According to [this page](https://git-annex.branchable.com/submodules/), `git-annex` should automatically convert the `.git` file of submodules into a symlink.  However, I have a repository where on some machines, this doesn't happen.

    $ file .git
    .git: ASCII text


    $ git-annex info
    git-annex: First run: git-annex init

    $ file .git
    .git: ASCII text

Even more mysteriously, it works on some *other* checkouts of the repository *on the same machine*.
