Problems with multiple users working on git annex repos/datalad (sub)datasets

1

Hi again DataLad team,

I run into trouble when trying to work on the same DataLad dataset / git annex repo with multiple users on our lab server, because of permission issues, likely because of this git annex issue.

The solution comes from this git annex page, but seems to only apply to git, and not to git annex.

Any recommendations on how to make our local DataLad dataset usable by multiple users (in the same group) on our server?

Thanks a lot again!

Best wishes,

Lukas

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  • that is the page and the method should apply also to annex. Details are dependent on how you set it up (e.g. which shared mode, etc)
    • what specific “permission issues”?
  • I personally have not used it much - probably was running into similar to your issues so just “gave up”
    • for needed cases we just create a shared account and use that
  • might work better if you use some more “proper” git hosting solution (e.g., gitlab) with some “shared” collections of ria archives (datalad handbook talks about that more) or even try to deploy/maintain https://gin.g-node.org/ which should also provide user management ec
3

Hi Yarik,

Thanks, I am currently testing things with two users working on the same (sub)dataset after having changed the git config as per above, work in progress, will keep you posted.

These are the permission issues we typically run into after having copied files to our subdataset and datalad saved them from two different user accounts (belonging to the same group)

>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0007: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0010: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0011: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0014: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0024: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOM/XX_0025: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>   sub-031/DICOMDIR: setFileMode: permission denied (Operation not permitted)
>  non-large file; adding content to git repository
git-annex: failed to commit changes to sqlite database: Just user error (SQLite3 returned ErrorReadOnly while attempting to perform step: attempt to write a readonly database(after successful open))
CallStack (from HasCallStack):
  error, called at ./Database/Handle.hs:115:26 in main:Database.Handle [29 times]
add: 251 failed

I have set up publishing our dataset to GIN (see one of my previous topics here), and that works fine, but could you explain how this could help in user management?

Thanks a lot again!

Cheers,

Lukas