git-annex/doc/tips/using_box.com_as_a_special_remote.mdwn

[Box.com](http://box.com/) is a file storage service, currently notable 
for providing 50 gb of free storage if you sign up with its Android client.
(Or a few gb free otherwise.)

With a little setup, git-annex can use Box as a
[[special remote|special_remotes]]. 

## davfs2 setup

* First, install
  the [davfs2](http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/davfs2) program,
  which can mount Box using WebDAV. On Debian, just `sudo apt-get install davfs2`
* Allow users to mount davfs filesystems, by ensuring that
  `/sbin/mount.davfs` is setuid root. On Debian, just `sudo dpkg-reconfigure davfs2`
* Add yourself to the davfs2 group.

        sudo adduser $(whoami) davfs2

* Edit `/etc/fstab`, and add a line to mount Box using davfs.

        sudo mkdir -p /media/box.com
        echo "https://www.box.com/dav/	/media/box.com	davfs	noauto,user	0 0" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

* Create `~/.davfs2/davfs2.conf` with some important settings:

        mkdir ~/.davfs2/
        echo use_locks 0 > ~/.davfs2/davfs2.conf
        echo cache_size 1 >> ~/.davfs2/davfs2.conf
        echo delay_upload 0 >> ~/.davfs2/davfs2.conf

* Create `~/.davfs2/secrets`. This file contains your Box.com login and password.
  Your login is probably the email address you signed up with.

        echo "/media/box.com joey@kitenet.net mypassword" > ~/.davfs2/secrets
        chmod 600 ~/.davfs2/secrets

* Now you should be able to mount Box, as a non-root user:

        mount /media/box.com

## git-annex setup

You need git-annex version 3.20120303 or newer, which adds support for chunking
files larger than Box's 100 mb limit.

Create the special remote, in your git-annex repository.
** This example is non-encrypted; fill in your gpg key ID for a securely
encrypted special remote! **

	git annex initremote box.com type=directory directory=/media/box.com chunksize=2mb encryption=none

Now git-annex can copy files to box.com, get files from it, etc, just like
with any other special remote.

	% git annex copy bigfile --to box.com
	bigfile (to box.com...) ok
	% git annex drop bigfile
	bigfile (checking box.com...) ok
	% git annex get bigfile
	bigfile (from box.com...) ok