Changes/ChangeToGitCore

Switch to git-core

This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.

Summary

Packages that only require git binary should depend on git-core and not on the git package.

Owner

• Name: Mikel Olasagasti
• Email: mikel at olasagasti.info

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 42
• Last updated: 2024-12-03
• Announced
• Discussion thread
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

Many package have either requirement or build requirement for the git binary. The git package is complex and is divided in mulitple subpackages. The subpackage that contains the git binary, that is enough for most of the use cases, is part of the git-core subpackage.

In a fresh rawhide image git-core package installs 10 packages and requires 8 MiB, while git package requires 77 packages and 19 MiB.

The proposed change would be to open Pull Requests against each package to switch to git-core and, when possible, test it before the PR is accepted.

Currently around 230 packages have git as BuildRequires and another 60 as Requires. Verified using latest spec archive snapshot available.

$ cd /tmp/
$ wget https://src.fedoraproject.org/lookaside/rpm-specs-latest.tar.xz
$ tar xf rpm-specs-latest.tar.xz
$ cd /tmp/rpm-specs

$ grep -E '^BuildRequires:\s*git$' *.spec |wc -l
236

$ grep -E '^Requires:\s*git$' *.spec |wc -l
61

• Installing git-core

# dnf install git-core
Updating and loading repositories:
Repositories loaded.
Package                  Arch    Version                  Repository        Size
Installing:
 git-core                x86_64  2.47.0-1.fc42            rawhide       22.6 MiB
Installing dependencies:
 expat                   x86_64  2.6.4-1.fc42             rawhide      285.5 KiB
 less                    x86_64  668-1.fc42               rawhide      406.4 KiB
 libcbor                 x86_64  0.11.0-2.fc41            rawhide       73.9 KiB
 libedit                 x86_64  3.1-53.20240808cvs.fc41  rawhide      244.1 KiB
 libfdisk                x86_64  2.40.2-8.fc42            rawhide      362.9 KiB
 libfido2                x86_64  1.15.0-2.fc41            rawhide      238.2 KiB
 openssh                 x86_64  9.9p1-5.fc42             rawhide        1.4 MiB
 openssh-clients         x86_64  9.9p1-5.fc42             rawhide        2.7 MiB
 util-linux              x86_64  2.40.2-8.fc42            rawhide        3.7 MiB

Transaction Summary:
 Installing:        10 packages

Total size of inbound packages is 8 MiB. Need to download 8 MiB.
After this operation, 32 MiB extra will be used (install 32 MiB, remove 0 B).

