Request: provide a generic Link to the latest Windows release

[hamlibdk]

Is it possible to provide a "generic link" to the latest releases (especially Windows releases) so that utilities that use tools such as cURL or PowerShell Invoke-RestMethod can always point to the same file yet always download the very latest GIT release?

i.e. current Windows release is 2.29.2.3. Versions change frequently. Can a static link - as an example. Git-LATEST-x64.exe - be provided to this latest release and maintained always to the latest release?

This allows the general programming community to create generic environments where static version coding is eliminated - hence reducing maintenance required on scripts and code. This also allows us to better fit in with current and future licensing requirements

Thanks.

Hamlib SDK Development Team
(Maintainer of the JTSDK for building WSJT-X and forks)

[PhilipOakley]

One option is the git-scm page which has an actively updated link https://git-scm.com/download/win
I believe it the GitHub staff that maintain that page.

[dscho]

GitHub Pages does not have redirects, as far as I know. So there isn't any easy way to do that, I don't think. We do update https://gitforwindows.org/latest-version.txt (and -tag) though.

[dscho]

hrm. I seem to be unable to convert this issue to a discussion. 😞

[hamlibdk]

Apologies for lack of response but I have been on limited Internet Resources in Central Australia ... The https://gitforwindows.org/latest-version.txt is highly useful and will be used as the basis for experiments taking place.

[hamlibdk]

Further issue....

Yes ... https://gitforwindows.org/latest-version.txt is great... But what about the download release path for this version?

The Path nomenclature is inconsistent in its structure... and cannot be calculated (with ease) as far as I can see easily from just the version data.

My point is the path https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/download/v2.30.0.windows.2/Git-2.30.0.2-64-bit.exe for the latest at the time of publication is NOT intuitive. Inserting the "windows" creates unnecessary complexity especially for those of us trying to write software that is designed to be predominantly "maintenance free" and fulfils all reasonable (and possibly future) legal responsibilities of pulling latest version of software DIRFECTLY from host sites rather than repackaging it !

[hamlibdk]

PowerShell Script as deployed..... The only issue is if some nomenclature changes....

Set-Location -Path $PSScriptRoot

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "* Downloading Git Installer"

# Get current Git-SCM Version
Write-Host ""
$appName="latest-version.txt"
$appURL="https://gitforwindows.org/latest-version.txt"
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $appURL -Method Get -OutFile $appName

$content = [IO.File]::ReadAllText("$PSScriptRoot\latest-version.txt")
Write-Host "  --> Determining latest Git-SCM version: $content "

# Array seperating version details 
$verArr = @($content.split('.'))

# Actually get current Git-SCM Version
$appName="Git-" + $content + "-64-bit.exe"

# Intemediate to calculate the path
# Sample: https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/download/v2.30.0.windows.2/Git-2.30.0.2-64-bit.exe

$calcPath="v" + $verArr[0] + "." + $verArr[1] + "." + $verArr[2] + ".windows." + $verArr[3]
$appURL="https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/download/" + $calcPath + "/" + $appName

Write-Host "  --> Path: $appURL"

Write-Host "  --> Downloading Git $content Installer"

$appCurrent="Git-Current-x64.exe"
Write-Host "  --> Saving as $appCurrent"
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $appURL -Method Get -OutFile $appCurrent

Write-Host "  --> Git Download Complete."

exit(0)

[dscho]

Two comments:

• If you use latest-tag.txt in addition to latest-version.txt, the logic gets much simpler (and more robust).
• You can convert that logic to modify the script that adjusts latest-tag.txt and latest-version.txt to also write, say, latest-installer.url and open a PullRequest. That way, you will get something much more reliable, and so will others.

[dscho]

hrm. I seem to be unable to convert this issue to a discussion. 😞

Seems that now I can!