Subject: [PATCH v3 4/5] meson.build: correct setting of GIT_EXEC_PATH

From: Ramsay Jones <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 16 May 2025 19:48:42 +0100

For the non-'runtime prefix' case, the meson build sets the GIT_EXEC_PATH
build variable to an absolute path equivalent to <prefix>/libexec/git-core.
In comparison, the default make build sets it to a relative path equivalent
to 'libexec/git-core'. Indeed, the make build requires the use of some
means outside of the Makefile (eg. config.mak[.*] or the command-line)
to set GIT_EXEC_PATH to anything other than 'libexec/git-core'.

For example, the make invocation:

  $ make gitexecdir=/some/other/bin all install

will build git with GIT_EXEC_PATH set to '/some/other/bin' and install
the 'library' executables to that location. However, without setting the
'gitexecdir' make variable, irrespective of the 'runtime prefix' setting,
the GIT_EXEC_PATH is always set to 'libexec/git-core'.

The meson built-in 'libexecdir' option can be used to provide a similar
configurability. The default value for the option is 'libexec'. Attempting
to set the option to '' on the command-line, will reset it to the '.'
string, presumably to ensure a relative path value.

This commit allows the meson build, similar to the above, to configure the
project like:

  $ meson setup --buildtype=debugoptimized -Dprefix=$HOME -Dpcre2=disabled \
      -Dlibexecdir=/some/other/bin build

so that the GIT_EXEC_PATH is set to '/some/other/bin'. Absent the
-Dlibexecdir argument, the GIT_EXEC_PATH is set to 'libexec/git-core'.

In order to correct the value of GIT_EXEC_PATH, default the value to the
static string value 'libexec/git-core', and only override if the value
of the 'libexecdir' option has a value different to 'libexec' or '.'.
Also, like the Makefile, add a check for an absolute path when the
runtime prefix option is true (and if so, error out).

Signed-off-by: Ramsay Jones <[email-masked]>
---
 meson.build | 12 ++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8e8f228a37..bd14bc15a1 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1592,10 +1592,19 @@ else
   error('Unsupported CSPRNG backend: ' + csprng_backend)
 endif
 
+git_exec_path = 'libexec/git-core'
+libexec = get_option('libexecdir')
+if libexec != 'libexec' and libexec != '.'
+  git_exec_path = libexec
+endif
+
 if get_option('runtime_prefix')
   libgit_c_args += '-DRUNTIME_PREFIX'
   build_options_config.set('RUNTIME_PREFIX', 'true')
-  git_exec_path = get_option('libexecdir') / 'git-core'
+
+  if git_exec_path.startswith('/')
+    error('runtime_prefix requires a relative libexecdir not:', libexec)
+  endif
 
   if compiler.has_header('mach-o/dyld.h')
     libgit_c_args += '-DHAVE_NS_GET_EXECUTABLE_PATH'
@@ -1632,7 +1641,6 @@ if get_option('runtime_prefix')
   endif
 else
   build_options_config.set('RUNTIME_PREFIX', 'false')
-  git_exec_path = get_option('prefix') / get_option('libexecdir') / 'git-core'
 endif
 libgit_c_args += '-DGIT_EXEC_PATH="' + git_exec_path + '"'
 
-- 
2.49.0