It also stores the size of the final file. It tracks the version of Git LFS you're using, followed by a unique identifier for the file ( oid). Git LFS's pointer file looks like this: version For more information, see ' Managing Git LFS objects in archives of your repository.' Pointer file format You can choose whether Git LFS objects are included in source code archives, such as ZIP files and tarballs, that GitHub creates for your repository.
For more information about cloning Git LFS repositories in GitHub Desktop, see ' Cloning a repository from GitHub to GitHub Desktop.' You can also use Git LFS with GitHub Desktop. If you exceed the per file limit of 5 GB, the file will be rejected silently by Git LFS. When you clone the repository down, GitHub uses the pointer file as a map to go and find the large file for you.ĭifferent maximum size limits for Git LFS apply depending on your GitHub plan. GitHub manages this pointer file in your repository. To work around Git's architecture, Git LFS creates a pointer file which acts as a reference to the actual file (which is stored somewhere else). If you attempt to add or update a file that is larger than 50 MiB, you will receive a warning from Git. Git LFS handles large files by storing references to the file in the repository, but not the actual file itself. GitHub limits the size of files allowed in repositories.
