If you are starting from nothing (no existing `git` or `git-annex` repository) and want to use a server as a centralised repository, try the following steps.

On the server where you'll hold the "master" repository:

	server$ cd /one/git
	server$ mkdir m
	server$ cd m
	server$ git init --bare
	Initialized empty Git repository in /one/git/m/
	server$ git annex init origin
	init origin ok
	server$ 

Clone that to the laptop:

	laptop$ cd /other
	laptop$ git clone ssh://server//one/git/m
	Cloning into 'm'...
	Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11 forwarding.
	remote: Counting objects: 5, done.        
	remote: Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.        
	remote: Total 5 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)        
	Receiving objects: 100% (5/5), done.
	warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref, unable to checkout.

	laptop$ cd m
	laptop$ git annex init laptop
	init laptop ok
        laptop$ 

Merge the `git-annex` repository (this is the bit that is often
overlooked!):

	laptop$ git annex merge	
	merge . (merging "origin/git-annex" into git-annex...)
	ok
	laptop$ 

Add some content:

	laptop$ git annex addurl http://kitenet.net/~joey/screencasts/git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg
	"kitenet.net_~joey_screencasts_git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg"
	addurl kitenet.net_~joey_screencasts_git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg (downloading http://kitenet.net/~joey/screencasts/git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg ...) --2011-12-15 08:13:10--  http://kitenet.net/~joey/screencasts/git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg
	Resolving kitenet.net (kitenet.net)... 2001:41c8:125:49::10, 80.68.85.49
	Connecting to kitenet.net (kitenet.net)|2001:41c8:125:49::10|:80... connected.
	HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
	Length: 39362757 (38M) [audio/ogg]
	Saving to: `/other/m/.git/annex/tmp/URL--http&c%%kitenet.net%~joey%screencasts%git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg'

	100%[======================================>] 39,362,757  2.31M/s   in 17s     

	2011-12-15 08:13:27 (2.21 MB/s) - `/other/m/.git/annex/tmp/URL--http&c%%kitenet.net%~joey%screencasts%git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg' saved [39362757/39362757]

	(checksum...) ok
	(Recording state in git...)
	laptop$ git commit -m 'See Joey play.'
	[master (root-commit) 106e923] See Joey play.
	 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
	  create mode 120000 kitenet.net_~joey_screencasts_git-annex_coding_in_haskell.ogg
	laptop$ 

All fine, now push it back to the centralised master:

	laptop$ git push
	Counting objects: 20, done.
	Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
	Compressing objects: 100% (11/11), done.
	Writing objects: 100% (18/18), 1.50 KiB, done.
	Total 18 (delta 1), reused 1 (delta 0)
	To ssh://server//one/git/m
	   3ba1386..ad3bc9e  git-annex -> git-annex
	laptop$ 

You can add more "client" repositories by following the `laptop`
sequence of operations.