Default to XDG-style file locations#1674
Open
florinungur wants to merge 7 commits into
Open
Conversation
The CLI placed its package cache in ~/.pkl/cache and read its settings file from ~/.pkl/settings.pkl. Default these to the XDG-style locations ~/.cache/pkl and ~/.config/pkl/settings.pkl instead, so a default setup no longer writes to $HOME/.pkl. These are fixed defaults; no environment variables (XDG_CACHE_HOME, XDG_CONFIG_HOME) are read, consistent with Pkl not configuring itself from the environment. Existing setups keep working without migration: a pre-existing ~/.pkl/cache is still used so packages aren't re-downloaded, and ~/.pkl/settings.pkl is still read when ~/.config/pkl/settings.pkl is absent.
Extend the XDG-style defaults to the two remaining ~/.pkl users: the CA certificates directory now defaults to ~/.config/pkl/cacerts, and the REPL history to ~/.local/state/pkl/repl-history (XDG state home, where history files belong). Both fall back to their legacy ~/.pkl locations when those exist, so a default setup writes nothing under ~/.pkl. The one-time JLine2 ~/.pkl/repl-history.bin cleanup is left pointing at the legacy path, since that file only ever existed there.
Rename the public PklSettings.loadFromPklHomeDir() to loadFromDefaultLocation() (its behavior now prefers ~/.config/pkl), with a deprecated-for-removal shim delegating from the old name, and record the deprecation in the release notes. Also fix a stale ~/.pkl/settings.pkl reference in the language tutorial, and note in the release notes that Windows uses the XDG-style paths literally rather than mapping to Known Folder locations.
Add path-value tests for the four default-location helpers (via new package-private home-dir overloads) and a pkl-executor test pinning ExecutorOptions.defaultModuleCacheDir() to IoUtils, closing the gap where a wrong path segment would have passed CI. Fix the CA-certs fallback so an empty ~/.config/pkl/cacerts no longer shadows a populated legacy ~/.pkl/cacerts (a directory with no cert files now counts as absent). Update the remaining stale ~/.pkl references in stdlib settings.pkl and ModuleCache, scope the "nothing under ~/.pkl" release note to new setups and qualify the no-re-download claim, add a deprecation `since`, and rename the test-only settings loader.
Member
|
I think I'm open to this, but some considerations:
|
Apply %APPDATA% (config) and %LOCALAPPDATA% (cache/state) on Windows for the four default file locations, instead of using the XDG-style literal paths under the user home. Adds env-injectable overloads so tests can exercise the Windows code path on a Unix CI box. Rename preferXdgLocation -> preferNewLocation; the helper is no longer XDG-specific now that Windows uses Known Folders.
Add the Windows %APPDATA% / %LOCALAPPDATA% paths alongside the existing Unix XDG paths in --cache-dir, --settings, ca-certificates, settings module, and gradle moduleCacheDir documentation.
This was referenced Jun 13, 2026
Author
|
I made apple/pkl-intellij#216 and apple/pkl-lsp#208 to continue this effort. Both also migrate Also took a shot at the Windows paths ( |
This file contains hidden or bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment
2 participants
Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.This suggestion is invalid because no changes were made to the code.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is closed.Suggestions cannot be applied while viewing a subset of changes.Only one suggestion per line can be applied in a batch.Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.Applying suggestions on deleted lines is not supported.You must change the existing code in this line in order to create a valid suggestion.Outdated suggestions cannot be applied.This suggestion has been applied or marked resolved.Suggestions cannot be applied from pending reviews.Suggestions cannot be applied on multi-line comments.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is queued to merge.Suggestion cannot be applied right now. Please check back later.
Default the CLI's file locations to XDG-style paths instead of placing everything under
~/.pkl.With this PR, a default Pkl setup writes nothing to
$HOME/.pkl:~/.cache/pkl(was~/.pkl/cache)~/.config/pkl/settings.pkl(was~/.pkl/settings.pkl)~/.config/pkl/cacerts(was~/.pkl/cacerts)~/.local/state/pkl/repl-history(was~/.pkl/repl-history; XDG state home, where history files belong)These are fixed defaults; no environment variables (
XDG_CACHE_HOME,XDG_CONFIG_HOME,XDG_STATE_HOME) are read, matching the design principle that Pkl doesn't configure itself from the environment.Backward compatible, no migration needed: each legacy
~/.pkllocation is still used when it already exists. In particular, a pre-existing~/.pkl/cacheis still used, so cached packages aren't re-downloaded. The one-time JLine2~/.pkl/repl-history.bincleanup is left pointing at the legacy path. An empty~/.config/pkl/cacertsdirectory counts as absent, so it doesn't shadow a populated legacy~/.pkl/cacerts.Public Java-API change:
PklSettings.loadFromPklHomeDir()is renamed toloadFromDefaultLocation()since it no longer loads from the pkl home dir; an embedder that relied on~/.pkl/settings.pklwill now prefer~/.config/pkl/settings.pklwhen both exist. Happy to pick a different name if you'd prefer.pkl-executorcan't depend onpkl-core, so itsdefaultModuleCacheDir()replicates the same fallback (with a keep-in-sync comment).Verified
./gradlew spotlessApplyand the JVM suites pluspkl-cli/pkl-executorcompile. I also built the macOS arm64 native image and ran it. The fresh-home XDG branch isn't directly exercisable on the native binary (macOS resolvesuser.homefrom the OS, not$HOME/-D), but it's the same code path the unit tests cover and GraalVM recomputesuser.homeat runtime.