6 ms·

Want Git Preinstalled On The Next OS X?

45 points by thedob 18y ago

Zev 18y ago
Not particularly. Maybe with an install of Xcode. But it has absolutely no purpose whatsoever being installed by default.
- defunkt 18y ago
  CVS and SVN are installed by default. So are Python and Ruby.
  - Zev 18y ago
    CVS is installed with Xcode as far as I can tell; Its in the iPhone SDK download (open the iPhone SDK.pkg up in Pacifist and look under DeveloperToolsCLI.pkg/usr/bin/). Though I'm surprised OS X ships with SVN by default. FWIW, the version of SVN that ships is 1.4.4 (and it still hasn't been updated as of 10.5.6 or iPhone SDK for 2.2.1. And Python.framework and Ruby.framework are installed to let you run other programs people write. Same reason you have Java, Tcl/Tk and all the ObjC/Cocoa frameworks. Having the frameworks != writing code.
    - blasdel 18y ago
      They only ship one JVM, and it's a JDK. OS X ships with javac et. al.
dylanz 18y ago
Not really... but awwwwe @#$% it, throw it in there ;)
neilc 18y ago
Not really. For one thing, the default version of git would quickly become outdated, and could potentially cause confusion with a user-installed version. What Apple should really do is build a proper package management system. IMHO, that is a fundamental part of a modern operating system, especially one designed for use with F/OSS software.
- Zev 18y ago
  It is possible to update the $PATH to grab from /usr/local/bin/* (user stuff land) before /usr/bin/* (system stuff land). If you're comfortable using command line to manage code, editing the ~/.bashrc shouldn't be too difficult to manage.
  - neilc 18y ago
    Yeah, obviously. But the point is that if the presupplied git quickly becomes out of date, what's the point in Apple shipping it and it taking up disk space? The Apple-supplied versions of other OSS packages (e.g. Ruby) don't exactly set a good precedent.
    - Zev 18y ago
      How often is there a new feature and not just a bugfix in git? Honest question as I don't use git. And does git really use up that much space to be an issue? I imagine the problem is just conflicting binaries/libraries which can be fixed pretty easily in .bashrc...
- lallysingh 18y ago
  The engineering effort required is too far outside their business focus. They've got a very basic one, but nothing in terms of what modern Linuxers are used to. They've blessed macports as their preferred one, which does a reasonable job. As far as I've seen, apple will include the latest stable version of a tool per major upgrade (e.g. tiger, leopard, etc.). They'll keep it the same version until the next major one, without touching point releases. In terms of the principle of least surprises, it's actually the way I'd prefer. The other post's advice for .bashrc is very good, it's what I do.
  - neilc 18y ago
    The engineering effort required is too far outside their business focus. Then they should stop claiming that OSX is suitable for use as a server OS.
tptacek 18y ago
Can I go with, "no"? The preinstalled Ruby and Python images on OS X have been debacles, and I've had to do custom SVN builds as well.
- thedob 18y ago
  But I bet many novice developers have been exposed to Ruby and Python (and SVN) because they shipped with OS X. Let's let newcomers use git without a custom install, and maybe it will lead to more widespread adoption. You don't need the latest version of git for init, clone, add, commit, push, and pull to work.
  - otto 18y ago
    Even "novice developers" are able to: 1. download macports 2. double click an installer and click next a few times 3. type 'sudo port install git-core'
    - ROFISH 18y ago
      Personally, I've had more trouble with macports than necessary. (Mostly because whenever I type 'port', I still get command not found.) It's much easier just to download the source, ./configure, make, and sudo make install.
      - Zev 18y ago
        Thats because macports installs itself to /opt/* which isn't in your $PATH. Easy to fix. But macports still causes more problems then its worth. So does fink for that matter.
        reconbot 18y ago
        What problems? Package dependency problems? The worse that I've had happen is having to deal with broken packages. The amount of times I haven't had to deal with figuring out dependencies makes it more then worthwhile, IMHO.
prospero 18y ago
Why not just include macports?
travisjeffery 18y ago
What they install are require for applications to run. If they don't need it then they don't put it on it's as simple as that.
zain 18y ago
Git has a very nice and very simple installer on OS X: http://code.google.com/p/git-osx-installer/ http://code.google.com/p/git-osx-installer/ You don't need to muck with macports or anything.
bayareaguy 18y ago
I have a PPC powerbook and I'd much rather have a more recent Java then something like git which I can easily manage myself. But then the point is moot because if current rumors are true I probably won't be able to run 10.6 anyways.
jpcx01 18y ago
Would be much nicer if MacPorts was preinstalled so that everyone can install and update their packages as needed.

