Keep VM release lookups working without system.func

lib/forge.func

@@ -1482,7 +1482,13 @@ _forge_release_json() {
   local tag_prefix="${4:-}" out="${5:?outfile}"
 
   # The install path arrives here without check_for_release; a Proxmox host has no jq.
-  ensure_dependencies jq || return 100
+  # VM scripts load this file without system.func and bring jq themselves.
+  if declare -F ensure_dependencies >/dev/null; then
+    ensure_dependencies jq || return 100
+  elif ! command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    msg_error "jq is required to read ${repo}'s releases"
+    return 100
+  fi
 
   local base repo_path list one
   base="$(_forge_descriptor "$forge" base)"

tests/forge-release-json.sh

@@ -74,6 +74,22 @@ MOCK_DEPS_RC=1 run
 expect "a missing jq stops the lookup" 100 "$?"
 expect "nothing is fetched without jq" 0 "$(grep -c curl "$CALLS")"
 
+# VM scripts load forge.func without system.func.
+(
+  unset -f ensure_dependencies
+  MOCK_BODY='[{"tag_name":"v1.0.0","draft":false,"prerelease":false}]' run
+)
+expect "without system.func the lookup uses the jq that is there" 0 "$?"
+expect "without system.func the release resolves" v1.0.0 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"
+
+(
+  unset -f ensure_dependencies
+  PATH="$TEST_DIR/no-bin"
+  run
+)
+expect "without system.func a missing jq stops the lookup" 100 "$?"
+expect "without system.func nothing is fetched without jq" 0 "$(grep -c curl "$CALLS")"
+
 MOCK_BODY='[{"tag_name":"v1.0.0","draft":false,"prerelease":false},{"tag_name":"v2.0.0-rc.1","draft":false,"prerelease":true}]' run
 expect "the release list still resolves" 0 "$?"
 expect "the stable release wins" v1.0.0 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"