[JENKINS-64092] Git tool chooser unpacks then deletes git install in each job

I have multiple git tool installers defined for Windows computers so that jobs have the option to declare their dependency on a specific version of Git for Windows. The git tool chooser iterates over each of those installers, installing them on the Windows computer as a tool, then deletes them.

That's inefficient and should be resolved either by a code change to retain multiple tool installations or by documenting a technique so that the tool installers will not delete one another when multiple versions are installed.

Job output in the console log looks like this:

```
Started by upstream project "Bugs-Individual/Bugs-10-000-to-19-999/JENKINS-15103-open-pack-file-prevents-wipe-cli-jgit" build number 20
originally caused by:
Started by user Mark Waite
Running as SYSTEM
[EnvInject] - Loading node environment variables.
Building remotely on mark-pc3-ssh (git-1.9+ amd64) in workspace C:\J\PC\workspace\Bugs-Individual\Bugs-10-000-to-19-999\JENKINS-15103-open-pack-file-prevents-wipe-cli-jgit\label\mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/MinGit-2.27.0-busybox-64-bit.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.11.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.17.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.20.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.25.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.26.2.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.28.0.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.29.0.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.29.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh
The recommended git tool is: C:\J\PC\tools\git\PortableGit-2.29.1\bin\git.exe
No credentials specified
Wiping out workspace first.
Cloning the remote Git repository
Avoid fetching tags
Honoring refspec on initial clone
Cloning repository https://github.com/MarkEWaite/jenkins-bugs

```

Each of the "Unpacking" statements results in the tools\git directory being emptied of the current git tool then it is populated with the git tool that is being iterated. Since each of those git tool zip files is a 100 MB zip file, time is wasted installing each tool and then removing it.

I now avoid the issue by having only a single git tool definition for the Windows agents. See my docker-lfs jenkins.yaml file for an example.

---
Originally reported by markewaite, imported from: Git tool chooser unpacks then deletes git install in each job

• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): git-plugin
  
• label(s): regression
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 2
  
• imported: 2025-12-02
  

I have multiple git tool installers defined for Windows computers so that jobs have the option to declare their dependency on a specific version of Git for Windows.  The git tool chooser iterates over each of those installers, installing them on the Windows computer as a tool, then deletes them.  


That's inefficient and should be resolved either by a code change to retain multiple tool installations or by documenting a technique so that the tool installers will not delete one another when multiple versions are installed.


Job output in the console log looks like this:




Started by upstream project "Bugs-Individual/Bugs-10-000-to-19-999/JENKINS-15103-open-pack-file-prevents-wipe-cli-jgit" build number 20

originally caused by:

 Started by user Mark Waite

Running as SYSTEM

[EnvInject] - Loading node environment variables.

Building remotely on mark-pc3-ssh (git-1.9+ amd64) in workspace C:\J\PC\workspace\Bugs-Individual\Bugs-10-000-to-19-999\JENKINS-15103-open-pack-file-prevents-wipe-cli-jgit\label\mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/MinGit-2.27.0-busybox-64-bit.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.11.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.17.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.20.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.25.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.26.2.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.28.0.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.29.0.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

Unpacking https://home.markwaite.net/~mwaite/git/PortableGit-2.29.1.zip to C:\J\PC\tools\git on mark-pc3-ssh

The recommended git tool is: C:\J\PC\tools\git\PortableGit-2.29.1\bin\git.exe

No credentials specified

Wiping out workspace first.

Cloning the remote Git repository

Avoid fetching tags

Honoring refspec on initial clone

Cloning repository https://github.com/MarkEWaite/jenkins-bugs





Each of the "Unpacking" statements results in the tools\git directory being emptied of the current git tool then it is populated with the git tool that is being iterated.  Since each of those git tool zip files is a 100 MB zip file, time is wasted installing each tool and then removing it.


I now avoid the issue by having only a single git tool definition for the Windows agents.  See my docker-lfs jenkins.yaml file for an example.

environment

```
Jenkins 2.263

Git plugin 4.4.5

Git client plugin 3.5.1
```