diff --git a/public/static/docs/command-reference/config.md b/public/static/docs/command-reference/config.md
index f440ddab9c..fa526efe14 100644
--- a/public/static/docs/command-reference/config.md
+++ b/public/static/docs/command-reference/config.md
@@ -114,18 +114,9 @@ for more details.) This section contains the following options:
> option, properly transforming paths relative to the current working
> directory into paths relative to the config file location.
-- `cache.protected` - make DVC-tracked files read-only. Possible values are
- `true` or `false` (default). Run `dvc checkout` after changing the value of
- this option for the change to go into effect.
-
- Due to the way DVC handles linking between the data files in the cache and
- their counterparts in the workspace, it's easy to accidentally
- corrupt the cached file by editing or overwriting it. Turning this config
- option on forces you to run `dvc unprotect` before updating a file, providing
- an additional layer of security to your data.
-
- We highly recommend enabling `cache.protected` when `cache.type` is set to
- `hardlink` or `symlink`.
+- `cache.protected` (_deprecated_) - when using `hardlink` or `symlink` as
+ `cache.type`, the file links will automatically be protected (read-only). Use
+ `dvc unprotect` if you need to update them.
- `cache.type` - link type that DVC should use to link data files from cache to
the workspace. Possible values: `reflink`, `symlink`, `hardlink`, `copy` or a
@@ -136,9 +127,9 @@ for more details.) This section contains the following options:
to protect user from accidental cache and repository corruption.
⚠️ If you manually set `cache.type` to `hardlink` or `symlink`, **you will
- corrupt the cache** if you modify tracked data files in the workspace. See the
- `cache.protected` option above, and corresponding `dvc unprotect` command to
- modify files safely.
+ corrupt the cache** if you modify tracked data files in the workspace. In an
+ attempt to prevent that, DVC will automatically protect those file links (make
+ them read-only). Use `dvc unprotect` to be able to modify them safely.
There are pros and cons to different link types. Refer to
[File link types](/doc/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization#file-link-types-for-the-dvc-cache)
@@ -276,9 +267,3 @@ Set cache type: if `reflink` is not available, use `copy`:
```dvc
$ dvc config cache.type reflink,copy
```
-
-Protect DVC-tracked data files by making them read-only:
-
-```dvc
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
-```
diff --git a/public/static/docs/command-reference/unprotect.md b/public/static/docs/command-reference/unprotect.md
index e59c94355a..bd4c56ff90 100644
--- a/public/static/docs/command-reference/unprotect.md
+++ b/public/static/docs/command-reference/unprotect.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
# unprotect
-Unprotect tracked files or directories (when the cache protected
-mode has been enabled with `dvc config cache`).
+Unprotect tracked files or directories (when hardlinks or symlinks have been
+enabled with `dvc config cache.type`).
## Synopsis
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ to link tracked data files from the cache to the workspace.
However, these types of file links can be enabled with `dvc config cache`
(`cache.type` config option).
-Enabling hardlinks or symlinks also requires the `cache.protected` mode to be
-turned on, which makes the tracked data files in the workspace read-only. (This
-prevent users from accidentally corrupting the cache by modifying file links.)
+Enabling hardlinks or symlinks makes the tracked data files in the workspace
+read-only. (This prevents users from accidentally corrupting the cache by
+modifying file links.)
Running `dvc unprotect` guarantees that the target files or directories
(`targets`) in the workspace are physically "unlinked" from the cache and can be
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ safely updated. Read the
more on this process.
`dvc unprotect` can be an expensive operation (involves copying data). Check
-first whether your task matches one of the cases that are considered safe, even
-when cache protected mode is enabled:
+first whether your task matches one of the cases that are considered safe:
- Adding more files to a directory input dataset (say, images or videos)
- Deleting files from a directory dataset
@@ -47,10 +46,10 @@ when cache protected mode is enabled:
## Examples
-Enable cache protected mode is enabled:
+Enable symlinks:
```dvc
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
+$ dvc config cache.type symlink
```
Track a data file with DVC:
diff --git a/public/static/docs/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization.md b/public/static/docs/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization.md
index 144ffd3aaf..76e5d6d42d 100644
--- a/public/static/docs/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization.md
+++ b/public/static/docs/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization.md
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ Symbolic links, and Reflinks in more recent systems. While reflinks bring all
the benefits and none of the worries, they're not commonly supported in most
platforms yet. Hard/soft links optimize **speed** and **space** in the file
system, but may break your workflow since updating hard/sym-linked files tracked
-by DVC in the workspace causes cache corruption. These
-2 link types thus require using cache **protected mode** (see the
-`cache.protected` config option in `dvc config cache`). Finally, a 4th "linking"
-alternative is to actually copy files from/to the cache, which is safe but
-inefficient – especially for large files (several GBs or more).
+by DVC in the workspace causes cache corruption. To
+protect against that, DVC makes hardlinks and symlinks links read-only, which
+requires the user to use `dvc unprotect` before modifying them.
+
+Finally, a 4th "linking" alternative is to actually copy files from/to the
+cache, which is safe but inefficient – especially for large files (several GBs
+or more).
> Some versions of Windows (e.g. Windows Server 2012+ and Windows 10 Enterprise)
> support hard or soft links on the
@@ -53,12 +55,12 @@ inefficient – especially for large files (several GBs or more).
File link type benefits summary:
-| `cache.type` | speed | space | no protected mode |
-| ------------ | ----- | ----- | ----------------- |
-| `reflink` | x | x | x |
-| `hardlink` | x | x | |
-| `symlink` | x | x | |
-| `copy` | | | x |
+| `cache.type` | speed | space | editable |
+| ------------ | ----- | ----- | -------- |
+| `reflink` | x | x | x |
+| `hardlink` | x | x | |
+| `symlink` | x | x | |
+| `copy` | | | x |
Each file linking method is further detailed below, in function of their
efficiency:
@@ -110,13 +112,12 @@ configure DVC like this:
```dvc
$ dvc config cache.type hardlink,symlink
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
```
> Refer to `dvc config cache` for more details.
-Setting `cache.protected` is important with `hardlink` and/or `symlink` cache
-file link types. Please refer to the
+Note that with this `cache.type`, your workspace files will be in read-only mode
+in order to protect the cache from corruption. Please refer to the
[Update a Tracked File](/doc/user-guide/updating-tracked-files) on how to manage
tracked files under these cache configurations.