version 4.20130323, 4.20130405

These versions continue fixing bugs and adding features.

version 4.20130314

This version makes a great many improvements and bugfixes, and is a recommended upgrade.

If you have already used the webapp to locally pair two computers, a bug caused the paired repository to not be given an appropriate cost. To fix this, go into the Repositories page in the webapp, and drag the repository for the locally paired computer to come before any repositories that it's more expensive to transfer data to.

version 4.20130227

This release fixes a bug with globbing that broke preferred content expressions. So, it is a recommended upgrade from the previous release, which introduced that bug.

In this release, the assistant is fully working on Android, although it must be set up using the command line.

Repositories can now be placed on filesystems that lack support for symbolic links; FAT support is complete.

version 3.20130216

This adds a port to Android. Only usable at the command line so far; beta qualitty.

Also a bugfix release, and improves support for FAT.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• No Android app yet.
• On BSD operating systems (but not on OS X), the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See this bug for a workaround.
• Also on systems with kqueue, modifications to existing files in direct mode will not be noticed.

version 3.20130107, 3.20130114, 3.20130124, 3.20130207

These are bugfix releases.

version 3.20130102

This release makes several significant improvements to the git-annex assistant, which is still in beta.

The main improvement is direct mode. This allows you to directly edit files in the repository, and the assistant will automatically commit and sync your changes. Direct mode is the default for new repositories created by the assistant. To convert your existing repository to use direct mode, manually run git annex direct inside the repository.

version 3.20121211

This release of the git-annex assistant (which is still in beta) consists of mostly bugfixes, user interface improvements, and improvements to existing features.

In general, anything you can configure with the assistant's web app will work. Some examples of use cases supported by this release include:

• Using Box.com's 5 gigabytes of free storage space as a cloud transfer point between between repositories that cannot directly contact one-another. (Many other cloud providers are also supported, from Rsync.net to Amazon S3, to your own ssh server.)
• Archiving or backing up files to Amazon Glacier. See archival walkthrough.
• Sharing repositories with friends contacted through a Jabber server (such as Google Talk).
• Pairing two computers that are on the same local network (or VPN) and automatically keeping the files in the annex in sync as changes are made to them.
• Cloning your repository to removable drives, USB keys, etc. The assistant will notice when the drive is mounted and keep it in sync. Such a drive can be stored as an offline backup, or transported between computers to keep them in sync.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• The Max OSX standalone app may not work on all versions of Max OSX. Please test!
• On Mac OSX and BSD operating systems, the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See Issue on OSX with some system limits for a workaround.

version 3.20121126

This adds several features to the git-annex assistant, which is still in beta.

In general, anything you can configure with the assistant's web app will work. Some examples of use cases supported by this release include:

• Using Box.com's 5 gigabytes of free storage space as a cloud transfer point between between repositories that cannot directly contact one-another. (Many other cloud providers are also supported, from Rsync.net to Amazon S3, to your own ssh server.)
• Archiving or backing up files to Amazon Glacier.
• Sharing repositories with friends contacted through a Jabber server (such as Google Talk).
• Pairing two computers that are on the same local network (or VPN) and automatically keeping the files in the annex in sync as changes are made to them.
• Cloning your repository to removable drives, USB keys, etc. The assistant will notice when the drive is mounted and keep it in sync. Such a drive can be stored as an offline backup, or transported between computers to keep them in sync.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• The Max OSX standalone app does not work on all versions of Max OSX.
• On Mac OSX and BSD operating systems, the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See Issue on OSX with some system limits for a workaround.
• Retrieval of files from Amazon Glacier is not fully automated; the assistant does not automatically retry in the 4 to 5 hours period when Glacier makes the files available.

version 3.20121112

This is a major upgrade of the git-annex assistant, which is still in beta.

In general, anything you can configure with the assistant's web app will work. Some examples of use cases supported by this release include:

• Sharing repositories with friends contacted through a Jabber server (such as Google Talk).
• Setting up cloud repositories, that are used as backups, archives, or transfer points between repositories that cannot directly contact one-another.
• Pairing two computers that are on the same local network (or VPN) and automatically keeping the files in the annex in sync as changes are made to them.
• Cloning your repository to removable drives, USB keys, etc. The assistant will notice when the drive is mounted and keep it in sync. Such a drive can be stored as an offline backup, or transported between computers to keep them in sync.

The following upgrade notes apply if you're upgrading from a previous version:

• For best results, edit the configuration of repositories you set up with older versions, and place them in a repository group. This lets the assistant know how you want to use the repository; for backup, archival, as a transfer point for clients, etc. Go to Configuration -> Manage Repositories, and click in the "configure" link to edit a repository's configuration.
• If you set up a cloud repository with an older version, and have multiple clients using it, you are recommended to configure an Jabber account, so that clients can use it to communicate when sending data to the cloud repository. Configure Jabber by opening the webapp, and going to Configuration -> Configure jabber account
• When setting up local pairing, the assistant did not limit the paired computer to accessing a single git repository. This new version does, by setting GIT_ANNEX_SHELL_DIRECTORY in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• On Mac OSX and BSD operating systems, the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See Issue on OSX with some system limits for a workaround.

version 3.20121009

This is a maintenance release of the git-annex assistant, which is still in beta.

In general, anything you can configure with the assistant's web app will work. Some examples of use cases supported by this release include:

• Pairing two computers that are on the same local network (or VPN) and automatically keeping the files in the annex in sync as changes are made to them.
• Cloning your repository to removable drives, USB keys, etc. The assistant will notice when the drive is mounted and keep it in sync. Such a drive can be stored as an offline backup, or transported between computers to keep them in sync.
• Cloning your repository to a remote server, running ssh, and uploading changes made to your files to the server. There is special support for using the rsync.net cloud provider this way, or any shell account on a typical unix server, such as a Linode VPS can be used.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• On Mac OSX and BSD operating systems, the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See Issue on OSX with some system limits for a workaround.
• In order to ensure that all multiple repositories are kept in sync, each computer with a repository must be running the git-annex assistant.
• The assistant does not yet always manage to keep repositories in sync when some are hidden from others behind firewalls.

version 3.20120924

This is the first beta release of the git-annex assistant.

In general, anything you can configure with the assistant's web app will work. Some examples of use cases supported by this release include:

• Pairing two computers that are on the same local network (or VPN) and automatically keeping the files in the annex in sync as changes are made to them.
• Cloning your repository to removable drives, USB keys, etc. The assistant will notice when the drive is mounted and keep it in sync. Such a drive can be stored as an offline backup, or transported between computers to keep them in sync.
• Cloning your repository to a remote server, running ssh, and uploading changes made to your files to the server. There is special support for using the rsync.net cloud provider this way, or any shell account on a typical unix server, such as a Linode VPS can be used.

The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex assistant:

• On Mac OSX and BSD operating systems, the assistant uses kqueue to watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically 1024), and fail. See Issue on OSX with some system limits for a workaround.
• In order to ensure that all multiple repositories are kept in sync, each computer with a repository must be running the git-annex assistant.
• The assistant does not yet always manage to keep repositories in sync when some are hidden from others behind firewalls.
• If a file is checked into git as a normal file and gets modified (or merged, etc), it will be converted into an annexed file. So you should not mix use of the assistant with normal git files in the same repository yet.
• If you git annex unlock a file, it will immediately be re-locked. See watcher commits unlocked files.