Linux: Follow the XDG Base Directory Specification

[ruby0b]

What feature would you like to see?

When using the AppImage on Linux, Archipelago creates ~/Archipelago to dump its files into:

Archipelago/Utils.py

Lines 154 to 156 in c9625e1

	elif sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
	home_path.cached_path = os.path.expanduser('~/Archipelago')
	os.makedirs(home_path.cached_path, 0o700, exist_ok=True)

This behavior is annoying if you like to keep a clean home directory.
The XDG Base Directory Specification exists for this purpose and is widely followed on Linux nowadays.

Since Archipelago doesn't separate its files into clearly separatable directories, the recommended "catch-all" for cases like this is using $XDG_STATE_HOME (defaulting to ~/.local/state).

Therefore I propose using $XDG_STATE_HOME/Archipelago as the default Archipelago directory (moving ~/Archipelago to it if it exists):

    elif sys.platform.startswith('linux'): 
        xdg_state_home = os.getenv('XDG_STATE_HOME', os.path.expanduser('~/.local/state'))
        home_path.cached_path = xdg_state_home + '/Archipelago'
        if not os.path.isdir(home_path.cached_path):
            legacy_home_path = os.path.expanduser('~/Archipelago')
            if os.path.isdir(legacy_home_path):
                os.renames(legacy_home_path, home_path.cached_path)
            else:
                os.makedirs(home_path.cached_path, 0o700, exist_ok=True) 

[black-sliver]

The problem is that ~/Archipelago/Players/ folder, which needs to be accessible, would then be in a hidden folder.

We need a solution for that before we can move stuff to a hidden folder.

[ruby0b]

The "Browse Files" button in the launcher already opens the correct folder, that should be discoverable enough, right?

I mean speaking as a user it's not really much more intuitive to look for a folder in your home directory when the AppImage you launched is in an entirely different location anyway.

[black-sliver]

Oh, yeah, it was late and I forgot that we already solved that.

(Setting up ~/Archipelago predates that button)

So there should be nothing in the way other than work. We should definitely include a migration code path, maybe create a symlink if the folder was moved so downgrading doesn't break.

[ruby0b]

Creating a symlink when moving sounds like a great idea, also has the benefit of possibly being less confusing to existing users :)

I'll create a PR (though I'm not familiar with the build process).

[black-sliver]

I hope I get to this soon, I am wondering if state dir is correct though.

Looking at the XDG specs, it reads to me like if the data in that folder is important and/or portable (between versions?), it should be in XDG_DATA_HOME rather than XDG_STATE_HOME, which i think would apply to most files we put there.

though I'm not familiar with the build process

There is a github "Build" action that produces the build output. You just need to enable actions in the repo settings of your fork, go to actions tab, select "Build", and in the top right corner click "Run workflow" and select your branch.

[beauxq]

I'm imagining some users might prefer the ~/Archipelago folder (and not for it to be a link).
Is it something we can make configurable?

[black-sliver]

The config is in that folder 🤔
Symlink is basically as good as a real folder for the purpose of quick access, no?
If they want to have it on a different mount point, they could create a symlink at $XDG_WHATEVER/Archipelago to that.