---
name: "datalad-unlock"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "datalad"
version: "1.1.5-2.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/datalad-unlock"
---

# datalad-unlock(1)

unlock file(s) of a dataset

## NAME

**datalad unlock** - unlock file(s) of a dataset

## SYNOPSIS

**datalad unlock** \[-h\] \[-d DATASET\] \[-r\] \[-R LEVELS\] \[--version\] \[path ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Unlock files of a dataset in order to be able to edit the actual content

### Examples

Unlock a single file::

 % datalad unlock \<path/to/file\>

Unlock all contents in the dataset::

 % datalad unlock .

## OPTIONS

- path

  file(s) to unlock. Constraints: value must be a string or value must be NONE

- **-h**, **--help**, **--help-np**

  show this help message. --help-np forcefully disables the use of a pager for displaying the help message

- **-d** *DATASET*, **--dataset** *DATASET*

  "specify the dataset to unlock files in. If no dataset is given, an attempt is made to identify the dataset based on the current working directory. Constraints: Value must be a Dataset or a valid identifier of a Dataset (e.g. a path) or value must be NONE

- **-r**, **--recursive**

  if set, recurse into potential subdatasets.

- **-R** LEVELS, **--recursion-limit** LEVELS

  limit recursion into subdatasets to the given number of levels. Constraints: value must be convertible to type 'int' or value must be NONE

- **--version**

  show the module and its version which provides the command

## AUTHORS

 datalad is developed by The DataLad Team and Contributors \<team@datalad.org\>.