git-annex/doc/future_proofing/comment_1_2614eb2e9b7b23fa9bb4251c0d025909._comment

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[[!comment format=mdwn
username="https://launchpad.net/~electrichead"
nickname="electrichead"
subject="Regarding accessing files in a time capsule..."
date="2014-08-25T15:51:00Z"
content="""
Imagine a rather contrived doomsday scenario: the file paths and/or basenames are important and, for some reason, the symlinks are not present (perhaps they got deleted, or aren't supported). `git` and `git-annex` no longer exist and let's assume knowledge of `git` internals is not useful here. All the *content* is there, stored under hashed file names under `.git/annex/objects`.
I may be missing something obvious but I think options for restoring file paths include:
- direct mode bypasses this issue; all the files are right there.
- the WORM backend perhaps carries enough information in the object file names to work with.
- file content/metadata may be sufficient to easily recreate a sensible directory structure in some cases, so no worries.
These first two options may represent compromises in various use-cases and the last may not be applicable or, if it is, practical. The object-path mapping could trivially be backed up in plain text in lieu of these. Like I said, I may be overlooking something here that makes this unnecessary or even a non-concern (actually, I've convinced myself it's not a serious concern in most of the use-cases I've considered, but crossing i's and dotting t's).
"""]]