• Installing git

# dnf install git
Updating and loading repositories:
Repositories loaded.
Package                  Arch    Version                  Repository        Size
Installing:
 git                     x86_64  2.47.0-1.fc42            rawhide       85.2 KiB
Installing dependencies:
 expat                   x86_64  2.6.4-1.fc42             rawhide      285.5 KiB
 git-core                x86_64  2.47.0-1.fc42            rawhide       22.6 MiB
 git-core-doc            noarch  2.47.0-1.fc42            rawhide       17.2 MiB
 groff-base              x86_64  1.23.0-7.fc41            rawhide        3.8 MiB
 less                    x86_64  668-1.fc42               rawhide      406.4 KiB
 libcbor                 x86_64  0.11.0-2.fc41            rawhide       73.9 KiB
 libedit                 x86_64  3.1-53.20240808cvs.fc41  rawhide      244.1 KiB
 libfdisk                x86_64  2.40.2-8.fc42            rawhide      362.9 KiB
 libfido2                x86_64  1.15.0-2.fc41            rawhide      238.2 KiB
 ncurses                 x86_64  6.5-2.20240629.fc41      rawhide      627.3 KiB
 openssh                 x86_64  9.9p1-5.fc42             rawhide        1.4 MiB
 openssh-clients         x86_64  9.9p1-5.fc42             rawhide        2.7 MiB
 perl-AutoLoader         noarch  5.74-512.fc42            rawhide       20.5 KiB
 perl-B                  x86_64  1.89-512.fc42            rawhide      498.0 KiB
 perl-Carp               noarch  1.54-511.fc41            rawhide       46.6 KiB
 perl-Class-Struct       noarch  0.68-512.fc42            rawhide       25.4 KiB
 perl-Data-Dumper        x86_64  2.189-512.fc41           rawhide      111.7 KiB
 perl-Digest             noarch  1.20-511.fc41            rawhide       35.3 KiB
 perl-Digest-MD5         x86_64  2.59-5.fc41              rawhide       59.8 KiB
 perl-DynaLoader         x86_64  1.56-512.fc42            rawhide       32.1 KiB
 perl-Encode             x86_64  4:3.21-511.fc41          rawhide        4.7 MiB
 perl-Errno              x86_64  1.38-512.fc42            rawhide        8.4 KiB
 perl-Error              noarch  1:0.17029-16.fc41        rawhide       77.3 KiB
 perl-Exporter           noarch  5.78-511.fc41            rawhide       54.3 KiB
 perl-Fcntl              x86_64  1.18-512.fc42            rawhide       49.0 KiB
 perl-File-Basename      noarch  2.86-512.fc42            rawhide       14.0 KiB
 perl-File-Find          noarch  1.44-512.fc42            rawhide       41.9 KiB
 perl-File-Path          noarch  2.18-511.fc41            rawhide       63.5 KiB
 perl-File-Temp          noarch  1:0.231.100-511.fc41     rawhide      162.3 KiB
 perl-File-stat          noarch  1.14-512.fc42            rawhide       12.5 KiB
 perl-FileHandle         noarch  2.05-512.fc42            rawhide        9.3 KiB
 perl-Getopt-Long        noarch  1:2.58-2.fc41            rawhide      144.5 KiB
 perl-Getopt-Std         noarch  1.14-512.fc42            rawhide       11.2 KiB
 perl-Git                noarch  2.47.0-1.fc42            rawhide       64.0 KiB
 perl-HTTP-Tiny          noarch  0.090-1.fc42             rawhide      154.4 KiB
 perl-IO                 x86_64  1.55-512.fc42            rawhide      151.1 KiB
