Git LFS Issues Prevention

TODO: collapasable, copyable, download, etc

I had problems with some commits showing up in my PR that I didn't add. They suggested that I add this to our .gitattributes file

benchmark/data/env_states/otel_demo/1.1/neo4j.json filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text```

What is the "right" process change for the team, so that this doesn't happen?When you're facing issues with commits showing up in your Pull Request (PR) that you didn't add, and the solution involves adding lines to your `.gitattributes` file to handle specific files with Git Large File Storage (LFS), it indicates that the problem might be related to how large files are being managed in your repository. The `.gitattributes` configuration provided suggests that certain JSON files in your repository should be treated as large files and managed with Git LFS, which is a way to improve handling of large files by storing them on a separate server and downloading them only as needed.

Here's the "right" process change for your team to prevent such issues in the future:

1. **Ensure Everyone Uses Git LFS**: First, make sure that all team members have Git LFS installed on their machines. This is crucial because if someone doesn't have Git LFS installed and tries to commit a file that should be managed by LFS, it can lead to problems, including the one you're experiencing.

2. **Update .gitattributes Consistently**: The lines you've added to your `.gitattributes` file tell Git to manage those specific files with LFS. It's important that this file is consistently updated and maintained across all branches in your repository. Whenever a new type of large file is added to the project, update the `.gitattributes` file accordingly.

3. **Educate Your Team**: Make sure everyone understands the importance of Git LFS and how to use it. This includes knowing how to track new types of large files, how to ensure LFS is correctly set up on their machine, and the implications of not using LFS for large files (e.g., slow clone times, bloated repository size, etc.).

4. **Regularly Check Your Repository's Health**: Use tools and commands to inspect your repository for improperly committed large files. Git LFS and other third-party tools offer ways to find large files not tracked by LFS. Regular audits can help catch issues early.

5. **Automate Where Possible**: Consider implementing pre-commit hooks or continuous integration (CI) checks that verify whether large files are being properly handled by LFS. This can prevent issues from making it into your repository in the first place.

6. **Handle Historical Large Files**: If large files were historically committed without LFS, consider using `git lfs migrate` to retroactively manage these files with LFS. This can help reduce your repository's size and make cloning and fetching more efficient.

7. **Branch Management and PR Hygiene**: Ensure that your team follows good practices when creating branches and PRs. This includes basing new branches off the latest state of your main branch and regularly rebasing feature branches to keep them up-to-date. This helps prevent merge conflicts and the accidental inclusion of unrelated commits in PRs.

By following these steps, your team can better manage large files with Git LFS, leading to a smoother development workflow and preventing the issues you've experienced with unexpected commits in PRs.What is the unix `sort` command so that 1.3 would sort earlier than 1.3.1? Some kind of semvar aware sort? or some existing flag that plays better than the default command?To sort versions in a way that recognizes semantic versioning (semver) correctly, where `1.3` would sort earlier than `1.3.1`, you can use the `sort` command with the `-V` flag, which stands for "version sort". This flag makes `sort` aware of version numbers within strings, allowing it to sort them according to versioning logic rather than purely lexicographically.

Here's how you can use it:

```sh
sort -V

You would use this command and then input your versions, or you can sort a file containing a list of versions. For example, if you have a file named versions.txt with the following content:

1.3
1.3.1
1.2
1.10

You can sort it by running:

sort -V versions.txt

This will output:

1.2
1.3
1.3.1
1.10

The -V option is particularly designed to handle version numbers correctly, recognizing the structure of semantic versioning, where numbers are separated by dots, and higher hierarchical values have precedence (major.minor.patch). This ensures that 1.3 comes before 1.3.1, as expected in semantic versioning, and it correctly handles cases where you might have versions like 1.10, which should come after 1.2 despite what a purely lexicographic sort would yield.How often should I run git lfs migrate? How do I do that? Say I have benchmark/data/env_states/otel_demo/1.1/clickhouse.csv that shouldn't have shown up in the diffgit lfs migrate is a command provided by Git Large File Storage (LFS) to help convert existing large files in your repository's history into LFS pointers, thus retroactively applying LFS to files that were previously committed directly to the repository. This can help reduce your repository's size and make operations like cloning and fetching more efficient. However, because git lfs migrate rewrites your repository's history, it should be used cautiously and usually only under certain conditions.

When to Run `git lfs migrate`

Initial Migration to LFS: When you first decide to adopt Git LFS for your project and have existing large files in your repository's history that should have been managed by LFS from the start.
Accidental Large File Commits: If someone accidentally commits large files directly to the repository without using LFS.
Changing LFS Tracking Policies: When you decide to change which types of files should be managed by LFS and need to apply these changes retroactively.

Frequency of Migration

Given the disruptive nature of history rewriting (it can affect all branches and open pull requests), it's best to run git lfs migrate infrequently and with careful planning. Ideally, you should do it:

As a one-time cleanup operation, after which all team members strictly use LFS for the designated files.
After accidentally committing large files without LFS, as soon as the mistake is identified and before the affected commits are widely integrated into other development work.

How to Use `git lfs migrate`

Before you begin, ensure all team members are aware of the migration, since they'll need to re-clone the repository or handle the rewritten history in their local clones.

Migrating a Specific File

To migrate a specific file (like benchmark/data/env_states/otel_demo/1.1/clickhouse.csv) to LFS, you can use the following steps:

Backup Your Repository: Always make a backup before rewriting history.
Run the Migration: Use git lfs migrate import specifying the --include flag with the path of the file you want to migrate, and optionally, --everything to apply the migration to all branches and tags.
```
git lfs migrate import --include="benchmark/data/env_states/otel_demo/1.1/clickhouse.csv" --everything
```
Push the Changes: After the migration, you'll need to force-push the changes to your remote repository. This action requires caution and coordination with your team, as it will affect all clones of the repository.
```
git push --force --all
git push --force --tags
```

Important Considerations

Coordinate with Your Team: Since git lfs migrate rewrites history, it's crucial to coordinate this action with your team to prevent confusion or data loss. Ensure everyone knows how to handle the updated history in their local clones.
Impact on Open Pull Requests: Open pull requests may need to be rebased or manually adjusted due to the history rewrite.
Use with Caution: Due to the potential for data loss and the disruptive impact on collaborators, use git lfs migrate sparingly and with full awareness of the implications.

Running git lfs migrate is a powerful but potentially disruptive operation. It should be approached with caution, planning, and clear communication within your team.

Git LFS Issues Prevention created at Tue Jan 20 1970 18:40:01 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)