merge: Now also merges synced/master or similar branches, which makes it useful to put in a post-receive hook to make a repository automatically update its working copy when git annex sync or the assistant sync with it.

Command/Merge.hs

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {- git-annex command
  -
- - Copyright 2011 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ - Copyright 2011, 2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
  -
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
@@ -10,22 +10,29 @@ module Command.Merge where
 import Common.Annex
 import Command
 import qualified Annex.Branch
+import qualified Git.Branch
+import Command.Sync (mergeLocal)
 
 def :: [Command]
 def = [command "merge" paramNothing seek SectionMaintenance
-	"auto-merge remote changes into git-annex branch"]
+	"automatically merge changes from remotes"]
 
 seek :: [CommandSeek]
-seek = [withNothing start]
+seek =
+	[ withNothing mergeBranch
+	, withNothing mergeSynced
+	]
 
-start :: CommandStart
+mergeBranch :: CommandStart
-start = do
+mergeBranch = do
-	showStart "merge" "."
+	showStart "merge" "git-annex"
-	next perform
+	next $ do
+		Annex.Branch.update
+		-- commit explicitly, in case no remote branches were merged
+		Annex.Branch.commit "update"
+		next $ return True
 
-perform :: CommandPerform
+mergeSynced :: CommandStart
-perform = do
+mergeSynced = do
-	Annex.Branch.update
+	branch <- inRepo Git.Branch.current
-	-- commit explicitly, in case no remote branches were merged
+	maybe stop mergeLocal branch
-	Annex.Branch.commit "update"
-	next $ return True

debian/changelog

@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ git-annex (4.20130628) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     by the last run of git annex unused. Supported by fsck, get, move, copy.
   * get, move, copy: Can now be run in a bare repository,
     like fsck already could. --all is enabled automatically in this case.
+  * merge: Now also merges synced/master or similar branches, which 
+    makes it useful to put in a post-receive hook to make a repository
+    automatically update its working copy when git annex sync or the assistant
+    sync with it.
   * webapp: Fix ssh setup with nonstandard port, broken in last release.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Tue, 02 Jul 2013 15:40:55 -0400

doc/git-annex.mdwn

@@ -148,6 +148,15 @@ subdirectories).
   Note that sync does not transfer any file contents from or to the remote
   repositories.
 
+* merge
+
+  This performs the same merging that is done by the sync command, but
+  without pushing or pulling any data.
+
+  One way to use this is to put `git annex merge` into a repository's
+  post-receive hook. Then any syncs to the repository will update its working
+  copy automatically.
+
 * addurl [url ...]
 
   Downloads each url to its own file, which is added to the annex.
@@ -401,13 +410,6 @@ subdirectories).
   as listed by the last `git annex unused`. The files will have names
   starting with "unused."
 
-* merge
-
-  Automatically merges remote tracking branches */git-annex into
-  the git-annex branch. While git-annex mostly handles keeping the
-  git-annex branch merged automatically, if you find you are unable
-  to push the git-annex branch due non-fast-forward, this will fix it.
-
 * fix [path ...]
 
   Fixes up symlinks that have become broken to again point to annexed content.

doc/tips/setup_a_public_repository_on_a_web_site.mdwn

@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ Here's how I set it up. --[[Joey]]
 7. Instruct advanced users to clone a http url that ends with the "/.git/"
    directory. For example, for downloads.kitenet.net, the clone url
    is `https://downloads.kitenet.net/.git/`
+8. Set up a git `post-receive` hook that runs `git annex merge`, and
+   the repository's working tree will automatically be updated when
+   you run `git annex sync` in a clone that can push to the repository.  
+   (Needs git-annex version 4.20130703 or newer; older versions
+   can use `git annex sync` in the post-receive hook instead.)
 
 When users clone over http, and run git-annex, it will
 automatically learn all about your repository and be able to download files
 right out of it, also using http. 
-
-Enjoy!