macvim does not install MacVim.app

[dezza]

• Confirmed this is a problem with brew installing one, specific Homebrew/homebrew-core
• Ran brew update and retried your prior step?
• Ran brew doctor, fixed all issues and retried your prior step?
• Ran brew gist-logs <formula> (where <formula> is the name of the formula that failed) and included the output link?
  https://gist.github.com/anonymous/2f93b3ec99fc6bc7c11e8d80dd4beb6d
• If brew gist-logs didn't work: ran brew config and brew doctor and included their output with your issue?
  brew doctor

Unexpected header files:
  /usr/local/include/python3.6m/greenlet/greenlet.h

brew config

HOMEBREW_VERSION: 1.3.7-2-g2225feb
ORIGIN: https://github.com/Homebrew/brew
HEAD: 2225febfb396f7db3ccf0c68feae6143128d9935
Last commit: 3 days ago
Core tap ORIGIN: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core
Core tap HEAD: abca0c531748f860ec20f490c6407a4c00ba92fb
Core tap last commit: 14 hours ago
HOMEBREW_PREFIX: /usr/local
HOMEBREW_DEV_CMD_RUN: 1
HOMEBREW_GIT_CONFIG_FILE: /usr/local/Homebrew/.git/config
CPU: octa-core 64-bit kabylake
Homebrew Ruby: 2.3.3 => /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.3/usr/bin/ruby
Clang: 9.0 build 900
Git: 2.13.6 => /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin/git
Curl: 7.54.0 => /usr/bin/curl
Perl: /usr/bin/perl
Python: /usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin/python => /usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.14/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7
Ruby: /usr/local/bin/ruby => /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/2.4.2_1/bin/ruby
Java: N/A
macOS: 10.13.1-x86_64
Xcode: 9.1
CLT: 9.1.0.0.1.1508540944
X11: 2.7.11 => /opt/X11

To help us debug your issue please explain:

• What you were trying to do (and why)
  Trying to install MacVim with
  brew install macvim --HEAD
• What happened (include command output)
  Normal installation completed without errors
• What you expected to happen
  MacVim.app in /Applications
• Step-by-step reproduction instructions (by running brew install commands)
  brew install macvim --HEAD

Also I did try to make it from the Caches directoy it compiled fine and put MacVim.app in /src/MacVim/build/Release/ as expected. This directory is empty when MacVim has just been installed - but it compiles fine and no errors.

I tried to compare other recipes and it didn't look like this line:
https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/master/Formula/macvim.rb#L96
Is incorrect. Changing it to a non-existing file causes an error at least. And the compiling and installing completes fine without errors.

[ilovezfs]

There is a linkapps command:

iMac-TMP:~ joe$ brew linkapps macvim
Warning: `brew linkapps` has been deprecated and will eventually be removed!

Unfortunately `brew linkapps` cannot behave nicely with e.g. Spotlight using
either aliases or symlinks and Homebrew formulae do not build "proper" `.app`
bundles that can be relocated. Instead, please consider using `brew cask` and
migrate formulae using `.app`s to casks.
Linking: /usr/local/opt/macvim/MacVim.app
Linked 1 app to /Applications
iMac-TMP:~ joe$ ls -l /Applications/MacVim.app
lrwxr-xr-x  1 joe  admin  32 Nov 16 03:15 /Applications/MacVim.app -> /usr/local/opt/macvim/MacVim.app
iMac-TMP:~ joe$ 

But longer term you'll want to use brew cask install macvim instead of brew install macvim if you want a version that'll install in /Applications.

[dezza]

Hi again.

I discovered later reading through your different documentations on different repos that facts are that:

• Formula's don't install .app
• Cask only install .app but does not build

This means that there's a shortcoming to this corner-case
brew install --HEAD macvim # expect HEAD git compiled .app in /Applications
^ because this is the only way that it actually builds it from git.

Instead the macvim formula explicitly puts it in prefix directory and it is unavailable in /Applications so you can't search for it with spotlight.

And neither can you if you use brew linkapps

I'd say the only solution to this is to change the original formula to copy to /Applications instead of prefix and this would make it incompatible with rules/guidelines for a Formula so there's no other option than creating a custom repo and choose to not follow the guidelines.

[ilovezfs]

Yup.

[dezza]

That's a big frustration with MacVim. Just saying.

[ilovezfs]

I'd suggest using the cask and being 😃

[dezza]

For someone who participates in solving vim issues now and then and expects to be able to test that on the latest git that is not an option for me.

I think the issue here clearly shows there's a shortcoming in guidelines.

[ilovezfs]

The guidelines are intended to optimize for 99% of users. Yes, they do limit Homebrew's scope not to include this particular case.

And neither can you if you use brew linkapps

Why is the symlink in /Applications insufficient?

[dezza]

Well I think building from source is very open-source-ish and why shouldn't you be able to install the output package from that?

That doensn't make any sense. It makes a separation that just doesn't make sense in any way for open-source projects.

The symlink is insufficient because you can't search it with spotlight CMD+SPACE

[ilovezfs]

The symlink is insufficient because you can't search it with spotlight CMD+SPACE

You might want to raise that with Apple :)

[dezza]

So you can't see the issue here?

You provide a way to build- but that build is opinionated to not be installed in /Applications

src + pkg = "does not compute"

Is that really how you want it?

[ilovezfs]

@dezza yes. For new formulae, things that build a .app must go in Cask not homebrew/core. The macvim formula is currently grandfathered in, but may be removed at some point.

[dezza]

Can you name a single cask that builds an .app from source ?

[ilovezfs]

None. We don't intend to support building .app's from source in Homebrew going forward.

[dezza]

That seems like a terrible decision.

[ilovezfs]

I understand you feel that way. Limiting scope always leaves someone unhappy but it's necessary.

[dezza]

*Limiting usage
I'd like to argue that it can be done. And will be appreciated.

[ilovezfs]

Yep.

[MikeMcQuaid]

That seems like a terrible decision.

@dezza These comments are not welcome on this project, thanks. We are volunteers who provide a service to you for free; use our software as-is or do not, that's up to you.

[dezza]

I respect that. I do not bash here I try to make a point. I would happily contribute if I knew the reasoning behind this but there has so far been none. Don’t get me wrong.