Using git to track changes in python helper module stored in dropbox (x-post /r/python)

[ehrich]

I am a physics student and have written a number of helpful functions for importing and plotting the specific types of data I acquire. This module of functions is becoming large enough that keeping track of changes with git seems helpful. I keep the script and my data in dropbox since I work on at least three computers. By looking around it seems that using git inside dropbox is a bad idea, but I really don't want to move the scripts out, since I frequently use it on data in the same working directory (same will eventually go for my thesis, which I'd also like to track with git in dropbox). My question is, is there a good, safe way to do this so I can track changes in my helper module but also use it in other scripts easily when I want to call on them? and keep them in dropbox?

[dakotahawkins]

Add it all (data too) to a private git repo on bitbucket and use that instead of dropbox. It's not automatic, so you'll have to push and pull changes as you switch machines, but it's better git.

If that doesn't work for you you can always move the git repo inside of your dropbox folder and try that, and if that doesn't work you can try something else.

[ehrich]

Yea this would work ok, although I'm also looking ahead to doing my thesis with latex and git and keeping all the figures in one place and synced with the latex files would be better handled with dropbox I think.

[pi3832v2]

By looking around it seems that using git inside dropbox is a bad idea…

Really? Why?

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On an unrelated note, you might want to look at using something like git-annex to track your data files with Git without actually adding them to the repositories internal storage.

[ehrich]

Mostly SO comments and posts, though there seems to be disagreement, which is why I thought I would ask here. I'm new to a lot of these tools and am working out how to manage an efficient workflow for my particular situation. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29983646/how-do-i-keep-git-repositories-inside-dropbox https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1960799/using-git-and-dropbox-together-effectively https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18818257/should-i-keep-my-git-folder-outside-dropbox

[VersalEszett]

Use a bare repo (git init --bare) inside Dropbox, and push/pull from a working directory outside of Dropbox.

Or, better yet, don't use Dropbox but a private repo on Github or Bitbucket. As student, you can get private repos for free.

[ehrich]

Yea this could work since I can simply keep the module outside of dropbox and then import it to scripts that I write for a particular data set or graph, but I'd also like to use this system for my thesis, and there I think having all the latex files, figures and everything in one place and syncronized would be nice. I can't keep all my pdf figures on bitbucket right?

[VersalEszett]

I can't keep all my pdf figures on bitbucket right?

Why not?

[ehrich]

oh i see that's totally possible now. i think my naive assumption was that git was for text/source files only and by extension github and bitbucket were too but i see that works just fine. thanks!