synesissoftware · synesissoftware · Aug 27, 2026 · Aug 14, 2026 · Aug 14, 2026 · Aug 14, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #
 # Created: 15th August 2026
-# Updated: 15th August 2026
+# Updated: 19th August 2026
 #
 
 name: Ruby
@@ -70,13 +70,20 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: Remove Gemfile.lock
+      shell: bash
       run: rm -f Gemfile.lock
 
     - name: Set up Ruby v${{ matrix.ruby-version }}
       uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
       with:
         ruby-version: ${{ matrix.ruby-version }}
-        bundler-cache: true # runs 'bundle install' and caches installed gems automatically
+        # Bundler 4 honours Gemfile `lockfile false`, so no Gemfile.lock
+        # is written. bundler-cache cats that file after `bundle lock`
+        # and fails on Windows 3.2+ (setup-ruby installs Bundler ~> 4).
+        bundler-cache: false
+
+    - name: Install gems
+      run: bundle install
 
     - name: Show Ruby version
       run: ruby -v
@@ -87,7 +94,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Gem build and install smoke
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        gem build libpath.gemspec
+        gem build libpath-ruby.gemspec
         gem install --local libpath-ruby-*.gem
         ruby -e "require 'libpath/version'; abort('VERSION missing') unless defined?(LibPath::VERSION); puts LibPath::VERSION"
 
@@ -102,13 +109,17 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: Remove Gemfile.lock
+      shell: bash
       run: rm -f Gemfile.lock
 
     - name: Set up Ruby
       uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
       with:
-        ruby-version: '3.3'
-        bundler-cache: true
+        ruby-version: '3.4'
+        bundler-cache: false
+
+    - name: Install gems
+      run: bundle install
 
     - name: Show Ruby version
       run: ruby -v

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 # directories (by name)
 
-/.bzr/
 /.bundle/
+/.bzr/
 /.config/
 /.svn/
+/.vscode/
 /.yardoc/
 
+/_build/
 /_yardoc/
 
 /InstalledFiles/
@@ -23,17 +25,22 @@
 /tmp/
 /vendor/bundle/
 
+
 # directories (by pattern)
 
+
 # files (by name)
 
 .DS_Store
 .repl_history
 .ruby-version
 .rvmrc
 
+Gemfile.lock
+
 /spec/examples.txt
 
+
 # files (by pattern)
 
 *~

diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 # libpath.Ruby - Changes <!-- omit in toc -->
 
 
+## 0.2.4 - 19th August 2026
+
+* renamed **libpath.gemspec** to **libpath-ruby.gemspec** so the filename stem matches `spec.name`;
+* **libpath-ruby.gemspec**: `required_ruby_version` is the range `>= 2.0`; **Gemfile.lock** and **.ruby-version** excluded from `spec.files`; `spec.summary` matches the README tagline; packaged **AUTHORS**, **CHANGES**, **CONTRIBUTING**, **EXAMPLES**, **FAQ**, **INSTALL**, **NEWS**, **SECURITY**, **TODO**;
+* **Gemfile** sets `lockfile false` when Bundler supports it; stop tracking **Gemfile.lock**;
+* CI uses `bundler-cache: false` and explicit `bundle install`; **Warnings** job on Ruby **3.4**; `gem build libpath-ruby.gemspec`;
+* updated **run_all_unit_tests.sh** (from https://github.com/synesissoftware/misc-dev-scripts) to skip **tput** when **$TERM** is unset or stdout is not a TTY;
+* library source **Home:** URLs now use `https`;
+* **README.md**: tagline before badges; canonical badge row; **Dependencies** (Efferent / Afferent); related projects; License → `./LICENSE`;
+* **EXAMPLES.md** example links are repo-relative (`./examples/…`);
+* `elide_redundant_path_name_separators!` is freeze-safe (Ruby 3.4 `FrozenError` on a frozen remainder, e.g. malformed UNC);
+
+
 ## 0.2.3 - 15th August 2026
 
 * added `# frozen_string_literal: true` to all **lib/** sources;

diff --git a/EXAMPLES.md b/EXAMPLES.md
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # libpath.Ruby - Examples <!-- omit in toc -->
 
-| Name               | Source & Description                                                                                                           | Summary                                                                                                      |
-| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
-| **path_from_arg0** | [examples/path_from_arg0.rb](/examples/path_from_arg0.rb)<br/>[examples/path_from_arg0.md](/examples/path_from_arg0.md) | Simple example illustrating creation of an instance of `LibPath::Path::ParsedPath`, and obtaining its attributes |
+|Name|Source & Description|Summary|
+|---|---|---|
+|**path_from_arg0**|[examples/path_from_arg0.rb](./examples/path_from_arg0.rb)<br/>[examples/path_from_arg0.md](./examples/path_from_arg0.md)|Simple example illustrating creation of an instance of `LibPath::Path::ParsedPath`, and obtaining its attributes|
 
 
 <!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/FAQ.md b/FAQ.md
@@ -24,5 +24,4 @@ gem install libpath-ruby
 See [README.md](./README.md) for usage.
 
