Hi, I need some client/server version advice. I've been keeping a git-annex repo for many years. It's currently centralized on a CentOS Linux release 7.9.2009 server, /usr/bin/git-annex is version 5.20140221 and has git 2.25.0 server-side. My new client machine is Debian testing Linux, where /usr/bin/git-annex is version 8.20211123, and has git 2.35.1 client-side

server$ /usr/bin/git-annex version
git-annex version: 5.20140221
local repository version: 5
supported repository version: 5
upgrade supported from repository versions: 0 1 2 4

The /usr/bin/git clone command works fine ("Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'."). But when I run /usr/bin/git annex sync --content (just like I do on other machines), I get a few errors like the following:

nothing to commit, working tree clean
ok
pull origin 
ok
get readme.md (from origin...) 
  Transfer failed
  Unable to access these remotes: origin
  Maybe add some of these git remotes (git remote add ...):
        0edb4d98-3f58-4114-be5d-2d7b5cb574d2 -- me@othermachine:~/people/me/awesome/code
failed

It is not easy to install git-annex version 5 on the client, and if possible I'd rather not run such an old version. Should I expect a version 8 client to interoperate with a grand old version 5 repo with git-annex 5 on the server ?

Thanks, Keith