# Lock binairy files in Git

3 messages from 2009-03-04 to 2009-03-04. Participants: Henk, Johannes Schindelin, Michael Hendricks.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/18128

## Henk, 2009-03-04 13:56

Subject: Lock binairy files in Git
Message-ID: <1236175008046-2422894.post@n2.nabble.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1236175008046-2422894.post%40n2.nabble.com

```

In our current version control system we lock binairy files when we edit
them. This way other developers know when a file is being edited. Is there
something simular in Git? Or is there another method to let others now I am
currently editing a file?

We need this only for binairy files, because they cannot be merged. 

Henk
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View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Lock-binairy-files-in-Git-tp2422894p2422894.html
Sent from the git mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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## Johannes Schindelin, 2009-03-04 14:15

Subject: Re: Lock binairy files in Git
Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.1.00.0903041512110.8549@intel-tinevez-2-302>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.1.00.0903041512110.8549%40intel-tinevez-2-302
In-Reply-To: <1236175008046-2422894.post@n2.nabble.com>

```
Hi,

On Wed, 4 Mar 2009, Henk wrote:

> In our current version control system we lock binairy files when we edit
> them. This way other developers know when a file is being edited.

No, you cannot.  Git is distributed, and therefore what you want is 
fundamentally impossible.

You can write hooks, however, enforcing "locks", and make your users 
install them.

But due to the fundamental impossibility of the thing, you have to risk 
that this scenario fails.

It might be better to come up with a non-tool solution to the problem, 
i.e. appointing people responsible for a certain set of your binary files.  
That is outside the purview of Git, though.

Ciao,
Dscho

```

## Michael Hendricks, 2009-03-04 15:41

Subject: Re: Lock binairy files in Git
Message-ID: <20090304154140.GA44969@ginosko.grantstreet.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20090304154140.GA44969%40ginosko.grantstreet.com
In-Reply-To: <1236175008046-2422894.post@n2.nabble.com>

```
On Wed, Mar 04, 2009 at 05:56:48AM -0800, Henk wrote:
> In our current version control system we lock binairy files when we
> edit them. This way other developers know when a file is being
> edited. Is there something simular in Git? Or is there another
> method to let others now I am currently editing a file?
> 
> We need this only for binairy files, because they cannot be merged. 

You can't lock files, but perhaps you could specify a custom merge
driver to define how those files should be "merged" (for whatever
definition you choose).  See

    http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/gitattributes.html

for details.

-- 
Michael

```