[[!comment format=mdwn
 username="https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawm7eqCMh_B7mxE0tnchbr0JoYu11FUAFRY"
 nickname="Stéphane"
 subject="Tracking remote copies not even stored locally / URL backend turned into a "special remote"."
 date="2013-01-03T10:59:35Z"
 content="""
In case you came here looking for the URL backend.

## The URL backend

Several documents on the web refer to a special \"URL backend\", e.g. [Large file management with git-annex [LWN.net]](http://lwn.net/Articles/419241/).  Historical content will never be updated yet it drives people to living places.

## Why a URL backend ?

It is interesting because you can:

* let `git-annex` rest on the fact that some documents are available as extra copies available at any time (but from something that is not a git repository).
* track these documents like your own with all git features, which opens up some truly marvelous combinations, which this margin is too narrow to contain (Pierre d.F. wouldn't disapprove ;-).

## How/Where now ?

`git-annex` used to have a URL backend. It seems that the design changed into a \"special remote\" feature, not limited to the web. You can now track files available through plain directories, rsync, webdav, some cloud storage, etc, even clay tablets. For details see [[special remotes]].

"""]]