How to require a fork with composer?

Question

This is my composer.json, I want to use Nodge's fork of lessphp project on Github

 "repositories": [{
    "type": "package",
    "package": {
        "version": "dev-master",
        "name": "nodge/lessphp",
        "source": {
            "url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp.git",
            "type": "git",
            "reference": "master"
        },
        "autoload": {
            "classmap": ["lessc.inc.php"]
        }
    }
}],
"require": {
    "php": ">=5.3.3",
    "nodge/lessphp": "dev-master"
},

But I get this error when I run composer update:

nodge/lessphp dev-master -> no matching package found.

I don't know how to require correctly this fork.

miken32 · Accepted Answer · 2022-02-09 23:03:06Z

324

The most common (and easiest) way of doing it is using a VCS repository.

All you have to do is add your fork as a repository and update the version constraint to point to your custom branch. Your custom branch name must be prefixed with dev-.

Assuming you forked monolog/monolog and created a branch called bugfix, you would update your composer.json like this:

{
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "vcs",
            "url": "https://github.com/igorw/monolog"
        }
    ],
    "require": {
        "monolog/monolog": "dev-bugfix"
    }
}

Note that you don't change the require statement except to specify your bugfix branch. You still reference the upstream package (monolog/monolog), not your personal fork (igorw/monolog), and the branch name is prefixed with dev-. You can read details in the docs

edited Feb 9, 2022 at 23:03

miken32

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answered Nov 21, 2012 at 19:29

Seldaek

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15 Comments

CMCDragonkai Over a year ago

This doesn't seem to work for github.com/Polycademy/purl which is a fork of github.com/jwage/purl I've been trying to: "repositories": [ { "type": "vcs", "url": "[email protected]:Polycademy/purl.git" } ], and "require": { "jwade/purl": "dev-master", }, But I keep getting: Problem 1 - The requested package jwade/purl could not be found in any version, there may be a typo in the package name.

Seldaek Over a year ago

@CMCDragonkai try running composer show jwade/purl -v it should tell you why it ignored the dev-master version if it does.

oskarth Over a year ago

"Read the docs" is a bad answer, a better answer would be to give a concrete example

edrian Over a year ago

Nice to warn about not referencing to personal fork. This saved my day, +1

Shiro Over a year ago

Your branch name does not need to add dev- you will end up duplicated dev-dev- when you require in composer.json file. This is why our master branch when you required in composer.json, you have added in as dev-master

|

Emilien Escalle · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-13 13:46:25Z

54

Using VCS works:

"name": "test/test",
"repositories": [{
    "type": "vcs",
    "url": "http://github.com/Nodge/lessphp"
}],
"require": {
    "leafo/lessphp": "dev-master"
},

But if I require a module that has this composer.json, it doesn't work. It installs the original project, not the fork.

Example

"name": "example/example",
"require": {
    "test/test": "dev-master"
},

I should mention again the repository. Is that normal?

edited Sep 13, 2021 at 13:46

user16885230

answered Nov 22, 2012 at 8:49

Emilien Escalle

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6 Comments

Aysennoussi Over a year ago

same here same problem

Hubert Perron Over a year ago

Manually delete the module using "rm -rf" and then "composer update". That worked for me.

Julien Over a year ago

I've used a dozen of forks, and this never worked. Here's a working solution: stackoverflow.com/a/27970559/183904

mTorres Over a year ago

@Julien, I've just used this method and it worked like a charm... The docs are quite clear, you must only remember to put the dev- prefix in your custom branch name when requiring the package in question.

plong0 Over a year ago

Worked for me... but I want to mention that I needed to use https:// for the URL.

|

Shiro · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-20 13:54:36Z

50

If you can't get @Neilime answer to work for you, make sure your fork uses a different branch.