45 points by thedob 18y ago

Zev 18y ago

Not particularly. Maybe with an install of Xcode. But it has absolutely no purpose whatsoever being installed by default.

defunkt 18y ago
CVS and SVN are installed by default. So are Python and Ruby.
- Zev 18y ago
  CVS is installed with Xcode as far as I can tell; Its in the iPhone SDK download (open the iPhone SDK.pkg up in Pacifist and look under DeveloperToolsCLI.pkg/usr/bin/). Though I'm surprised OS X ships with SVN by default. FWIW, the version of SVN that ships is 1.4.4 (and it still hasn't been updated as of 10.5.6 or iPhone SDK for 2.2.1. And Python.framework and Ruby.framework are installed to let you run other programs people write. Same reason you have Java, Tcl/Tk and all the ObjC/Cocoa frameworks. Having the frameworks != writing code.
  - blasdel 18y ago
    They only ship one JVM, and it's a JDK. OS X ships with javac et. al.

dylanz 18y ago

Not really... but awwwwe @#$% it, throw it in there ;)

neilc 18y ago

Not really. For one thing, the default version of git would quickly become outdated, and could potentially cause confusion with a user-installed version. What Apple should really do is build a proper package management system. IMHO, that is a fundamental part of a modern operating system, especially one designed for use with F/OSS software.

Zev 18y ago
It is possible to update the $PATH to grab from /usr/local/bin/* (user stuff land) before /usr/bin/* (system stuff land). If you're comfortable using command line to manage code, editing the ~/.bashrc shouldn't be too difficult to manage.
- neilc 18y ago
  Yeah, obviously. But the point is that if the presupplied git quickly becomes out of date, what's the point in Apple shipping it and it taking up disk space? The Apple-supplied versions of other OSS packages (e.g. Ruby) don't exactly set a good precedent.
  - Zev 18y ago
    How often is there a new feature and not just a bugfix in git? Honest question as I don't use git. And does git really use up that much space to be an issue? I imagine the problem is just conflicting binaries/libraries which can be fixed pretty easily in .bashrc...
lallysingh 18y ago
The engineering effort required is too far outside their business focus. They've got a very basic one, but nothing in terms of what modern Linuxers are used to. They've blessed macports as their preferred one, which does a reasonable job. As far as I've seen, apple will include the latest stable version of a tool per major upgrade (e.g. tiger, leopard, etc.). They'll keep it the same version until the next major one, without touching point releases. In terms of the principle of least surprises, it's actually the way I'd prefer. The other post's advice for .bashrc is very good, it's what I do.
- neilc 18y ago
  The engineering effort required is too far outside their business focus. Then they should stop claiming that OSX is suitable for use as a server OS.

tptacek 18y ago

Can I go with, "no"? The preinstalled Ruby and Python images on OS X have been debacles, and I've had to do custom SVN builds as well.

thedob 18y ago
But I bet many novice developers have been exposed to Ruby and Python (and SVN) because they shipped with OS X. Let's let newcomers use git without a custom install, and maybe it will lead to more widespread adoption. You don't need the latest version of git for init, clone, add, commit, push, and pull to work.
- otto 18y ago
  Even "novice developers" are able to: 1. download macports 2. double click an installer and click next a few times 3. type 'sudo port install git-core'
  - ROFISH 18y ago
    Personally, I've had more trouble with macports than necessary. (Mostly because whenever I type 'port', I still get command not found.) It's much easier just to download the source, ./configure, make, and sudo make install.
    - Zev 18y ago
      Thats because macports installs itself to /opt/* which isn't in your $PATH. Easy to fix. But macports still causes more problems then its worth. So does fink for that matter.
      - reconbot 18y ago
        What problems? Package dependency problems? The worse that I've had happen is having to deal with broken packages. The amount of times I haven't had to deal with figuring out dependencies makes it more then worthwhile, IMHO.

prospero 18y ago

Why not just include macports?

travisjeffery 18y ago

What they install are require for applications to run. If they don't need it then they don't put it on it's as simple as that.

zain 18y ago

Git has a very nice and very simple installer on OS X: http://code.google.com/p/git-osx-installer/ http://code.google.com/p/git-osx-installer/ You don't need to muck with macports or anything.

bayareaguy 18y ago

I have a PPC powerbook and I'd much rather have a more recent Java then something like git which I can easily manage myself. But then the point is moot because if current rumors are true I probably won't be able to run 10.6 anyways.

jpcx01 18y ago

Would be much nicer if MacPorts was preinstalled so that everyone can install and update their packages as needed.