doc: clarify that we are potentially providing builds of modified git-annex

README.md

@@ -1,11 +1,57 @@
-This is a mirror of the official [git-annex](https://git-annex.branchable.com)
-repository at <https://git.kitenet.net/index.cgi/git-annex.git/>.  The remote
-`master` branch is mirrored here as
-[`upstream/master`](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/tree/upstream/master).
-The local `master` branch in this repository is only used to store CI
-configuration and associated scripts.
+# datalad/git-annex
 
-## Submitting Patches
+## The purpose
+
+### Downstream testing
+
+The primary goal for the repository is to provide extensive automated testing
+of fresh builds of [git-annex](https://git-annex.branchable.com) using
+its built-in test battery across various base operating systems and
+environments, and against our downstream [DataLad](https://datalad.org/)
+project.
+
+### Distribution
+
+As a side-artifact of the build during the testing process, we provide non-official
+automated builds of `git-annex`.  They are attached as artifacts to the CI
+runs, and, for the `git-annex` releases, also to the
+[Releases](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/releases) page.  All build logs
+and builds are archived "privately" on an internal server using
+[con/tinuous](https://github.com/con/tinuous), and release builds are then
+re-shared from the
+[///datalad/packages](https://datasets.datalad.org/?dir=/datalad/packages)
+DataLad package.
+
+These builds are **non-official** builds of
+[git-annex](https://git-annex.branchable.com) and their functioning might
+differ from the official builds.
+
+## AI Disclaimer
+
+Agentic AI tools might be used for various aspects of the
+troubleshooting, development, and maintenance in this repository. We
+strive to provide our best effort for adequate provenance and attribution on
+AI-assisted work in commit messages, patch headers, and issues.
+
+## Structure and workflow
+
+### Branches
+
+This repository contains two primary branches:
+
+- [`upstream/master`](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/tree/upstream/master) -
+  an unmodified mirror of the `master` branch from the original
+  [git-annex](https://git-annex.branchable.com) [repository](https://git.kitenet.net/index.cgi/git-annex.git/), and
+- [`master`](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/tree/master) -
+  CI configuration, associated scripts, and potential patches on top of `upstream/master`,
+  which are then applied at build time.
+
+As a result, the builds provided here may function differently
+than the official original builds of git-annex.  This repository also contains
+issues which might be specific to these builds and not necessarily relevant
+to the original git-annex.
+
+### Submitting Patches
 
 Patches to the git-annex source code can be added by opening a pull request
 against `master` that adds a Git patch file with a `.patch` file extension to
@@ -29,21 +75,21 @@ will fail.
 
 [![Update mirror](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/update-mirror.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/update-mirror.yml)
 
-## Build git-annex & test DataLad against it
+### Build git-annex & test DataLad against it
 
 [![Ubuntu](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml)
 [![macOS](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-macos.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-macos.yaml)
 [![Windows](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-windows.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/actions/workflows/build-windows.yaml)
 
-## Client Tests
+### Client Tests
 
 | Client | Test Status |
 | --- | --- |
 | [openmind7](https://datalad.github.io/git-annex-ci-reports/#openmind7) | ![Overall test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/openmind7.svg) ![git-annex-home test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/openmind7/git-annex-home.svg) ![git-annex-om2 test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/openmind7/git-annex-om2.svg) |
 | [ndoli](https://datalad.github.io/git-annex-ci-reports/#ndoli) | ![Overall test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/ndoli.svg) ![git-annex-home test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/ndoli/git-annex-home.svg) ![git-annex-tmp test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/ndoli/git-annex-tmp.svg) |
 | [smaug](https://datalad.github.io/git-annex-ci-reports/#smaug) | ![Overall test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/smaug.svg) ![git-annex test status](https://github.com/datalad/git-annex-ci-client-jobs/raw/master/badges/smaug/git-annex.svg) |
 
-## Builds of whls for PyPI (by @psychoinformatics-de)
+### Builds of whls for PyPI (by @psychoinformatics-de)
 
 [![Linux](https://github.com/psychoinformatics-de/git-annex-wheel/actions/workflows/build-linux.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/psychoinformatics-de/git-annex-wheel/actions/workflows/build-linux.yaml)
 [![MacOS (13, Intel)](https://github.com/psychoinformatics-de/git-annex-wheel/actions/workflows/build-macos-intel.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/psychoinformatics-de/git-annex-wheel/actions/workflows/build-macos-intel.yaml)