Support XDG_CONFIG_HOME for the argv.json file

[lgarron]

There are many of us who find it bad practice that VSCode creates a ~/.vscode/ folder instead of following the common XDG base directory structure, respected by a wide variety of programs. This issue has come up regularly, without a good permanent solution:

• Revisit VS Code folder structure for app data, settings, extensions #3884
• Not possible to define location of argv.json #84808
• Unified "--portable-dir <dir>" command line flag #100988
• Have a setting for the extensions folder location #17691
• Cache files not stored under appropriate XDG directory #126182

I would like to propose the following new behaviour:

1. If ~/.config/vscode/argv.json¹ is present at launch in non-portable mode, then VSCode uses this as the path for argv.json.
2. argv.json supports setting the following arguments, which the user can set to XDG-compatible paths if they like:

• user-data-dir
• extensions-dir

As far as I can tell, this would be sufficient to avoid creating a ~/.vscode/ folder. It also reuses the existing structure of VSCode to do this without introducing significant hacks, edge cases, or race conditions.

Part 1 seems reasonably feasible to me, given that argv.json is hardcoded in delightfully few places at the moment: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/search?q=%22argv.json%22&type=code

Part 2 would essentially involve adding those arguments to SUPPORTED_ELECTRON_SWITCHES.

I'd be happy to submit a PR if this kind of approach is amenable to the maintainers.

Footnotes

1. If a non-branded or non-Insiders build is launched, this would generalize to ~/.config/[prefix]code[suffix]/argv.json, per https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/3884 . This is deterministic for any given installed build. ↩

[bpasero]

I agree that we should respect the XDG_CONFIG_HOME variable as we do here:

vscode/src/vs/platform/environment/node/userDataPath.js

Line 95 in 7ca9900

appDataPath = process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] || path.join(os.homedir(), '.config');

Where we currently just use os.homedir().

I would leave out the part that allows to configure the user data dir, that seems like a separate request.

[Da-Viper]

@bpasero I want to try this issue as it is marked as good first issue,

From what I understand this is to make the argv.json file comply with platform specific appdata path. In extension the XDG paths for linux ?

[bpasero]

Yes, basically instead of just using os.homedir, support to check for presence of XDG environment variable. We probably also need to migrate the file to not break existing users.

[Da-Viper]

Yes, basically instead of just using os.homedir, support to check for presence of XDG environment variable. We probably also need to migrate the file to not break existing users.

This is what I assume this would be the Migration style:

Scenario 1
Exists: oldpath, newpath.
Resolution: Delete the old file // not sure if i am to merge the two files together ??
return the new path

Scenario 2
Exists: oldpath.
Resolution: Move the old path to the new path
return the new path

Scenario 3
Exists: newpath
Resolution: Nothing
return the new path

Scenario 4
Exists: None
Resolution: Nothing //creating of new argv.json logic is handled else where
return the new path

[untainsYD]

Is there any solution for this ISSUE? Because I have been trying to create ~/.config/vscode folder with user-data-dir and extensions-dir paths configured in my ~/.config/code-flags.conf but ~/.vscode folder is still created by VSCode startup in my $HOME directory.

[gjsjohnmurray]

@untainsYD the PR #170364 by @Da-Viper hasn't yet been merged. In fact it seems to have failed a CI action so may need attention by the author before it is ready for @bpasero or another member of the core team to review.

[Da-Viper]

@untainsYD the PR #170364 by @Da-Viper hasn't yet been merged. In fact it seems to have failed a CI action so may need attention by the author before it is ready for @bpasero or another member of the core team to review.

I tried to update the MR but it is requesting review before CI

[untainsYD]

Any updates on that ISSUE?

[ashutosh887]

I'm willing to work on this

[untainsYD]

VSCode also generates ~/.pki when the vanilla electron stops doing it.

[untainsYD]

@untainsYD the PR #170364 by @Da-Viper hasn't yet been merged. In fact it seems to have failed a CI action so may need attention by the author before it is ready for @bpasero or another member of the core team to review.

I tried to update the MR but it is requesting review before CI

In this issue ~/.pki folder should be also taken to the account.

VSCode also generates ~/.pki when the vanilla electron stops doing it.

[sdavids]

While you are at it, please do not forget about macOS:

vscode/src/vs/platform/environment/node/userDataPath.js

Lines 91 to 92 in 7ca9900

	case 'darwin':
	appDataPath = path.join(os.homedir(), 'Library', 'Application Support');

[ispanos]

I don't know if this should be added in this issue, but the R extension also creates .vscode-R in the home directory. In total I have 3 hidden directories, .pki, .vscode, vscoode-R, just from code.

[nl8-gh]

Any news how this evolved? Related intel appears pretty cluttered and lacking of clear MSFT guidance on how to get vscode to respect XDG defaults - if / once set.