 
-
 <!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 source "https://rubygems.org"
 
+# Suppress lockfile on Bundler 4+ (gem: do not pin the graph). No-op on
+# Bundler that lacks the DSL (Ruby 2.x CI). Do not combine with
+# ruby/setup-ruby `bundler-cache: true` — that action cats Gemfile.lock
+# after `bundle lock` and fails when no file is written (Windows 3.2+,
+# where setup-ruby installs Bundler ~> 4).
+lockfile false if respond_to?(:lockfile)
+
 gemspec
 
 # rake 13 requires Ruby >= 2.3

diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 | Date              | News Item                                                                                    |
 | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| 19th August 2026  | [**libpath.Ruby** 0.2.4](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.4) |
 | 15th August 2026  | [**libpath.Ruby** 0.2.3](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.3) |
 | 13th April 2024   | [**libpath.Ruby** 0.2.2.3](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.2.3) |
 | 7th April 2024    | **libpath.Ruby** 0.2.2.2 released                                                            |

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 # libpath.Ruby <!-- omit in toc -->
 
-**libpath**, for Ruby
+Path parsing library, for Ruby
 
+![Language](https://img.shields.io/badge/Ruby-CC342D?style=flat&logo=ruby&logoColor=white)
+[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-BSD_3--Clause-blue.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause)
 [![Gem Version](https://badge.fury.io/rb/libpath-ruby.svg)](https://badge.fury.io/rb/libpath-ruby)
+[![Last Commit](https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby)](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/commits/master)
 [![Ruby](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/actions/workflows/ruby.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby/actions/workflows/ruby.yml)
 
 
@@ -15,6 +18,13 @@
 - [Project Information](#project-information)
   - [Where to get help](#where-to-get-help)
   - [Contribution guidelines](#contribution-guidelines)
+  - [Dependencies](#dependencies)
+    - [Efferent (fan-out)](#efferent-fan-out)
+      - [Runtime Dependencies (aka "Normal Dependencies")](#runtime-dependencies-aka-normal-dependencies)
+      - [Development Dependencies](#development-dependencies)
+    - [Afferent (fan-in)](#afferent-fan-in)
+      - [Runtime dependents](#runtime-dependents)
+      - [Development dependents](#development-dependents)
   - [Related projects](#related-projects)
   - [License](#license)
 
@@ -23,6 +33,8 @@
 
 **libpath** is a path-parsing and utility library. It is concerned entirely with paths, as opposed to file-system entities.
 
