git @2.30.0: gui and gitk commands don't work: Error in startup script: couldn't connect to display ":0"

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

I get this error when running git gui:

macOS 11 or later required !
error: git-gui died of signal 6

And when running gitk:

application-specific initialization failed: couldn't connect to display ":0"
Error in startup script: couldn't connect to display ":0"
    while executing
"load /opt/local/lib/libtk8.6.dylib Tk"
    ("package ifneeded Tk 8.6.10" script)
    invoked from within
"package require Tk"
    (file "/opt/local/bin/gitk" line 10)

They were working fine, seemed to have started happening after a recent update.

[kencu (Ken)]

There is/was a bug in the macports installation script that was sticking ":0" as a DISPLAY in .zprofile or .profile.

If you have that, remove it, log out / reboot and then log in again, and see if that fixed it.

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

Tried it, didn't work.

Replying to kencu:

There is/was a bug in the macports installation script that was sticking ":0" as a DISPLAY in .zprofile or .profile.

If you have that, remove it, log out / reboot and then log in again, and see if that fixed it.

[kencu (Ken)]

OK. You should never see this error again then "Error in startup script: couldn't connect to display ":0""

So what error do you see now?

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

git gui has the same error, gitk now has this:

application-specific initialization failed: no display name and no $DISPLAY environment variable
Error in startup script: no display name and no $DISPLAY environment variable
    while executing
"load /opt/local/lib/libtk8.6.dylib Tk"
    ("package ifneeded Tk 8.6.10" script)
    invoked from within
"package require Tk"
    (file "/opt/local/bin/gitk" line 10)

[kencu (Ken)]

I assume you have xorg-server installed?

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

Installing xorg-server does fix gitk, but the window looks very odd because it's using the X11 backend of Tk. The issue seems to be that Apple broke Tk in Big Sur, according to ​this, and git-gui is hardcoded to use Apple's version, which can be fixed with a patch. MacPorts should not use Apple's version, but rather its own. Also, the default Tk variant should change to +quartz to match the Apple provided version, which doesn't require X11 and looks much better.

The workaround in the meantime is to do:

sudo port install tk +quartz
sudo cp /opt/local/bin/wish /opt/local/share/git-gui/lib/Git\ Gui.app/Contents/MacOS/Wish

Replying to kencu:

I assume you have xorg-server installed?

[kencu (Ken)]

the whole +x11 vs +quartz thing is a deep discussion. For years and years, +quartz had only spotty coverage. Even now, there are quite a few ports that assume an +x11 system (ie Linux) and they just plain won't build +quartz.

The creators of upstream software usually say they have few to no +quartz users, and zero developers who ever build their software +quartz. Of course, that is a chicken-and-egg thing.

Homebrew has outlawed all +x11 software, and you are starting to see more +quartz possibly because of that. Unfortunately, there are often homebrew-only chunks of code added to the meson build files, etc, to make that work, so it's not much less effort.

I like +x11 myself, as it has few headaches -- it usually builds exactly like the linux software. But +quartz, when it's done right, is more mac-like. But somebody needs to code in all the menu bar integration, etc, and actually make it work.

Dave, who runs 99% of the gtk stuff on MacPorts, has a lot of software to maintain, and he has said that the x11 stuff is his preference, and he doesn't appear to spend any time making the +quartz stuff work.

A few people have come along and pushed hard for MacPorts to switch "en masse" to +quartz, and damn the torpedoes, just do it. Whatever breaks either then gets thrown out, or fixed.

[kencu (Ken)]

I'm going to close this ticket as "works for me". MacPorts has previously discussed making xorg-server a runtime dependency for x11 software, and for whatever reason there was tremendous blowback about that, so users are on their own to figure out that x11 software won't work without an x11 server.

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

I'm not sure what the previous discussions were about, but this issue is only related to Tk, not GTK or other ports. As mentioned ​here, all popular Tk distributions use the "Aqua Cocoa" version which uses native macOS widgets. This includes ActiveTcl, Apple-supplied Tk, Homebrew, and the Tk that's bundled with Python. Either way, this is for another ticket. This ticket should remain open because git-gui does not use MacPorts Tk in the first place.

[kencu (Ken)]

OK. I thought the issue of the ticket, "Error in startup script: couldn't connect to display ":0"" issue was fixed here, but if not, then I'll reopen this.

[kencu (Ken)]

Replying to mohd-akram:

This ticket should remain open because git-gui does not use MacPorts Tk in the first place.

It certainly looks like it does:

"load /opt/local/lib/libtk8.6.dylib Tk"

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

Where is this string? The wish binary used by git-gui is ​copied from /System/Library, hence why replacing it in my workaround makes it work.

Replying to kencu:

Replying to mohd-akram:

This ticket should remain open because git-gui does not use MacPorts Tk in the first place.

It certainly looks like it does:

"load /opt/local/lib/libtk8.6.dylib Tk"

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

gitk is using MacPorts Tk. git-gui, a different program that also comes with git isn't. I mentioned the two different error messages in the issue.

[kencu (Ken)]

Oh, I guess you have two different things going on with two different programs in the same ticket, but with (it appears?) totally different problems.

You're right, if that is the case, I did not notice you had two different issues going on.

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

Apple Tk has been fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.2 so this ticket can be closed now.

[gagarine (Simon)]

Apple tk on macOS Big sur 11.3.1 has a deprecation warning: DEPRECATION WARNING: The system version of Tk is deprecated and may be removed in a future release. Please don't rely on it. Set TK_SILENCE_DEPRECATION=1 to suppress this warning.

I tried to install tk using macports. I have git from macports too. It do not works

$ sudo port install tk git
$ gitk
application-specific initialization failed: couldn't connect to display ":0"
Error in startup script: couldn't connect to display ":0"
    while executing
"load /opt/local/lib/libtk8.6.dylib Tk"
    ("package ifneeded Tk 8.6.11" script)
    invoked from within
"package require Tk"
    (file "/opt/local/bin/gitk" line 10)

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

You can just silence that warning as they say by adding export TK_SILENCE_DEPRECATION=1 to your shell profile. You have three options basically, do either of them:

• sudo port uninstall tk or
• sudo port install tk +quartz or
• sudo port install tk xorg-server

I use the first.

[mohd-akram (Mohamed Akram)]

In 4bfc47deb6919ff5a90fdf8c6b90317586324322/macports-ports (master):

git: do not bundle tk for gui

Fixes: #62036
Fixes: #64249