Managing Large Files with Git LFS

Git Large File Storage (LFS) is a Git extension that allows you to store large files (think images, videos, datasets, etc.) separately from your main Git repository. This keeps your repo lean and performant, preventing it from becoming bloated and slow to clone or fetch. This tutorial will explain what Git LFS is, why you need it, and how to use it with DeployHQ for seamless deployments.

What is Git LFS?

Git LFS replaces large files in your repository with pointers, while storing the actual file content on a separate LFS server. When you clone the repository, Git LFS automatically downloads the actual file content, making it appear as if the large files were always there. This process is transparent to the user, but significantly improves Git's performance, especially when dealing with large files or a large number of files.

We have also covered this topic here, in the DeployHQ Blog.

Why Use Git LFS?

• Repository Size: Keeps your Git repository small and manageable. Large files can quickly inflate your repository, making it slow to clone, fetch, and push.
• Performance: Improves Git's performance by avoiding the storage and transfer of large files within the main repository.
• Bandwidth Savings: Reduces the amount of data transferred during Git operations, saving bandwidth.
• Collaboration: Makes it easier for teams to collaborate on projects with large assets without impacting Git performance.

Setting up Git LFS:

1. Install Git LFS: If you don't have it already, download and install Git LFS from https://git-lfs.github.com/.

2. Track Large Files: Tell Git LFS which file types to manage. Use the git lfs track command. For example, to track all .psd and .zip files:

git lfs track "*.psd"
git lfs track "*.zip"

This creates a .gitattributes file in your repository, which specifies the files to be managed by LFS. Commit this file:

git add .gitattributes
git commit -m "Track large files with Git LFS"

1. Commit and Push: Now, when you commit and push large files, Git LFS will handle them automatically.

git add large_image.psd
git commit -m "Add large image"
git push origin main  # Or your branch name    

Using Git LFS with DeployHQ:

DeployHQ integrates seamlessly with Git LFS. Here's how to set it up:

1. Git LFS is already installed and configured on DeployHQ: DeployHQ's servers should have Git LFS installed and configured. If you encounter issues, contact DeployHQ support to confirm.

2. Configure your DeployHQ project: When setting up or editing your DeployHQ project, make sure it's configured to use the correct Git repository URL. DeployHQ will automatically detect and handle LFS files during deployments.

3. Deploy as usual: Deploy your project as you normally would. DeployHQ will fetch the LFS files from your LFS server and deploy them along with the rest of your project.

Troubleshooting:

• LFS files not deploying: Double-check that Git LFS is correctly installed on your DeployHQ server (or contact their support). Verify that the .gitattributes file is committed and pushed to your repository. Also, ensure that your DeployHQ deployment process is correctly configured to use your Git repository.

• Local LFS issues: If you're having trouble locally, ensure you've installed Git LFS correctly and that the git lfs install command has been run. Try running git lfs fetch to manually download LFS files.

Best Practices:

• Track only necessary files: Only track file types that are truly large and benefit from LFS. Don't track small files unnecessarily.
• Regularly prune LFS objects: Over time, your LFS server can accumulate unused objects. Use the git lfs prune command to remove these and free up space.
• Consider a dedicated LFS server: For very large projects or teams, consider using a dedicated LFS server for better performance and control. You can configure Git to use a different LFS endpoint.

By following this tutorial, you should be able to effectively manage large files in your Git repositories and deploy them seamlessly using DeployHQ. This will improve your workflow and ensure that your projects remain performant and manageable.