test suite: gitattributes: Reorganise and improve, still wip

[dgit.git] / dgit.7

diff --git a/dgit.7 b/dgit.7
index 635dc132e8ab67d7c30b154127fae82093309e93..acc7cc1a36d71f3dfc67b740ff3aa31a4e1663f2 100644 (file)
--- a/dgit.7
+++ b/dgit.7
@@ -201,6 +201,32 @@ or previous non-Dgit uploads
 Distros which do not maintain a set of dgit history git repositories
 can still be used in a read-only mode with dgit.  Currently Ubuntu
 is configured this way.
 Distros which do not maintain a set of dgit history git repositories
 can still be used in a read-only mode with dgit.  Currently Ubuntu
 is configured this way.

+.SH GITATTRIBUTES
+git has features which can automatically transform files
+as they are being copied between the working tree
+and the git history.
+See \fBgitattributes\fP(5).
+
+These transformations are context-sensitive
+and not, in general, reversible,
+so dgit operates on the principle that
+the dgit git history contains the actual contents of the package.
+(When dgit is manipulating a .dsc,
+it does so in a private area,
+where the transforming gitattributes are defused (disabled),
+to achieve this.)
+
+If transforming gitattributes used,
+they can cause trouble,
+because the working tree files can differ from
+the git revision history
+(and therefore from the source packages).
+
+So dgit clone
+and dgit setup-new-tree
+disable transforming gitattributes
+by default,
+by creating a .git/info/attributes.

 .SH PACKAGE SOURCE FORMATS
 If you are not the maintainer, you do not need to worry about the
 source format of the package.  You can just make changes as you like
 .SH PACKAGE SOURCE FORMATS
 If you are not the maintainer, you do not need to worry about the
 source format of the package.  You can just make changes as you like