I tried to use the [old thread](http://git-annex.branchable.com/forum/Git_repos_in_git_annex__63__/?updated#comment-9fca5cf31ccfd3d78c78cb65f7672340) for this, but threads don't get bumped when they are updated, so I guess I'll have to start a new one...

Here is the relevant [bug report](http://git-annex.branchable.com/bugs/Can__39__t_add_a_git_repo_to_git_annex:___34__Invalid_path_repo__47__.git__47__X__34___for_many_X).

Here's my scenario: I have been using Dropbox for several years.  I want to move to git-annex.

For some time I used Bazaar repos inside Dropbox.  A couple of times I accidentally modified files on one computer before another finished syncing, and the repo became mildly corrupted, but I recovered it okay.

Recently I switched from bzr to git, and so far, so good.  I'm careful not to make any changes to my files before Dropbox is finished syncing, so everything works fine.

Now I'm testing git-annex as a replacement for Dropbox again.  But when I add a directory containing a git repo to an annex, git-annex ignores the .git directory, so the repo isn't synced.

I read this forum thread, and I read the bug report, but there don't appear to be any real solutions.

This seems like what should be a fairly common use case: a user has a directory of simple text files, like shell scripts or org-mode files.  He uses git to version-control them, and he uses Dropbox to sync the files and the git repo automatically between computers.  Now the user wants to use git-annex instead, but if he does this, it will mean having to choose between:

* No longer using git to version-control the files
* Only using git on a single system, which means that he can't make commits or do any other git operations when using other systems
* Keeping separate git repos on each system, and making the same commits manually on each one...which would be a mess
* Keeping separate git repos on each system, and using a script to make commits automatically--which would mean commits wouldn't be any more useful than a simple timed backup script

I guess I could just use git instead of Dropbox or git-annex, but then I must choose between either:

* Only being able to sync repos when both systems are online
* Having to store repos in plaintext on remote servers

This is one of my primary use cases for Dropbox/git-annex.  I'd really appreciate any help in figuring this out.  Thanks.
