fromkey --force: Skip test that the key has its content in the annex.

Command/FromKey.hs

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import Command
 import qualified Annex.Queue
 import Annex.Content
 import Types.Key
+import qualified Annex
 
 cmd :: [Command]
 cmd = [notDirect $ notBareRepo $
@@ -19,17 +20,20 @@ cmd = [notDirect $ notBareRepo $
 		SectionPlumbing "adds a file using a specific key"]
 
 seek :: CommandSeek
-seek = withWords start
+seek ps = do
+	force <- Annex.getState Annex.force
+	withWords (start force) ps
 
-start :: [String] -> CommandStart
-start (keyname:file:[]) = do
+start :: Bool -> [String] -> CommandStart
+start force (keyname:file:[]) = do
 	let key = fromMaybe (error "bad key") $ file2key keyname
-	inbackend <- inAnnex key
-	unless inbackend $ error $
-		"key ("++ keyname ++") is not present in backend"
+	unless force $ do
+		inbackend <- inAnnex key
+		unless inbackend $ error $
+			"key ("++ keyname ++") is not present in backend (use --force to override this sanity check)"
 	showStart "fromkey" file
 	next $ perform key file
-start _ = error "specify a key and a dest file"
+start _ _ = error "specify a key and a dest file"
 
 perform :: Key -> FilePath -> CommandPerform
 perform key file = do

debian/changelog

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ git-annex (5.2015022) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     bittorrent etc urls.
   * git-annex-shell: Improve error message when the specified repository
     doesn't exist or git config fails for some reason.
+  * fromkey --force: Skip test that the key has its content in the annex.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:16:03 -0400
 

doc/git-annex.mdwn

@@ -957,6 +957,9 @@ subdirectories).
   This plumbing-level command can be used to manually set up a file
   in the git repository to link to a specified key.
 
+  Normally, the annex needs to already contain the content object for the
+  key. To override this, use --force.
+
 * `dropkey [key ...]`
 
   This plumbing-level command drops the annexed data for the specified