Define user .netrc directory [Feature request]

[Rapsodia86]

Hello!
I would like to suggest an option to provide a user-specific directory to *.netrc file.
Now, it automatically looks into "C:\User\USERNAME\.netrc" (if in Windows).
However, I do have that file stored in another location that I use for my other scripts, and I do not see a reason to have it duplicated and spread across the machine.
How about adding the option in login like:

1. Looks into the default directory for the file: earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")
2. Looks into user-specified location: earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc", dir="DIRECTORY\SUBDIRECTORY\")

Thanks!

[jhkennedy]

@Rapsodia86 would setting an environment variable work for you? For example:

os.environ['NETRC'] = 'C:\some\path\to\netrc'

earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")

Would pick up your custom netrc at 'some/path/to/netrc'.

That's only a three line change here, I think:
https://github.com/nsidc/earthaccess/blob/main/earthaccess/auth.py#L258

but plumbing in a new argument is a bit more work.

---

Edit: Looks like the NETRC environment variable is common, e.g.:

• Document that NETRC environment variable is supported pypa/pip#11023
• https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/manual/html_node/The-_002enetrc-file.html

[Rapsodia86]

Yes,
I think that is a good solution. No need to reinvent the wheel.
There is a following question. If I set os.environ['NETRC_PATH'] in the script, but then for some reason I use earthaccess.login(strategy="interactive",persist=true) will it pick up the .netrc file from that new (custom) directory or it will create a new .netrc file in the default location?

Thanks again!

[jhkennedy]

@Rapsodia86 sounds good!

If I set os.environ['NETRC_PATH'] in the script, but then for some reason I use earthaccess.login(strategy="interactive",persist=true) will it pick up the .netrc file from that new (custom) directory or it will create a new .netrc file in the default location?

How would you like it to work? Either could be supported, but I'd lean toward if the NETRC/NETRC_PATH (whichever name we chose) variable is set, we would write/update the custom one when doing earthaccess.login(strategy="interactive",persist=true)

[Rapsodia86]

Yes, I agree! The consistent usage of NETRC/NETRC_PATH will allow to avoid confusion! Great:)

[mfisher87]

Excellent decision, folks ;)

[chuckwondo]

FYI, we should simply be using requests.utils.get_netrc_auth, which conveniently takes care of all of this for us. See https://github.com/psf/requests/blob/v2.32.3/src/requests/utils.py#L204.

[cboettig]

fwiw, in GDAL this path is called:

GDAL_HTTP_NETRC_FILE=<filename>: (GDAL >= 3.7.0) Sets the location of a .netrc file.

In libcurl it is CURLOPT_NETRC_FILE