I had similar issues, but managed to get it working.

Step 1:

Download and start an LFS server (if you haven't already done so), such as https://github.com/git-lfs/lfs-test-server (Don't use this one in production.)

Step 2:

Correctly set up the LFS server URL for your repo, as described here: https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/wiki/Tutorial#lfs-url

In my case, running the following in my working copy folder was enough:

git config -f .lfsconfig lfs.url http://username:password@localhost:8080
git add .lfsconfig

Replace username and password by your desired credentials, and localhost:8080 by your Git server URL.

You can run git lfs env to verify your results.

Step 3:

Set up your LFS_ADMINUSER and LFS_ADMINPASS environment variables as described here: https://github.com/git-lfs/lfs-test-server#running

Then, you should be able to visit http://localhost:8080/mgmt (or wherever your LFS server is running) in your browser and add your credentials.

The results look promising:

C:\Users\Nick\Desktop\WorkingCopy\Repo>git push origin master
warning: current Git remote contains credentials
warning: current Git remote contains credentials
Git LFS: (1 of 1 files) 6.72 KB / 6.72 KB
Counting objects: 3, done.
Delta compression using up to 8 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 428 bytes | 0 bytes/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To C:/Users/Nick/Desktop/WorkingCopy/../Repo
   309629f..7fe106d  master -> master

The lfs-content folder of the LFS server now contains a file with the exact size of the added file.

Answer from Nick Pruehs on Stack Overflow
🌐
GitHub
docs.github.com › en › repositories › working-with-files › managing-large-files › installing-git-large-file-storage
Installing Git Large File Storage - GitHub Docs
$ ./install.sh > Git LFS initialized. Note · You may have to use sudo ./install.sh to install the file. Next, make required changes to your global Git config: $ git lfs install > Git LFS initialized.
🌐
Oroshix
oroshix.github.io › git › 2019 › 04 › 02 › initializing-git-lfs
How to initialize git LFS? · OroshiX
git add .gitattribute # adding the file git commit -m "configured git lfs" # commiting, then git push # pushing
🌐
GitHub
docs.github.com › en › repositories › working-with-files › managing-large-files › configuring-git-large-file-storage
Configuring Git Large File Storage - GitHub Docs
To associate a file type in your repository with Git LFS, enter git lfs track followed by the name of the file extension you want to automatically upload to Git LFS.
🌐
Atlassian
atlassian.com › git › tutorials › git lfs
Git LFS - large file storage | Atlassian Git Tutorial
January 12, 2026 - To create a new Git LFS aware repository, you'll need to run git lfs install after you create the repository: 1# initialize Git 2$ mkdir Atlasteroids 3$ cd Atlasteroids 4$ git init 5Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/tpettersen/Atla...
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DEV Community
dev.to › mikolajbuchwald › initializing-a-git-repository-with-git-lfs-large-file-storage-1f7d
Initializing a `git` repository with `git-lfs` (large file storage) - DEV Community
January 18, 2023 - First, make sure that you have git lfs installed (how-to install for: macOS, Linux). In short, for macOS: brew install git-lfs. Assuming that you have not initialized your repository with the "normal" git command yet, run the following commands:
Top answer
1 of 1
3

I had similar issues, but managed to get it working.

Step 1:

Download and start an LFS server (if you haven't already done so), such as https://github.com/git-lfs/lfs-test-server (Don't use this one in production.)

Step 2:

Correctly set up the LFS server URL for your repo, as described here: https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/wiki/Tutorial#lfs-url

In my case, running the following in my working copy folder was enough:

git config -f .lfsconfig lfs.url http://username:password@localhost:8080
git add .lfsconfig

Replace username and password by your desired credentials, and localhost:8080 by your Git server URL.

You can run git lfs env to verify your results.

Step 3:

Set up your LFS_ADMINUSER and LFS_ADMINPASS environment variables as described here: https://github.com/git-lfs/lfs-test-server#running

Then, you should be able to visit http://localhost:8080/mgmt (or wherever your LFS server is running) in your browser and add your credentials.

The results look promising:

C:\Users\Nick\Desktop\WorkingCopy\Repo>git push origin master
warning: current Git remote contains credentials
warning: current Git remote contains credentials
Git LFS: (1 of 1 files) 6.72 KB / 6.72 KB
Counting objects: 3, done.
Delta compression using up to 8 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 428 bytes | 0 bytes/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To C:/Users/Nick/Desktop/WorkingCopy/../Repo
   309629f..7fe106d  master -> master

The lfs-content folder of the LFS server now contains a file with the exact size of the added file.

