding Git LFS
Git Large File Storage (LFS) is an extension for Git that helps you manage large files by replacing them with lightweight pointers in your repository, while storing the actual file contents on a remote server. This is crucial for firmware developers who often deal with large binary firmware files that can bloat a repository.
Identifying Tracking Issues
Tracking issues can arise if files are not properly tracked by LFS. This might lead to oversized repositories, broken LFS pointers, or files not being pushed. Common causes for these issues include missing Git LFS configuration, directories initially added before LFS tracking was specified, and incorrect LFS filter settings.
Review Your .gitattributes File
Ensure your .gitattributes
file is configured correctly. This file specifies which files should be tracked by LFS. For example:
*.bin filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
*.hex filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
These entries ensure .bin
and .hex
files are tracked by LFS. Make sure you add the correct file extensions that apply to your firmware files.
Track Files with Git LFS
If new files need to be added to LFS tracking, you can do this with the following command:
git lfs track "*.bin"
git lfs track "*.hex"
After adding new file types to be tracked, remember to update and check-in the .gitattributes
file:
git add .gitattributes
git commit -m "Track firmware files with LFS"
Ensure Correct Installation and Setup
Ensure Git LFS is installed in your local environment and your remote repository (e.g., GitHub, BitBucket) supports LFS. You can verify installation with git lfs install
and check for existing tracked files with:
git lfs ls-files
This will help confirm that LFS is operational and recognizing the tracked files.
Resolving Pre-existing Untracked Large Files
If large files were committed without LFS tracking, the history might need to be rewritten to rectify this. Carefully use the following steps, as they can alter your repository history:
git lfs migrate import --include="*.bin,*.hex"
This command rewrites the history to track the specified file extensions with LFS. Note that collaborating team members will need to synchronize their forks after this change.
Syncing Local and Remote States
Ensure your local branches are synchronized with the remote repository. After making changes, push all LFS objects and references:
git lfs push origin --all
This command ensures that all local LFS-managed files are synced with the remote server.
Handling Common Errors
It’s not uncommon to encounter errors such as "This exceeds GitHub's file size limit of 100.00 MB," indicating that files were not properly tracked. Ensure the related files are added to LFS as discussed above. If problems persist, try:
- Checking if your version of Git LFS requires updates with
git lfs version
and updating if necessary.
- Ensuring your filter process is always active with
git config --global filter.lfs.required true
.
Verify LFS is Configured in All Relevant Repositories
If your project involves multiple repositories, ensure that each is configured for LFS. The .gitattributes
file must be present and properly configured in all relevant location paths to ensure consistent tracking.