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git2r

INFRA · APIS
Velocity0.0

Access Git repositories from R with pure libgit2 bindings

github.com/ropensci/git2r ↗

git2r stopped vendoring libgit2 and now expects it on the system

gitr-statspackagingsystem-dependenciesbuild-configdevtools
◆Current state
git2r is the R binding to libgit2. The defining recent change is packaging, not API: 0.35.0 removed the bundled libgit2 source entirely and made a system install of libgit2 1.0 or newer a hard requirement, with a macOS fallback that downloads a checksum-verified static build. 0.36.2 follows up with proxy support and clearer build-time error messages.
◆Where it's heading
The package is trading install convenience for a maintainable build, and the releases since are about softening that edge — better diagnostics when the requirement is unmet, documented system dependencies, platform-specific build configuration. The API itself grows slowly and only where the underlying libgit2 exposes something new.
◆Prediction
Expect further build-configuration and diagnostics work on the unbundled setup, with API additions arriving only as thin wrappers over libgit2 features.

◆Recent moves

  1. 1y ago

    Proxy support for clone, fetch, push and remote_ls

    Adds a proxy parameter to the network-facing functions and improves the build script's error messages about libgit2's own dependencies. The proxy work is the first real capability addition since the unbundling.

    View source ↗
  2. 1y ago

    Bundled libgit2 removed; a system install is now required

    ⚡ SPARK

    The change that reshaped everything since: git2r no longer ships libgit2 source, so installation depends on the host having it. Later releases are largely about making that requirement survivable.

    View source ↗
  3. 2y ago

    Raw blob content and a bump to R 4.0

    Adds a raw argument to content() so blobs can be read as raw vectors, updates the then-bundled libgit2 to 1.7.1, and raises the R requirement to 4.0. A small API addition in an otherwise build-focused history.

    View source ↗
  4. 3y ago

    Bundled libgit2 updated to 1.6.3

    A dependency bump and a build fix for platforms missing a nanosecond time structure. No API change.

    View source ↗
  5. 3y ago

    Unused autoconf macro removed

    A one-line build-script cleanup.

    View source ↗
  6. 4y ago

    Windows UCRT build configuration added

    Adds a UCRT build script for Windows and documents line-ending handling in diffs. Platform packaging work.

    View source ↗