For example push your changes to a branch on your fork called my-bugfix, do not added dev- prefix in your branch name but in your composer.json you have to add it. Your composer file will look like:

"repositories":
[
    {
        "type": "vcs",
        "url": "http://github.com/yourname/packageName"
    }
],
"require": {
    "owner/packageName": "dev-my-bugfix"
},

edited Dec 20, 2017 at 13:54

Shiro

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answered Feb 12, 2015 at 14:39

Boedy

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3 Comments

Dominik Over a year ago

This is ingenious and clear explanation for me ! Thank You !

abbood Over a year ago

but what if it's someone else's fork? See example here

NecipAllef Over a year ago

Also, name field in your forked repository's composer.json file should stay the same with the original owner.

Mohamed Saleh · Accepted Answer · 2021-05-20 22:10:52Z

22

I have tried many options but After I got this post I saw the light and it just worked perfect.

This is what you have to do:

1- Fork The repository

2- Create a branch and make the required modifications.

3- Add the repository label to your composer.json

"repositories": [
     
        {
            "type": "vcs",
            "url": "https://github.com/user/yourforkname"
        }
    ]

4- In the command line inside your project require your fork like this:

composer require vendor/packagename:dev-branchname

And Voilá!!

You have your fork version working

edited May 20, 2021 at 22:10

Mohamed Saleh

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answered May 13, 2018 at 14:38

Luis Mata B.

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Comments

Sam · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-08 07:50:05Z

So, this is 2019, and most of the answers here are already correct.

If you find yourself however, in a situation where you need to require a particular branch of your fork (that you created), have composer list the available versions/tags first. This saved me a lot of time.

A full example with spatie/laravel-backup package.

First, add repositories key to composer.json. With the url of your fork

"repositories": [{
   "type": "vcs",
   "url": "https://github.com/holymp2006/laravel-backup"
 }]

Get available versions/tags

composer show "spatie/laravel-backup" --all

Choose the version you want from versions in the terminal output, then require that version

composer require spatie/laravel-backup:v5.x-dev

E Ciotti · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-15 13:26:59Z

7

According to the Composer documentation http://getcomposer.org/doc/05-repositories.md#vcs, it's enough to specify the original repository (not the fork) in the require ("nodge/lessphp" in your case). Composer will then install YOUR fork (look at the code in the vendors)

answered Jan 15, 2013 at 13:26

E Ciotti

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Comments

user3497737 · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-20 12:10:18Z

I usually add a "dist" node to the package definition. I never had a problem using it this way.

I can't remember where I got this trick from, though, for any further explanations.

{
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "package",
            "package": {
                "version": "dev-master",
                "name": "nodge/lessphp",
                "source": {
                    "url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp.git",
                    "type": "git",
                    "reference": "master"
                },
                "autoload": {
                    "classmap": ["lessc.inc.php"]
                },
                "dist": {
                    "url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp/archive/master.zip",
                    "type": "zip"
                }
            }
        }
    ],
    "require": {
        "nodge/lessphp": "*"
    }
}

kennethormandy · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-14 01:46:44Z

2

The accepted answer and clarifying answers all worked well for me when I had ex. an application, which needed a dependency I had forked and modified. I’d still use the accepted answer in this case.

However, when I had a package I wanted to distribute myself on Packagist, which also contained a forked and modified dependency, this approach no longer worked.

If someone were to try and install with this config, they’ll still get that same -> no matching package found. error message.

This answer and the linked Composer docs suggest that the repo settings have to be at the top-level composer.json. That means, someone installing this package would have to add that config to their composer.json file too—which adds a lot of unnecessary confusion to the install process.

Instead, I published my fork to Packagist. My understanding is that while forks are frowned upon, this would be considered a maintained fork, since I am using it for this new package.

Hopefully that’s helpful for anyone who has this problem with a package or library they’d like to distribute.

answered Nov 14, 2020 at 1:46

kennethormandy

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1 Comment

Alex Kellner Over a year ago

Stumbeling over the exact same issue (hard to google) and I can confirm the problem

Filipe Da Costa · Accepted Answer · 2024-09-13 08:14:13Z

0

Just has an issue where adding the repository would not work as composer show would not return my branch and only match with the original repo.

My project uses multiple composer.json files (Typo3 CMS with multiple extensions) and I added the repo to the extension where it's needed, but that did not work.

I had to add it to the root composer.json file to make it work.

answered Sep 13, 2024 at 8:14

Filipe Da Costa

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