 perl-IO-Socket-IP       noarch  0.42-512.fc41            rawhide       98.7 KiB
 perl-IO-Socket-SSL      noarch  2.089-1.fc42             rawhide      703.3 KiB
 perl-IPC-Open3          noarch  1.22-512.fc42            rawhide       22.5 KiB
 perl-MIME-Base32        noarch  1.303-21.fc41            rawhide       30.7 KiB
 perl-MIME-Base64        x86_64  3.16-511.fc41            rawhide       46.1 KiB
 perl-Net-SSLeay         x86_64  1.94-7.fc41              rawhide        1.3 MiB
 perl-POSIX              x86_64  2.20-512.fc42            rawhide      235.1 KiB
 perl-PathTools          x86_64  3.91-511.fc41            rawhide      180.0 KiB
 perl-Pod-Escapes        noarch  1:1.07-511.fc41          rawhide       24.9 KiB
 perl-Pod-Perldoc        noarch  3.28.01-512.fc41         rawhide      163.7 KiB
 perl-Pod-Simple         noarch  1:3.45-511.fc41          rawhide      560.9 KiB
 perl-Pod-Usage          noarch  4:2.03-511.fc41          rawhide       84.8 KiB
 perl-Scalar-List-Utils  x86_64  5:1.68-1.fc42            rawhide      148.9 KiB
 perl-SelectSaver        noarch  1.02-512.fc42            rawhide        2.2 KiB
 perl-Socket             x86_64  4:2.038-511.fc41         rawhide      124.0 KiB
 perl-Storable           x86_64  1:3.32-511.fc41          rawhide      232.4 KiB
 perl-Symbol             noarch  1.09-512.fc42            rawhide        6.8 KiB
 perl-Term-ANSIColor     noarch  5.01-512.fc41            rawhide       97.5 KiB
 perl-Term-Cap           noarch  1.18-511.fc41            rawhide       29.3 KiB
 perl-TermReadKey        x86_64  2.38-23.fc41             rawhide       64.1 KiB
 perl-Text-ParseWords    noarch  3.31-511.fc41            rawhide       13.6 KiB
 perl-Text-Tabs+Wrap     noarch  2024.001-511.fc41        rawhide       22.6 KiB
 perl-Time-Local         noarch  2:1.350-511.fc41         rawhide       69.0 KiB
 perl-URI                noarch  5.31-1.fc42              rawhide      257.0 KiB
 perl-base               noarch  2.27-512.fc42            rawhide       12.5 KiB
 perl-constant           noarch  1.33-512.fc41            rawhide       26.2 KiB
 perl-if                 noarch  0.61.000-512.fc42        rawhide        5.8 KiB
 perl-interpreter        x86_64  4:5.40.0-512.fc42        rawhide      122.3 KiB
 perl-lib                x86_64  0.65-512.fc42            rawhide        8.5 KiB
 perl-libnet             noarch  3.15-512.fc41            rawhide      289.4 KiB
 perl-libs               x86_64  4:5.40.0-512.fc42        rawhide        9.9 MiB
 perl-locale             noarch  1.12-512.fc42            rawhide        6.5 KiB
 perl-mro                x86_64  1.29-512.fc42            rawhide       45.6 KiB
 perl-overload           noarch  1.37-512.fc42            rawhide       71.5 KiB
 perl-overloading        noarch  0.02-512.fc42            rawhide        4.8 KiB
 perl-parent             noarch  1:0.242-1.fc42           rawhide       10.0 KiB
 perl-podlators          noarch  1:6.0.2-2.fc41           rawhide      317.5 KiB
 perl-vars               noarch  1.05-512.fc42            rawhide        3.9 KiB
 util-linux              x86_64  2.40.2-8.fc42            rawhide        3.7 MiB
Installing weak dependencies:
 perl-NDBM_File          x86_64  1.17-512.fc42            rawhide       32.5 KiB

