# NAME

git-annex unused - look for unused file content

# SYNOPSIS

git annex unused

# DESCRIPTION

Checks the annex for data that does not correspond to any files present
in any tag or branch, or in the git index, and prints a numbered list
of the data.

After running this command, you can use the `--unused` option with many 
other git-annex commands to operate on all the unused data that was found.

For example, to move all unused data to origin:
  
	git annex unused; git annex move --unused --to origin

# OPTIONS

* `--fast`

  Only show unused temp and bad files.

* `--from=repository`

  Check for unused data that is located in a repository.

  The repository should be specified using the name of a configured remote,
  or the UUID or description of a repository.

* `--used-refspec=+ref:-ref`

  By default, any data that the git index uses, or that any refs in the git
  repository point to is considered to be used. If you only want to use
  some refs, you can use this option to specify the ones to use. Data that
  is not in the specified refs (and not used by the index) will then be
  considered unused.

  See REFSPEC FORMAT below for details of the format of this setting.

  The git configuration annex.used-refspec can be used to configure
  this in a more permanent fashion.

* `--json`

  Enable JSON output. This is intended to be parsed by programs that use
  git-annex.

* `--json-error-messages`

  Messages that would normally be output to standard error are included in
  the JSON instead.

* Also the [[git-annex-common-options]](1) can be used.

# REFSPEC FORMAT

The refspec format for --used-refspec and annex.used-refspec is
a colon-separated list of additions and removals of refs.
A somewhat contrived example:

	+refs/heads/*:+HEAD^:+refs/tags/*:-refs/tags/old-tag:reflog

This adds all refs/heads/ refs, as well as the previous version
of HEAD. It also adds all tags, except for old-tag. And it adds
all refs from the reflog.

The default behavior is equivilant to `--used-refspec=+refs/*:+HEAD`

The refspec is processed by starting with an empty set of refs,
and walking the list in order from left to right.

Each + using a glob is matched against all relevant refs
(a subset of `git show-ref`) and all matching refs are added
to the set.
For example, "+refs/remotes/*" adds all remote refs.

Each + without a glob adds the literal value to the set.
For example, "+HEAD^" adds "HEAD^".

Each - is matched against the set of refs accumulated so far.
Any refs with names that match are removed from the set.

"reflog" adds all the refs from the reflog. This will make past versions
of files not be considered to be unused until the ref expires from the
reflog (by default for 90 days). Note that this may make git-annex unused
take some time to complete, it if needs to check every ref from the
reflog.

# SEE ALSO

[[git-annex]](1)

[[git-annex-dropunused]](1)

[[git-annex-addunused]](1)

[[git-annex-whereused]](1)

[[git-annex-oldkeys]](1)

# AUTHOR

Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>

Warning: Automatically converted into a man page by mdwn2man. Edit with care.