OpenShot
When I run Openshot for the first time on OSX, I am asked to install developer tools.
Describe the bug: I get an error dialog when I run Openshot for the first time.
"The git command requires the command line developer tools". It doesn't explain why I need git or what it is used for. Note that I am a developer, so I actually understand what it is, but the average person wouldn't know why this is needed.
Why does Openshot need git? It seems like an odd requirement, given openshot is a video editor, not a developer tool.
Furthermore: as a developer, it does seem a little odd from a security standpoint that a video editor is requiring me to download developer tools. If this is actually a requirement, I think it should be explained why — users deserve to know what they are installing on their machine. Installing a compiler is technically a security risk, since it can be used as a vector to install malware a lot more easily on a machine under certain conditions.
If the use of git is unintentional, it should be removed. I am logging this as a bug instead of a question since it really should be handled differently. Leaving it as it is is not a great user experience, and opens up a lot of questions. I am surprised no one has raised this before.
Steps to reproduce the behavior: Open Openshot on OSX for the first time.
Expected behavior: The application would tell the user why git is needed in detail, with possibly an option of not to install it. If not installing it affects anything, it should be spelled out what will be affected.
System Details:
- OpenShot Version 3.3.0
- Operating System / Distro: OSX Sequoia 15.5
Log Files: N/A
Exception / Stacktrace: N/A
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Actually, this came up recently from a use in Discord where OpenShot, during the luanching process, was complaining about a mistmatch in GIT.EXE. I had never seen this before until just recently.
I asked the user if they had GIT installed and they did have it. After uninstalling GIT in his Windows environment, OpenShot launched without errors.
Now, if you do the same (uninstall GIT, if you have it installed), then launch OpenShot and all is good the the question still remains why OpenShot is looking for GIT.
That question needs to be answered by @jonoomph (the lead developer). I am just a volunteer user helping the project and do not know much about the code itself.
I have heard this before, but never been able to reproduce it. Our binaries should not contain git.exe nor need it for any reason. So this must be some bug, but I have never been able to play on a system where it was visible. Perhaps, you can launch OpenShot on your Mac from within the app bundle:
/Applications/OpenShot Video Editor/.../bin/launc-mac.sh (or something very similar), and do this from a terminal, so we can see the full debug output. Perhaps the full debug output would provide a better clue.
There are libraries OpenShot uses that require Developer Tools to run. It's just under 3GB. If you have the space, they're good to have for all kinds of reasons, even if you're not a developer.
