[PATCH 0/2] make git installation footprint smaller

[PATCH 0/2] make git installation footprint smaller

[Brandon Casey]

Ever wonder where that extra 5MB of disk space went that you thought you
had?  Well, it turns out that git isn't being quite as space-efficient as
it could be.  Some files that could be installed as links are instead being
installed as full copies of the original.

With these two patches, we shrink the installation footprint of git by
making hard or symbolic links for non-builtin programs and for those binaries
installed in the bin directory.  We already do this for binaries installed
in libexec.  This can reduce the size of a git installation on the order of
10-30%.  Probably about 5-10MB.  Whoopee!!!

Enjoy.

Brandon Casey (2):
  Makefile: link builtins residing in bin directory to main git binary
    too
  Makefile: make hard/symbolic links for non-builtins too

 Makefile |   15 ++++++++++++---
 1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

-- 
1.7.2

[PATCH 1/2] Makefile: link builtins residing in bin directory to main git binary too

[Brandon Casey]

From: Brandon Casey <drafnel@gmail.com>

To conserve space/improve file caching we try to make hard or symbolic links
from each builtin program to the main git executable rather than having
each be a complete duplicate copy of it.  We weren't doing this for the
builtin programs residing in the bin directory though.  So, let's do so.

Signed-off-by: Brandon Casey <casey@nrlssc.navy.mil>
---
 Makefile |    6 ++++++
 1 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bc3c570..d725c15 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2079,6 +2079,12 @@ endif
 		test -z "$(NO_CROSS_DIRECTORY_HARDLINKS)" && \
 		ln "$$bindir/git$X" "$$execdir/git$X" 2>/dev/null || \
 		cp "$$bindir/git$X" "$$execdir/git$X"; } ; } && \
+	for p in $(filter $(install_bindir_programs),$(BUILT_INS)); do \
+		$(RM) "$$bindir/$$p" && \
+		ln "$$bindir/git$X" "$$bindir/$$p" 2>/dev/null || \
+		ln -s "git$X" "$$bindir/$$p" 2>/dev/null || \
+		cp "$$bindir/git$X" "$$bindir/$$p" || exit; \
+	done && \
 	for p in $(BUILT_INS); do \
 		$(RM) "$$execdir/$$p" && \
 		ln "$$execdir/git$X" "$$execdir/$$p" 2>/dev/null || \
-- 
1.7.2

[PATCH 2/2] Makefile: make hard/symbolic links for non-builtins too

[Brandon Casey]

From: Brandon Casey <drafnel@gmail.com>

To conserve space/improve file caching we try to make hard or symbolic links
from each builtin program to the main git executable rather than having
each be a complete duplicate copy of it.  We weren't doing this for the
non-builtin programs though.  So, just because we can, and because it's
easy, and for completeness sake, let's do it.

Signed-off-by: Brandon Casey <casey@nrlssc.navy.mil>
---
 Makefile |    9 ++++++---
 1 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d725c15..17c9130 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2075,10 +2075,13 @@ endif
 	bindir=$$(cd '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(bindir_SQ)' && pwd) && \
 	execdir=$$(cd '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexec_instdir_SQ)' && pwd) && \
 	{ test "$$bindir/" = "$$execdir/" || \
-		{ $(RM) "$$execdir/git$X" && \
+	  for p in git$X $(filter $(install_bindir_programs),$(ALL_PROGRAMS)); do \
+		$(RM) "$$execdir/$$p" && \
 		test -z "$(NO_CROSS_DIRECTORY_HARDLINKS)" && \
-		ln "$$bindir/git$X" "$$execdir/git$X" 2>/dev/null || \
-		cp "$$bindir/git$X" "$$execdir/git$X"; } ; } && \
+		ln "$$bindir/$$p" "$$execdir/$$p" 2>/dev/null || \
+		cp "$$bindir/$$p" "$$execdir/$$p" || exit; \
+	  done; \
+	} && \
 	for p in $(filter $(install_bindir_programs),$(BUILT_INS)); do \
 		$(RM) "$$bindir/$$p" && \
 		ln "$$bindir/git$X" "$$bindir/$$p" 2>/dev/null || \
-- 
1.7.2

Re: [PATCH 0/2] make git installation footprint smaller

[A Large Angry SCM]

On 07/23/2010 01:50 PM, Brandon Casey wrote:
> Ever wonder where that extra 5MB of disk space went that you thought you
> had?  Well, it turns out that git isn't being quite as space-efficient as
> it could be.  Some files that could be installed as links are instead being
> installed as full copies of the original.
>
> With these two patches, we shrink the installation footprint of git by
> making hard or symbolic links for non-builtin programs and for those binaries
> installed in the bin directory.  We already do this for binaries installed
> in libexec.  This can reduce the size of a git installation on the order of
> 10-30%.  Probably about 5-10MB.  Whoopee!!!
>
> Enjoy.
>
> Brandon Casey (2):
>    Makefile: link builtins residing in bin directory to main git binary
>      too
>    Makefile: make hard/symbolic links for non-builtins too
>
>   Makefile |   15 ++++++++++++---
>   1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>

What happens when bindir and execdir are the same?

Re: [PATCH 0/2] make git installation footprint smaller

[Brandon Casey]

A Large Angry SCM wrote:
> On 07/23/2010 01:50 PM, Brandon Casey wrote:
>> Brandon Casey (2):
>>    Makefile: link builtins residing in bin directory to main git binary
>>      too
>>    Makefile: make hard/symbolic links for non-builtins too
>>
>>   Makefile |   15 ++++++++++++---
>>   1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>>
> 
> What happens when bindir and execdir are the same?

Nothing.  See the second patch "make hard/symbolic links for
non-builtins too".  We already handled this case.

Re: [PATCH 0/2] make git installation footprint smaller

[Jonathan Nieder]

Brandon Casey wrote:

> Brandon Casey (2):
>   Makefile: link builtins residing in bin directory to main git binary
>     too
>   Makefile: make hard/symbolic links for non-builtins too

So in the end, the hardlink-forming step has four steps:

1. (if bindir != libexecdir and NO_CROSS_DIRECTORY_HARDLINKS is unset)
   Files in libexecdir with cousins in bindir are replaced by
   hardlinks to their cousins. (patch 2)

2. Any builtins in bindir are replaced by
   hardlinks, symlinks, or copies of git.

3. Any builtins in libexecdir are replaced by
   hardlinks, symlinks, or copies of git.

4. git-remote-{ftp,http, etc} are replaced by
   hardlinks, symlinks, or of git-remote-http.

Looks good to me.

Thanks for the pleasant read,
Jonathan