git-annex/doc/bugs/git_repo_fails_to_checkout.mdwn

### Please describe the problem.

Attempting to clone the git repository produces

    (master) cayley:git-annex% git checkout -f HEAD
    error: unable to create file doc/bugs/fatal:_unable_to_access___39__..__47__..__47__..__47__..__47__C:__92__Users__92____91__...__93____92__annex__92__.git__47__config__39__:_Invalid_argument___40__Windows__41__.mdwn (File name too long)
    fatal: cannot create directory at 'doc/bugs/fatal:_unable_to_access___39__..__47__..__47__..__47__..__47__C:__92__Users__92____91__...__93____92__annex__92__.git__47__config__39__:_Invalid_argument___40__Windows__41__': File name too long

### What steps will reproduce the problem?

I get the above with either

    git clone https://github.com/joeyh/git-annex

or (after this fails) retrying with

    cd git-annex
    git checkout -f HEAD

### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?

I am running git 1.9.0 from git (5f95c9f850b19b368c43ae399cc831b17a26a5ac in the git git repo) on Ubuntu 13.04.

> More encfs brain-damange.

	One such limitation is filename length.  If your underlying
	filesystem limits you to N characters in a filename, then
	EncFS will limit you to approximately 3*(N-2)/4.
 
> It's really astounding that Ubuntu inflicts that POS on users.
> However, I can't see that as justification for limiting the
> git-annex repository to filenames shorter than `PATH_MAX` -- just
> as DOS's problems with both filename length and also `:` in filenames
> is not a good reason to mangle the repository.
> 
> In either case, it's up to the user to find a way to make it work. 
> In the DOS case, that involves using Cygwin's git. In the encfs case,
> it presumably means checking it out into a real filesystem.
> [[done]] --[[Joey]]