+The first **libpath** library was a C library with a C++ wrapper. There have been several implementations in other languages. **libpath.Ruby** is the Ruby version.
+
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -40,6 +52,7 @@ Use via **require**, as in:
 require 'libpath'
 ```
 
+
 ## Components
 
 The main components of **libpath.Ruby** are:
@@ -71,17 +84,56 @@ Examples are provided in the ```examples``` directory, along with a markdown des
 Defect reports, feature requests, and pull requests are welcome on https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby.
 
 
+### Dependencies
+
+
+#### Efferent (fan-out)
+
+Libraries upon which **libpath.Ruby** depends:
+
+
+##### Runtime Dependencies (aka "Normal Dependencies")
+
+* \<none>;
+
+
+##### Development Dependencies
+
+* [**rake**](https://rubygems.org/gems/rake);
+* [**test-unit**](https://rubygems.org/gems/test-unit);
+* [**xqsr3**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/xqsr3);
+
+
+#### Afferent (fan-in)
+
+Projects that depend on **libpath.Ruby**:
+
+
+##### Runtime dependents
+
+* \<none>;
+
+> **NOTE**: **[recls.Ruby](https://github.com/synesissoftware/recls.Ruby)** version 3+ is planned to depend on **libpath.Ruby** (it currently has its own path-parsing logic).
+
+
+##### Development dependents
+
+* \<none>;
+
+
 ### Related projects
 
-**libpath.Ruby** is based on the [C/C++ libpath library](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath), which itself was prompted by a request on the [STLSoft](https://github.com/synesissoftware/STLSoft-1.10) project by my friend and esteemed programmer [Adi Shavit](https://github.com/adishavit).
+* [**libpath**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath) (**C**/**C++**);
+* [**libpath.Go**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Go);
+* [**libpath.Python**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Python);
+* [**libpath.Rust**](https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Rust);
 
-**libpath.Ruby** will be used in **version 3+** of the **[recls.Ruby](https://github.com/synesissoftware/recls.Ruby)** library, which currently has its own path-parsing logic.
+**libpath.Ruby** is based on the C/C++ **libpath** library, which itself was prompted by a request on the [STLSoft](https://github.com/synesissoftware/STLSoft-1.10) project by my friend and esteemed programmer [Adi Shavit](https://github.com/adishavit).
 
 
 ### License
 
-**libpath.Ruby** is released under the 3-clause BSD license. See LICENSE for details.
+**libpath.Ruby** is released under the 3-clause BSD license. See [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.
 
 
 <!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
-
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 ## Functional improvements
 
-* \<none>
+* [ ] quiet Ruby 3.4+ `literal string will be frozen in the future` warnings from `gsub!` in **lib/libpath/internal_/windows/form.rb** (tests already pass under `-W`);
 
 
 ## Performance improvements
@@ -13,7 +13,14 @@
 
 ## Packaging improvements
 
-* [ ] Rename gemspec so the filename stem matches `spec.name` (`libpath.gemspec` → **libpath-ruby.gemspec**);
+* [x] ~~~rename gemspec so the filename stem matches `spec.name` (`libpath.gemspec` → **libpath-ruby.gemspec**)~~~;
+* [x] ~~~obtain a **run_all_unit_tests.sh** (from **misc-dev-scripts**) that skips `tput` when `$TERM` is unset or stdout is not a TTY (CI: `tput: No value for $TERM and no -T specified`)~~~;
+* [x] ~~~**Gemfile** `lockfile false`; stop tracking **Gemfile.lock**; CI `bundler-cache: false`~~~;
+* [x] ~~~gemspec polish: README tagline as `spec.summary`, package docs, exclude **Gemfile.lock** / **.ruby-version**~~~;
+* [x] ~~~README canonical structure (tagline before badges; **Dependencies**; CI badge → **ruby.yml**)~~~;
+* [x] ~~~after the packaging/boilerplate/CI baseline: bump **VERSION** and align **CHANGES**/**NEWS**~~~;
+* [ ] **git rm** **Gemfile.lock** when committing this lift (deleted in the work tree and gitignored; still in HEAD);
+* [ ] this lift is on **bp-2**, which is not in CI `on.push.branches` (gold seven-name set); use a PR (unfiltered `pull_request:`) or merge to a listed branch to run push CI;
 
 
 <!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->
diff --git a/lib/libpath/constants/unix.rb b/lib/libpath/constants/unix.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  29th January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/constants/windows.rb b/lib/libpath/constants/windows.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  29th January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/exceptions/libpath_base_exception.rb b/lib/libpath/exceptions/libpath_base_exception.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  30th January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/exceptions/malformed_name_exception.rb b/lib/libpath/exceptions/malformed_name_exception.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  30th January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/form/unix.rb b/lib/libpath/form/unix.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created: 8th January 2019
 # Updated: 15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:    http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:  Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/form/windows.rb b/lib/libpath/form/windows.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  8th January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #

diff --git a/lib/libpath/internal_/unix/form.rb b/lib/libpath/internal_/unix/form.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ def self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators s # :nodoc:
     # @!visibility private
     def self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators! s # :nodoc:
 
+      s = s.dup if s.frozen?
       s.gsub!(/\/\/+/, '/')
 
       s

diff --git a/lib/libpath/internal_/windows/form.rb b/lib/libpath/internal_/windows/form.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ def self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators s # :nodoc:
     # @!visibility private
     def self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators! s # :nodoc:
 
+      s = s.dup if s.frozen?
       s.gsub!(/[\\\/]{2,}/, '\\')
 
       s
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ def self.split_path s # :nodoc:
 
       f1_volume, rem, frm = self.get_windows_volume s
 
-      self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators! rem
+      rem = self.elide_redundant_path_name_separators! rem
 
       f1_volume.define_singleton_method(:form) { frm } if f1_volume
 

diff --git a/lib/libpath/path/unix.rb b/lib/libpath/path/unix.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Created:  21st January 2019
 # Updated:  15th August 2026
 #
-# Home:     http://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
+# Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/libpath.Ruby
 #
 # Author:   Matthew Wilson
 #
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -24,5 +24,4 @@ gem install libpath-ruby
		See [README.md](./README.md) for usage.



		<!-- ########################### end of file ########################### -->