Hi,

I have setup a remote git-annex repository (ssh into some machine in our local network) which I will call "common_repo".  Multiple contributors will then be cloning this repo into their laptops (I will call "client_repos").

When these client_repos change and do a "git annex sync <common_repo> --content", all the files from their laptops are successfully synchronised.  The problem arises when:

<ol>
  <li>CLIENT_A creates somefile.csv</li>
  <li>CLIENT_A commits somefile.csv
    <br/>i.e.:
    <br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;git annex add somefile.csv
    <br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;git commit -a -m "uploaded somefile.csv"
  </li>
  <li>CLIENT_A modifies somefile.csv</li>
  <li> CLIENT_A commits modified somefile.csv
     <br/>i.e.:
     <br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;git add somefile.csv
     <br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;git commit -a -m "updated somefile.csv"
  </li>
  <li>CLIENT_A synchronises with common_repo
     <br/>i.e.: git annex sync <common_repo> --content
  </li>
</ol>

If I check the .git/annex/objects of common_repo, I can't seem to find a copy of the unmodified somefile.csv.  It only has a copy of the latest somefile.csv.

This is problematic if one client tries to checkout a revision of the project that uses the original somefile.csv.

I learned that I can change the preferred content of git-annex.  So, the appropriate preset for common_repo seemed to be "backup".  After running the commands in common_repo:
<blockquote>
git annex wanted . standard<br/>
git annex group . backup
</blockquote>

I've done another test of the scenario above, and common_repo is still missing the previous revision of the file!!  The preferred file content of common_repo should be "include=* or unused".  In my case, the previous version of somefile.csv will probably fall in the "unused" category.  But I still cannot find it.

A workaround is using two commands from the client(s):
<blockquote>
git annex copy --to <common_repo> --all<br/>
git annex sync <common_repo> --content
</blockquote>

But I can imagine my users forgetting to run 'copy' and my repo will go to shit over time.

Any ideas why I can't synchronise 'unused' files?