🌐
OneUptime
oneuptime.com › home › blog › how to configure git lfs for large files
How to Configure Git LFS for Large Files
January 24, 2026 - git lfs version # git-lfs/3.4.0 (GitHub; darwin amd64; go 1.21.1) # Navigate to your repository cd your-repo # Initialize Git LFS (if not done globally) git lfs install ·
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Git LFS
git-lfs.com
Git Large File Storage | Git Large File Storage (LFS) replaces large files such as audio samples, videos, datasets, and graphics with text pointers inside Git, while storing the file contents on a remote server like GitHub.com or GitHub Enterprise.
Git Large File Storage (LFS) replaces large files such as audio samples, videos, datasets, and graphics with text pointers inside Git, while storing the file contents on a remote server like GitHub.com or GitHub Enterprise.
Find elsewhere
🌐
GitHub
github.com › orgs › community › discussions › 44860
Github desktop + LFS? · community · Discussion #44860
It's true that "sometimes" you don't have to install git "standalone", Github Desktop is/were probably installing it under the hood.. I definitely remember Github Desktop asking me to initialize LFS on Unity repo creation, it looks like it does not anymore...
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GitKraken
help.gitkraken.com › gitkraken-desktop › git-lfs
Git LFS in GitKraken Desktop | Store Binary Files
2 weeks ago - You may have switched to a repo without LFS. Use the menu: Hamburger > LFS > Initialize. Only new files match new patterns. Remove and re-add existing files. Enter credentials for your LFS server or Git host.
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DZone
dzone.com › testing, deployment, and maintenance › deployment › why and how to use git lfs
Why and How to Use Git LFS
November 13, 2018 - The installation will be done on Ubuntu and we assume that Git is already installed. As said before, Git LFS is an extension to Git and therefore needs to be installed separately: ... $ mkdir mygitlfsplanet $ cd mygitlfsplanet $ git init Initialized empty Git repository in /home/user/mygitlfsplanet/.git/
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Arfc
arfc.github.io › manual › guides › git-lfs
Git Large File Storage
$cd ~/Downloads $tar -xf git-lfs-linux-amd64-v2.9.0.tar.gz · To install, type · $chmod 755 install.sh $sudo ./install.sh · and you will get message that the extension initialized · In your repository direcotry, run · $git lfs install · You’ll need to run this in your repository directory, ...
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Patrickbaylis
patrickbaylis.com › blog › 2018-12-19-git-lfs
November 4, 2018 - We cannot provide a description for this page right now
🌐
Git Scripts
gitscripts.com › git-lfs-github
Master Git LFS on GitHub: A Quick Guide
August 31, 2025 - If you prefer manual installation, download the Git LFS installer from the [Git LFS releases page](https://git-lfs.github.com/) and follow the prompts. For Mac, if you have Homebrew installed, you can easily install Git LFS by running: ... Alternatively, manual downloads are also available on the official website. For Linux, the installation will depend on your distribution. For Debian-based systems (like Ubuntu), use: ... After installing Git LFS, you need to initialize it for your repository.
🌐
GitHub
github.com › git-lfs › git-lfs › discussions › 5235
How do I convert an existing repository to git lfs · git-lfs/git-lfs · Discussion #5235
I will not create a new lfs remote repository on my Github account ahead of time as I believe step 6 below will do that for me. On my local machine I have created a new folder and copied my project into that folder with all of my large files · I have gone to that new folder and "right click", have run "Git Bash here" Using git bash entered "git lfs install", with the result being "Updated Git hooks." and "Git LFS initialized."
Author   git-lfs
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › git › git_lfs.asp
Git LFS
Initialize LFS in your repository: git lfs install · Tell Git LFS which files to manage by "tracking" them. For example, to track all Photoshop files: git lfs track "*.psd" You can track any file type.
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Sabicalija
sabicalija.github.io › git-lfs-intro
git-lfs tutorial
September 19, 2017 - Alija Sabic, link:mailto:sabic.alija@gmail.com?subject=GitHub:&#160 git-lfs-intro[sabic.alija@gmail.com] This repository was setup using following commands: ... Initialized empty Git repository in ~/git-lfs-intro/.git/ ~/git-lfs-intro$ git lfs install --local --skip-smudge (1) (2)
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Fountain Voyage
zair.top › en › docs › git › git-lfs
Initialization of Git LFS and Submodules | Fountain Voyage
November 28, 2025 - This article introduces how to initialize a Git repository within a folder and enable Git LFS, as well as how to add a subfolder as a submodule. The content includes installing Git LFS, configuring large file tracking, and commit and push operations.