[Bug]: Git command error when using docker compose build pack

[jonocodes]

Error Message and Logs

When creating a new project and pointing it to a github, public or private (using github app), the docker compose buildpack fails to load the project.

Here is a project I want to use:
https://github.com/jonocodes/savr

If I use the Dockerfile buildpack it does not complain, but the docker-compose build pack does. An error pops up:
Failed to read Git source:
bash: line 1: git: command not found

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a new project
2. Use the github app (private repo), or a public repo : https://github.com/jonocodes/savr
3. Choose build back Docker Compose
4. See error pop up

Example Repository URL

No response

Coolify Version

v4.0.0-beta.462

Are you using Coolify Cloud?

No (self-hosted)

Operating System and Version (self-hosted)

NixOS 25.11 (Xantusia)

Additional Information

Yes, I am using Nix on my host, but I am running coolify itself entirely via docker compose. Nothing printed to docker log for the 'coolify' container.

[Cinzya]

Do you have Git installed on your server?
Coolify SSH's into your server to execute a git sparse-checkout to load the docker compose file.
We have the needed steps listed in our Docs, if you decide not to install Coolify via the installation script. However, the installation script will also just run a docker compose in the end, but makes sure the infra on your server is configured correctly.
Also keep in mind that Coolify wasn't tested in NixOS yet and is therefore not officially supported.

[jonocodes]

Thanks for your help. I did not understand the architecture quite right. But looking at the install script I know know a little more.

In case anyone finds this ticket later, the solution for me was to make sure git was installed for the root user. I typically only have it installed for my user. I also plan to contribute some of my Nix workings back here soon.

I was surprised to see that this behavior was different between the Docker and Docker Compose build pack setups.

As a side question, has there been talk of targeting a server that only requires docker instead of being OS specific? Maybe there would be a receiver/agent on the server side that is just a container containing all the curl, ssh, etc needed for deployment. Then you dont need to worry about ubuntu, arch, etc.

[Cinzya]

Feel free to start a discussion / feature request in the GitHub Discussions for this, if there isn't one already.

[djsisson]

when not using a docker compose build pack, coolify will generate the compose itself, when using a compose build pack, coolify will first use git to obtain the compose file in order to show it in the project page.

coolify/app/Models/Application.php

Line 1521 in 548dc51

public function loadComposeFile($isInit = false, ?string $restoreBaseDirectory = null, ?string $restoreDockerComposeLocation = null)

This could be altered, to instead of running the git command directly on the server, it could run the git command inside a coolify-helper, since that has a known version of git already installed.