diff --git a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
index 1d08ffa7595646230c91459f41a61a834331a254..8cf15d9db2fbf837b2d4b0bbc973b018339db4fb 100644
--- a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
+++ b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 #    Name of the built module.
 #    If not defined, it is derived from the directory name.
 # SOURCES
-#    All source files to compile. 
+#    All source files to compile.
 #    If not defined, default is all *.c *.cc *.cpp *.st *.stt in
 #    the source directory (where you run make).
 #    If you define this, you must list ALL sources.
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ USERMAKEFILE:=$(lastword $(filter-out $(lastword ${MAKEFILE_LIST}), ${MAKEFILE_L
 
 
 ##---## In E3, We only use ONE EPICS_BASE in order to COMPILE A MODULE
-##---## 
+##---##
 ##---## In E3,  EPICS_LOCATION is the EPICS BASE  /testing/epics/base-MAJ.MIN.REV[.PATCH]
 EPICS_LOCATION =
 ##---## In E3, we extract BASE_VERSION from EPICS_LOCATION
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ E3_EPICS_VERSION:=$(patsubst base-%,%,$(notdir $(EPICS_LOCATION)))
 E3_SITEMODS_PATH =
 E3_SITEAPPS_PATH =
 BUILD_EPICS_VERSIONS = $(E3_EPICS_VERSION)
-##---## 
+##---##
 
 BUILDCLASSES = Linux
-EPICS_MODULES = 
+EPICS_MODULES =
 
 MODULE_LOCATION =${EPICS_MODULES}/$(or ${PRJ},$(error PRJ not defined))/$(or ${LIBVERSION},$(error LIBVERSION not defined))
 
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ help:
 	@echo "  BUILDCLASSES     (Linux)"
 	@echo "  <module>_VERSION () [build against specific version of other module]"
 
-##  "make version" shows the module version and why it is what it is.       
+##  "make version" shows the module version and why it is what it is.
 # version: ${IGNOREFILES}
 # 	@${VERSIONCHECKCMD}
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ endef
 $(eval $(call INSTALL_UI_RULE,QT,${CONFIGBASE}/qt,qt/*))
 
 else # EPICSVERSION
-# EPICSVERSION defined 
+# EPICSVERSION defined
 # Second or third run (see T_A branch below)
 
 EPICS_BASE=${EPICS_LOCATION}
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ EPICS_BASE=${EPICS_LOCATION}
 
 CONFIG=${EPICS_BASE}/configure
 
-# There is no 64 bit support before 3.14.12 
+# There is no 64 bit support before 3.14.12
 ifneq ($(filter %_64,$(EPICS_HOST_ARCH)),)
 ifeq ($(wildcard $(EPICS_BASE)/lib/$(EPICS_HOST_ARCH)),)
 EPICS_HOST_ARCH:=$(patsubst %_64,%,$(EPICS_HOST_ARCH))
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ define MAKELINKDIRS
 LINKDIRS+=O.${EPICSVERSION}_$1
 O.${EPICSVERSION}_$1:
 	$(LN) O.${EPICSVERSION}_$2 O.${EPICSVERSION}_$1
-endef 
+endef
 $(foreach a,${CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS},$(foreach l,$(LINK_$a),$(eval $(call MAKELINKDIRS,$l,$a))))
 
 SRCS_Linux = ${SOURCES_Linux}
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ uninstall::
 
 debug::
 	@echo "EPICS_BASE = ${EPICS_BASE}"
-	@echo "EPICSVERSION = ${EPICSVERSION}" 
+	@echo "EPICSVERSION = ${EPICSVERSION}"
 	@echo "CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS = ${CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS}"
 	@echo "EXCLUDE_ARCHS = ${EXCLUDE_ARCHS}"
 	@echo "LIBVERSION = ${LIBVERSION}"
@@ -541,10 +541,10 @@ export VLIBS
 
 export CFG
 
-# These variables are written into a .yaml file in the installed module directory to keep track of 
+# These variables are written into a .yaml file in the installed module directory to keep track of
 # metadata for which module was compiled.
 
-${PRJ}_GIT_DESC := $(shell git describe --tags 2> /dev/null || git rev-parse HEAD)
+${PRJ}_GIT_DESC := $(shell git describe --tags 2> /dev/null || git rev-parse HEAD 2> /dev/null)
 export ${PRJ}_GIT_DESC
 # The formatting here is just to make sure this is properly parseable .yaml data
 ${PRJ}_GIT_STATUS := [ $(shell git status --porcelain | grep -v "\.Makefile" | sed 's/^/\\\"/' | sed 's/$$/\\\", /')]
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ EPICS_INCLUDES =
 # Add include directory of foreign modules to include file search path.
 #
 # The default behaviour is to start with <module>_VERSION and to select the highest
-# available build number, unless a build no. is specified. This is determined with the 
+# available build number, unless a build no. is specified. This is determined with the
 # shell script build_number.sh included with require.
 
