m5copy from etransfer branch does not show version

[varenius]

After installing jive5ab from etransfer branch

oper@gyller:/usr/local/src/jive5ab.git_etransfer/build$ make install
[  8%] Built target udt5ab
[100%] Built target jive5ab-3.0.0-64bit-Release
Install the project...
-- Install configuration: "Release"
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/jive5ab-3.0.0-64bit-Release
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/DirList.py
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/SSErase.py
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/StartJ5
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/m5copy

I wanted to check m5copy version but apparently it is secret:

oper@gyller:~$ m5copy  -v
$Id$

:)

[kettenis]

That happens when you switch from cvs to git...

[haavee]

Yes it is the major PITA if you ask me. I have not found a proper way to get around this, other than the 'hack' I did by manually inserting $Id: vX.Y in the tagged release for e.g. m5copy (see README.md). Really open to better suggestions.

[kettenis]

The "industry standard" seems to be to report the abbreviated git hash and append a "-dirty" if there are local modifications. For example:

U-Boot 2021.04-rc3-00180-g65fb72402c-dirty (Mar 14 2021 - 19:02:30 +0100)

The 2021.04-rc3 bit may be based on a release (candidate) tag in this particular example.

[haavee]

I think the problem isn't so much as to what to print as version but how to get the code to print that. How can you get a git controlled file to display it's own hash? At least that is the problem I can't figure out the solution to - without e.g. manually modifying the file and writing "a version" string in it before committing.