Transaction Summary:
 Installing:        77 packages

Total size of inbound packages is 19 MiB. Need to download 19 MiB.
After this operation, 75 MiB extra will be used (install 75 MiB, remove 0 B).

Packages to review

BuildRequire on git

$ grep -E '^BuildRequires:\s*git$' *.spec |cut -d ":" -f1 |sed 's:.spec::'
4Pane
accountsservice
adobe-mappings-cmap
adobe-mappings-pdf
ansible-bender
anthy-unicode
apptainer
audacity
bicon
booth
budgie-desktop
build2
buildbot
buildbox
cantera
capstone
clipit
clover2
cmake
compat-readline6
container-storage-setup
copr-rpmbuild
crawl
dc3dd
dcm2niix
delve
diffoscope
diff-so-fancy
ding-libs
dionaea
doctest
domoticz
dosbox-staging
dotnet8.0
dotnet9.0
doxygen
edk2
efivar
elixir
enigma
execstack
fedpkg
findutils
fprintd
fragments
freeipa
fros
gawk
gcab
gdb-gef
ghostscript
git-annex
git-cinnabar
git-cola
gmp
gnome-extensions-app
gnome-kiosk
gnome-shell-extension-background-logo
gnome-shell-extension-no-overview
gnome-shell-extensions
gnome-shell
gnulib
gotcha
gpicview
gqrx
grilo-plugins
grilo
grub2
gssproxy
hexchat-autoaway
hipblaslt
hipblas
hiprand
hpx
ibus-anthy
ibus-engine-gui-ci
ibus-input-pad
ibus-qt
ibus
iguanaIR
initscripts
intel-igc
jd
kmplot
krb5
libabigail
libblkio
libcdson
libcpuid
libemu
libfm
libfprint
libgovirt
libijs
libmongocrypt
libosinfo
libpcap
libptytty
libverto
libvirt
llama-cpp
logrotate
lxmusic
lxpanel
lxtask
lxterminal
maeparser
malcontent
mcomix3
mingw-pcre
mingw-pdcurses
mingw-portablexdr
mingw-spice-gtk
mingw-wine-gecko
minicom
mod_auth_gssapi
mokutil
mot-adms
mpdscribble
mpris-scrobbler
muon-meson
mysql-connector-java
nano
nbdkit
nekovm
netdata
netgen-mesher
newsboat
ngspice
nss-altfiles
numberstation
ocaml
oci-seccomp-bpf-hook
opencsd
osbuild-composer
osinfo-db-tools
ostree
pacemaker
pack
pam_wrapper
parted
pass-otp
pcmanfm
perl-Git-CPAN-Patch
perl-Git-Repository
perl-SOAP-WSDL
perl-Sys-Virt
pesign
polkit
poppler-data
procps-ng
psacct
psmisc
pure-ftpd
python-breathe
python-cookiecutter
python-dbusmock
python-dictdiffer
python-dictdiffer
python-gitapi
python-git-revise
python-google-auth
python-kdcproxy
python-murano-pkg-check
python-openshift
python-openshift
python-os-client-config
python-os-service-types
python-pdm-pep517
python-pyside6
python-rosdistro
python-rpmaut.spec
python-rsdclient
python-scikit-build-core
python-setuptools_git
python-shade
python-sphinxcontrib-programoutput
python-tinyrpc
python-vcstool
python-virtualbmc
python-vobject
python-yappi
qemu
qmc2
qtile-extras
qtl866
qtpass
racket
rbenv
rear
repo
reposurgeon
reuse
rocblas
rocrand
rpi-imager
rpkg-macros
rubygem-coveralls
rubygem-pdfkit
rubygem--core.spec
rubygem--expectations.spec
rubygem--mocks.spec
rubygem--support.spec
rubygem-sugarjar
rxvt-unicode
shadow-utils
sile
stargz-snapshotter
syslinux
sysstat
tcsh
timg
tito
tpm2-abrmd-selinux
transifex-client
udev-hid-bpf
umockdev
unclutter-xfixes
unixODBC-gui-qt
upower
urw-base35-fonts
vcs-diff-lint
vcsh
vhostmd
virt-what
vsftpd
vxl
vyper
wasmedge
web-eid
webkit2gtk4.0
webkitgtk
xmms2
xscreensaver
yajl
yara

Require on git

grep -E '^Requires:\s*git$' *.spec |cut -d ":" -f1 |sed 's:.spec::' 
anjuta
bodhi-server
build2
build2
build2
buildstream-plugins
cekit
clang13
clang15
clang17
clang18
cmake-fedora
copr-rpmbuild
dgit
dist-git
eg
git2cl
git-archive-all
git-cola
git-crypt
git-evtag
git-extras
git-ftp
gitolite3
git-tools
gitweb-caching
kdevelop
llvm
multi-git-status
myrepos
nfsometer
packit
perl-App-grindperl
perl-Bisect-Perl-UsingGit
perl-Code-TidyAll
perl-Git-CPAN-Patch
perl-Git-CPAN-Patch
perl-Git-Repository
perl-Menlo
php-phpunit-git
php-phpunit-Version
php-sebastian-version3
php-sebastian-version4
pmbootstrap
pungi
python-diff-cover
python-gitapi
python-git-revise
python-git-revise
rancid
repo
rpkg-macros
rpmgrill
rubygem-sugarjar
snotes
source-to-image
teamgit
thunar-vcs-plugin
vcs-diff-lint
vcsh
xfce4-dev-tools

Feedback

This change has been already proposed for packit in PR1307, it was accepted upstream and will be part of F42.

In November 2020 a suggestion to switch to git-core was discussed in the Development list.

Benefit to Fedora

For users it will reduce the amount of packages installed as transient dependency of the main package.

For developers it should make builds a few seconds faster. Tests with podman on a local machine (i7-1270P) show 1 to 6 seconds less are required to install git-core vs git.

Scope

• Proposal owners:

• Other developers:

• Release engineering: #Releng issue number

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with the Fedora Strategy:

How To Test

• For those packages that have git as BuildRequire, testing the build can be automated using copr. Plan would be to fork the packages, switch to git-core, commit in the fork and build it in Copr. If builds fine open a PR.
• For those packages that have git as Require, switch package to use git-core and test git related functionality.

Dependencies

None.

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)