Re: [PATCH] Extend runtime prefix computation

Hi Junio,

On Fri, 15 Apr 2016, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Michael Weiser [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

Make git fully relocatable at runtime extending the runtime prefix
calculation. Handle absolute and relative paths in argv0. Handle no path
at all in argv0 in a system-specific manner.  Replace assertions with
initialised variables and checks that lead to fallback to the static
prefix.

That's a dense description of "what" without saying much about
"why".  Hint: start by describing what case(s) the current code
fails to find the correct runtime prefix.  That would give readers a
better understanding of what problem you are trying to solve.

I have to admit that I am really, *really* skeptical. To me, it looks like
this patch opens the door very wide to unintended consequences.

quoted

 #ifdef RUNTIME_PREFIX
-	assert(argv0_path);
-	assert(is_absolute_path(argv0_path));

Aren't these protecting against future and careless change that
forgets to call extract-argv0-path or make that function return
something that is not an absolute path?

This (first) assert() indeed saved me a couple of times from hunting for
bugs in the wrong place. Let's keep it.

Ciao,
Dscho