X-Git-Url: http://nitlanguage.org

diff --git a/src/git-gen-version.sh b/src/git-gen-version.sh
index 601b2b2..e018dc6 100755
--- a/src/git-gen-version.sh
+++ b/src/git-gen-version.sh
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@
 # The version number is stored in a dedicated Nit module.
 
 gen_version() {
-cat > nit_version.nit<<END
+	if grep "$*" nit_version.nit >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		:
+	else
+		cat > nit_version.nit<<END
 # This file was generated by git-gen-version.sh
 package nit_version
-meth nit_version: String do return "$*"
+fun nit_version: String do return "$*"
 END
-echo "Version $*"
+		echo "Version $*"
+	fi
 }
 
 # Are we in the nitc.nit directory?
@@ -38,14 +42,22 @@ if [ ! -f nitc.nit ]; then
 	fi
 fi
 
-VN=$(git describe --tags --always HEAD)
+VN=`git describe --always HEAD 2>/dev/null`
+if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
+	if [ -r ../VERSION ]; then
+		VN="$(cat ../VERSION)"
+	else
+		echo >&2 "Error: no VERSION file and not a .git repository."
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi
 if [ -z "$VN" ]; then
 	VN="undefined"
 fi
 if [ -n "$1" ]; then
 	VN="${VN}_$1"
 fi
-if [ -n "$(git diff HEAD)" ]; then
+if [ -n "$(git diff HEAD 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
 	VN="${VN}_dirty"
 fi