gemspec's usage of git ls-files introduces runtime dependency on git

[zeha]

When using this gem with bundler, git ls-files gets executed during application startup, therefore git becomes a runtime requirement for this gem.
I can see what value the git ls-files calls provide in the gemspec, but feel strongly that this shouldn't require git during runtime.

We're using your gem like this in the Gemfile:

source 'http://rubygems.org'
gem 'require_relative', :git => 'git://github.com/steveklabnik/require_relative.git'
gem 'other_gem'

Error message:

 [ pid=5918 thr=10183040 file=utils.rb:176 time=2011-06-16 21:00:36.470 ]: *** Exception Errno::ENOENT in PhusionPassenger::Rack::ApplicationSpawner (No such file or directory - git ls-files) (process 5918, thread #<Thread:0x0000000136c300>):
    from /app/path/bundled/ruby/1.9.1/bundler/gems/require_relative-a1b8f7ea2987/require_relative.gemspec:18:in ``'
    from /app/path/bundled/ruby/1.9.1/bundler/gems/require_relative-a1b8f7ea2987/require_relative.gemspec:18:in `block in <main>'
    from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/specification.rb:349:in `initialize'
    from /app/path/bundled/ruby/1.9.1/bundler/gems/require_relative-a1b8f7ea2987/require_relative.gemspec:5:in `new'
    from /app/path/bundled/ruby/1.9.1/bundler/gems/require_relative-a1b8f7ea2987/require_relative.gemspec:5:in `<main>'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:239:in `eval'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:239:in `rescue in block in load_gemspec'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:234:in `block in load_gemspec'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:232:in `chdir'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:232:in `load_gemspec'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:347:in `block in load_spec_files'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:346:in `each'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:346:in `load_spec_files'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:563:in `load_spec_files'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:379:in `local_specs'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/source.rb:548:in `specs'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:147:in `block in resolve'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:145:in `each'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:145:in `resolve'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:90:in `specs'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:135:in `specs_for'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/definition.rb:124:in `requested_specs'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/environment.rb:23:in `requested_specs'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler/runtime.rb:11:in `setup'
    from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/bundler-1.0.14/lib/bundler.rb:107:in `setup'

[steveklabnik]

I've never noticed this because git is the first thing I install on any computer, ever. If you can give me something that's as easy to use as git-ls, I'd consider a patch, but i'm not super concerned about this, to be honest.

[zeha]

I don't think there's any really cross-platform replacement you could stick in there. Not even the current git ls-files calls are cross-platform.

So I could give you some find(1) command line, but it would still suck ;)

[steveklabnik]

I'm not super concerned about cross-platform, exactly. Though obviously that's important. I'm surprised you haven't run into this with other gems, because this is a pretty common pattern. In fact, this line was created by the gem creation tools that (bundler itself makes)[https://github.com/carlhuda/bundler/blob/1-0-stable/lib/bundler/templates/newgem/newgem.gemspec.tt#L16]. So... yeah.

Is there a reason you don't have git installed?

[zeha]

There's no specific reason except that this happens in a production environment which is automatically rebuilt from scratch, and currently we're not installing git there.

Another thing to consider is probably startup time (all these git calls aren't free ;) ), but if this is a common pattern, oh well.

[steveklabnik]

Ahh, see, the first thing I do in production is install git, because I use it to deploy. ;)

Anyway, if you figure something out, let me know. I'd love for you to use my gem!