Is there any fast way to rsync a direct-mode (assistant) git/annex directory from one machine to another?
Scenario: I was already using unison to synchronize 40GB between my desktop and laptop. I've added git annex to my desktop, but is there a way to bootstrap on my laptop without needing to re-transfer all the files? (I don't have a .git on my laptop yet but all the files are there already.)
I don't recommend moving direct mode repositories between filesystems, because git-annex relies on the inode as one way to detect if files in a direct mode repo have changed. It will notice that all the inode numbers have changed, and fall back to a mode where it only uses mtime.
Anyway, your situation is better handled by initializing a repository on the desktop, and a separate one on the laptop. Then add remotes tying the repos together, and git-annex sync will just do the right thing, including not transferring files that have already been synced to both places.