GitHub Install

The install command can clone, build, and install a GitHub-hosted Fortran project in a single step — no manual git clone, no fobos wiring required.

Quick start

# Install szaghi/FLAP to the current directory
fobis install szaghi/FLAP

# Or with a full URL
fobis install https://github.com/szaghi/FLAP

That's it. FoBiS clones the repository, builds it, and copies the resulting executables and libraries to ./bin/ and ./lib/.

Installation prefix

By default artifacts are installed relative to the current directory. Use --prefix to change the destination:

# Install to ~/.local/ (user-wide)
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --prefix ~/.local/

# Install to a system directory
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --prefix /usr/local/

# Custom sub-directories
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --prefix /opt/fortran/ --bin bin/ --lib lib/ --include include/

Option	Default	Purpose
--prefix	./	Root installation directory
--bin	bin/	Executables sub-directory
--lib	lib/	Libraries sub-directory
--include	include/	Module files sub-directory

Pinning a version

Use --branch, --tag, or --rev to pin the installed version:

# Pin to a release tag
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --tag v20210301 --prefix ~/.local/

# Track a specific branch
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --branch main --prefix ~/.local/

# Pin to an exact commit
fobis install szaghi/FLAP --rev a1b2c3d --prefix ~/.local/

Selecting a fobos build mode

If the target project's fobos file defines multiple build modes, pass -mode to choose one:

fobis install szaghi/FLAP --tag v20210301 -mode gnu --prefix ~/.local/

Keeping up to date

Use --update to re-fetch and rebuild an already-cloned repository:

fobis install szaghi/FLAP --update --prefix ~/.local/

Clone without building

Use --no-build to clone only, without building or installing:

fobis install szaghi/FLAP --no-build

The cloned source tree ends up in ~/.fobis/<repo-name>/ (or --deps-dir if provided).

Repository cache location

By default, cloned repositories are stored in ~/.fobis/<repo-name>/. Override with --deps-dir:

fobis install szaghi/FLAP --deps-dir /tmp/fobis-cache/

The cache directory is reused on subsequent runs. --update triggers a git fetch + checkout rather than re-cloning.

How it works

Under the hood, fobis install <repo> calls:

1. git clone <url> ~/.fobis/<name>/ — or skips if already present.
2. git checkout <branch|tag|rev> — if a revision was specified.
3. fobis build --track_build [-mode X] inside the cloned directory.
4. Scans all .track_build files for artifact paths.
5. Copies executables to <prefix>/<bin>/, libraries to <prefix>/<lib>/, and .mod files to <prefix>/<include>/.

The target repository must contain a fobos file. The .track_build mechanism is what records which files were produced and whether they are programs or libraries.

Comparison with fetch

Feature	fobis install <repo>	fobis fetch
Purpose	One-off install of a single project	Declarative multi-dep management for a project
Configuration	CLI flags	[dependencies] section in fobos
Install destination	--prefix (default ./)	Stays in .fobis_deps/; wired via -dependon
Multiple repos	One at a time	All at once
Best for	Installing tools/libraries for your own use	Adding build-time deps to a Fortran project

Use fetch when you are developing a Fortran project that depends on other FoBiS libraries. Use install when you simply want to install a standalone FoBiS-based tool or library onto your system.

Error cases

Situation	Behaviour
repo has no fobos file	Error message, stops before building
git clone fails (bad URL, no network)	Error with git output
Build fails	Error with fobis output
No artifacts produced	Warning: "No installable artifacts found"

Command reference

See the install command for the full option reference.