# Should we use Git LFS to manage data?

**URL:** https://discourse.slicer.org/t/should-we-use-git-lfs-to-manage-data/2448
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [March 27, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/should-we-use-git-lfs-to-manage-data/2448 "2018-03-27T21:38:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 13

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/should-we-use-git-lfs-to-manage-data/2448/13 "2018-11-02T16:19:46Z")

</div>

I’ve tested git-lfs and have mixed results.

Good:

- easy to set up, just install git-lfs and specify what files should be stored using git-lfs (you can specify folders and/or file extensions)
- works nicely and transparently when used on systems where git-lfs is installed
- git-lfs files show up on Github’s web interface as regular files (e.g., you see the actual file content instead of pointer information)

Bad:

- Github’s web interface always uploads files as regular files
- If someone commits files who has not installed git-lfs, those files will be committed as regular files
- Regular files can be converted to git-lfs files (there is an officially supported script for that), but it rewrites git history
- Users reported various esoteric issues that were hard to understand and fix (see [1](https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/issues/1939), [2](https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/issues/1544), [3](https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/issues/2839)), even when users were careful and experienced. It is scary to think about how wrong things can go when we accept pull request from a larger community.

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/should-we-use-git-lfs-to-manage-data/2448)._