(git)(git.install) Old Git versions cannot be installed anymore

[sschuberth]

Doing e.g. cinst git -y --version 1.8.5.2 results in

Attempt to get headers for http://msysgit.googlecode.com/files/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe failed.
  The remote file either doesn't exist, is unauthorized, or is forbidden for url 'http://msysgit.googlecode.com/files/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe'.

This is because Google Code has been discontinued. However, many of the old installers are still available at https://github.com/msysgit/msysgit/releases. I'm not sure where to replace those download URLs, though.

[ferventcoder]

@sschuberth We'll just need to go into each of the items in https://github.com/ferventcoder/chocolatey-packages/tree/master/automatic/_output/git.install and https://github.com/ferventcoder/chocolatey-packages/tree/master/automatic/_output/git.

But for some we may need to go to Chocolatey.org and use the download to fix the links (see recompile - https://chocolatey.org/docs/how-to-recompile-packages). Once fixed, they will need new version numbers - using package fix version notation - https://chocolatey.org/docs/create-packages#package-fix-version-notation

[sschuberth]

Sounds more involving that I thought. Can I ask you to work on this?

[ferventcoder]

Is it just 1.8.5.2?

It's really not bad. I can handle it if it is just this one.

[sschuberth]

No, it's all versions < 2.0 (or more precisely, all releases listed at https://github.com/msysgit/msysgit/releases), but for now I'm mostly interested in releases "around" version 1.8.5.

[ferventcoder]

Why don't I do one and we take a look? This link looks good for me? https://github.com/msysgit/msysgit/releases/download/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe

[sschuberth]

Yes, that's the link to use for 1.8.5.2 now instead of the current link to http://msysgit.googlecode.com/files/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe (also see this failing AppVeyor CI build).

[ferventcoder]

Just a note of warning, the package version will append two numbers to the end of the fourth version segment since it is used. That will be the fixed version. Like 1.8.5.201 01 indicating fixing this version. So folks will need to update their version choices. Just to give them a heads up.

Package versions are immutable once approved.

[sschuberth]

@ferventcoder Any update on doing the example for 1.8.5.2, so I could potentially look at the other versions?

[dragon788]

@sschuberth it looks like you could probably just copy the oldest 1.9.5 file here, https://github.com/ferventcoder/chocolatey-packages/blob/master/automatic/_output/git.install/1.9.5.20150114/tools/chocolateyInstall.ps1 and put it into a 1.8.5.2 folder with a copy of the git.install.nuspec from the same 1.9.5 version. You should be able to at least test using choco pack and choco install on a local machine.

[majkinetor]

We embedded the package and from now on older versions will always be available. This can be closed.

[sschuberth]

@majkinetor It does not seem to work (yet). https://ci.appveyor.com/project/git-lfs/git-lfs/build/1.0.943/job/q0q3rx20m6wxsa20 shows:

git.install v1.8.5.2 [Approved]
Attempt to get headers for http://msysgit.googlecode.com/files/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe failed.
  The remote file either doesn't exist, is unauthorized, or is forbidden for url 'http://msysgit.googlecode.com/files/Git-1.8.5.2-preview20131230.exe'.

[majkinetor]

@sschuberth, I said, from now on, which means future versions wont have this problem. We wont do older packages, those will still use online installers.

The 'non existing old version problem' is not git specific, basically all packages suffer from it. Embedding is something we recently started to do becuase of this problem.

[sschuberth]

@majkinetor You said "from now on older versions will always be available", which is a misleading statement. It would be clearer if you had said "from now on, versions that will be superseded by newer versions will still be available".

In any case, then there's not point in closing this issue as it is specifically about fixing the URLs for old Git packages due to the move from Google Code to GitHub.

[majkinetor]

I am almost 100% sure that people that currently maintain Git package do not have interest in providing older versions because the problem was systematic. Many people ask for the same on random tool. The best bet ist that:

• someone who badly needs it PR it.
• someobdy creates a framework that can automate this (highly improbable because vendors often change download setup between versions).

All our efforsts are now such that this doesn't happen in the future and we have bunch of things to to for latest versions on all redistrubutable packages.

[ferventcoder]

@majkinetor I think @sschuberth would know about Git for Windows so I would lean on what is being asked for here. I'm fine with fixing older versions.

@sschuberth apologies that I haven't finished this yet. It's on my list.

[sschuberth]

@ferventcoder Sorry to both you again, but can you give an estimate on when you'll be able to address this?