 define ADD_INCLUDES_TEMPLATE
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ LDFLAGS += ${PROVIDES} ${USR_LDFLAGS_${T_A}}
 # 3.14.8 uses HDEPENDS to select depends mode
 # 3.14.12 uses 'HDEPENDSCFLAGS -MMD' (does not catch #include <...>)
 # 3.15 uses 'HDEPENDS_COMPFLAGS = -MM -MF $@' (does not catch #include <...>)
-HDEPENDS = 
+HDEPENDS =
 HDEPENDS_METHOD = COMP
 HDEPENDS_COMPFLAGS = -c
 MKMF = DO_NOT_USE_MKMF
@@ -715,9 +715,9 @@ debug::
 	@echo "BPTS = ${BPTS}"
 	@echo "DBDINSTALLS = ${DBDINSTALLS}"
 	@echo "HDRS = ${HDRS}"
-	@echo "SOURCES = ${SOURCES}" 
-	@echo "SOURCES_${OS_CLASS} = ${SOURCES_${OS_CLASS}}" 
-	@echo "SRCS = ${SRCS}" 
+	@echo "SOURCES = ${SOURCES}"
+	@echo "SOURCES_${OS_CLASS} = ${SOURCES_${OS_CLASS}}"
+	@echo "SRCS = ${SRCS}"
 	@echo "REQ = ${REQ}"
 	@echo "LIBOBJS = ${LIBOBJS}"
 	@echo "DBDS = ${DBDS}"
@@ -742,12 +742,12 @@ INSTALL_MUNCHS=
 # We ony want to include ${BASERULES} from EPICS base if we are /not/ in debug
 # mode. Including this causes all of the source files to be compiled!
 ifeq (,$(findstring debug,${MAKECMDGOALS}))
-include ${BASERULES} 
+include ${BASERULES}
 endif
 
 # Fix incompatible release rules.
 RELEASE_DBDFLAGS = -I ${EPICS_BASE}/dbd
-RELEASE_INCLUDES = -I${EPICS_BASE}/include 
+RELEASE_INCLUDES = -I${EPICS_BASE}/include
 # For EPICS 3.15:
 RELEASE_INCLUDES += -I${EPICS_BASE}/include/compiler/${CMPLR_CLASS}
 RELEASE_INCLUDES += -I${EPICS_BASE}/include/os/${OS_CLASS}
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ SNCFLAGS += -r
 # 2) We also need -c option in $(COMPILE.c) in order to compile generated source file properly
 # 3) SNC (2.1.21) should use -o, because without them, snc returns $(*F).i.c instead of $(*F).c
 #    With the EPICS standard building rule, -o and mv are used.
-# 
+#
 # Tuesday, November 28 15:59:37 CET 2017, Jeong Han Lee
 
 
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ SNCFLAGS += -r
 	@mv $(*F).c.tmp $(*F).c
 	@echo ">> Compiling $(*F).c"
 	$(RM) $@
-	$(COMPILE.c) -c ${SNC_CFLAGS} $(*F).c 
+	$(COMPILE.c) -c ${SNC_CFLAGS} $(*F).c
 	@echo ">> Building $(*F)_snl.dbd"
 	awk -F [\(\)]  '/epicsExportRegistrar/ { print "registrar (" $$2 ")"}' $(*F).c > $(*F)_snl.dbd
 
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ MUNCH=$(MUNCH_$(VXWORKS_MAJOR_VERSION))
 %_ctdt.c : %.nm
 	@echo Munching $*
 	@$(RM) $@
-	$(MUNCH) < $< > $@ 
+	$(MUNCH) < $< > $@
 
 ${VERSIONFILE}:
 	echo "char _${PRJ}LibRelease[] = \"${LIBVERSION}\";" >> $@
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ endif # EPICSVERSION defined
 ##                                          They should be configured in E3/CONFIG_EXPORT and E3/CONFIG_E3_MAKEFILE.
 ##                                          We also introduce E3_SEQUENCER_NAME also.
 ##
-## Wednesday, January 31 15:18:33 CET 2018: Add Debug messages in SNC  
+## Wednesday, January 31 15:18:33 CET 2018: Add Debug messages in SNC
 ##
 ## Saturday, February 10 22:42:44 CET 2018: E3_SEQUENCER_VERSION was introduced. If not set, fall back to
 ##                                          *.*.* versions number, and SNC will be selected via lastword
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ endif # EPICSVERSION defined
 ##                                            add the exclusion for include for require.dep
 ##
 ## Sunday, May  6 22:10:24 CEST 2018        : add %.{hh,hpp,hxx} headers into vpath in order to install them properly
-## 
+##
 ## Tuesday, September 18 22:57:17 CEST 2018 : add *.iocsh in SCR
 ##
 ## Thursday, November  8 11:01:28 CET 2018  : Add    ADD_SITEMODS_INCLUDES and ADD_SITEAPPS_INCLUDES instead of ADD_FOREIGN_INCLUDES
@@ -1073,4 +1073,4 @@ endif # EPICSVERSION defined
 ##
 ## Friday, July 3 2020                      : Force all module names to be lowercase, to allow consistency between conda/nfs startup scripts.
 ##
-## $(DATE)                                  : Removed the V3-specific code. Adde������������������������������������������������������������������
\ No newline at end of file
+## $(DATE)                                  : Removed the V3-specific code. Adde������������������������������������������������������������������