GNU bug report logs - #583
Use XDG basedir spec for configuration files?

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Package: emacs; Severity: wishlist; Reported by: ferkiwi+a <at> gmail.com; dated Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:05:06 UTC; Maintainer for emacs is bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org.
Severity set to `wishlist' from `normal' Request was from Chong Yidong <cyd <at> stupidchicken.com> to control <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com. Full text available.

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Message-ID: <bff91cf40807202359t6e83d0e4qc1216b77f23d2333 <at> mail.gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:59:30 +0200
From: Fernando <ferkiwi <at> gmail.com>
Reply-To: ferkiwi+a <at> gmail.com
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Use XDG basedir spec for configuration files?
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The XDG Base Directory
Specification<http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/>provides
some common paths in user's home to store personal application
configurations, or, using their own words "*defines where these files should
be looked for by defining one or more base directories relative to which
files should be located*".

XDG Base Directory Specification allows efficient backup, in which you can
easily choose to backup your data and/or your configuration files for
instance. An application could easily propose such backup for the whole
system if all applications were matching these specification.

Therefore, although I think that this bug/enhancement is not vital, it would
be great for Emacs to be "FreeDesktop XDG Base Directory Specification"
compliant.

Currently Emacs is using "$HOME/.emacs.d/". This is what XDG basedir spec
defines:

   - $XDG_DATA_HOME (usually $HOME/.local/share/) as "*the base directory
   relative to which user specific data files should be stored*"
   - $XDG_CONFIG_HOME (usually $HOME/.config/) as "*the base directory
   relative to which user specific configuration files should be stored*"
   - $XDG_CACHE_HOME (usually $HOME/.cache/) as "*the base directory
   relative to which user specific non-essential data files should be stored
   *"

(http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html)

In order to make Emacs XDG basedir compliant, I think that it would be nice
to use:

   - $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/emacs  ;;for "init.el" and storing customize
   configuration


   - $XDG_DATA_HOME/emacs  ;;for sessions and backups


   - $XDG_CACHE_HOME/emacs  ;;for cache files

Or maybe some other distribution. What do you think about it?

There's a small C library that may be useful check it out, written for the
sole purpose of xdg basedir spec compliance:
https://n.ethz.ch/student/nevillm/download/libxdg-basedir/

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<div dir="ltr"><p>
<font size="2"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">The </span><a style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;" href="http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/" target="_blank"><span>XDG Base Directory Specification</span></a><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> provides some common paths in user&#39;s home to store personal application configurations, or, using their own words &quot;</span><i style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">defines
where these files should be looked for by defining one or more base
directories relative to which files should be located</i><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">&quot;. </span><br style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"></font></p><p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">
XDG Base Directory Specification allows efficient backup, in which you
can easily choose to backup your data and/or your configuration files
for instance. An application could easily propose such backup for the whole system if all applications were matching these specification.
</font></p>

<p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">
Therefore, although I think that this bug/enhancement is not vital, it
would be great for Emacs to be &quot;FreeDesktop XDG Base Directory
Specification&quot; compliant.&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Currently Emacs is using &quot;$HOME/.emacs.d/&quot;. This is what XDG basedir spec defines:
</font></p>
<ul style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><li><font size="2">$XDG_DATA_HOME (usually $HOME/.local/share/) as &quot;<i>the base directory relative to which user specific data files should be stored</i>&quot; 
</font></li><li><font size="2">$XDG_CONFIG_HOME (usually $HOME/.config/) as &quot;<i>the base directory relative to which user specific configuration files should be stored</i>&quot;
</font></li><li><font size="2">$XDG_CACHE_HOME (usually $HOME/.cache/) as &quot;<i>the base directory relative to which user specific non-essential data files should be stored</i>&quot;</font></li></ul><p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font size="2">(<a href="http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html">http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html</a>)<br></font></p><p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">
<font size="2">
In order to make Emacs XDG basedir compliant, I think that it would
be nice to use:</font></p><ul><li><font size="2">$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/emacs&nbsp; ;;for &quot;init.el&quot; and storing customize configuration</font></li></ul><ul><li><font size="2">$XDG_DATA_HOME/emacs&nbsp; ;;for sessions and backups<br>
</font></li></ul><ul><li><font size="2">$XDG_CACHE_HOME/emacs&nbsp; ;;for cache files <br></font></li></ul><p style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Or maybe some other distribution. What do you think about it?<br></p><font size="2"><br>
</font><font size="2">There&#39;s a small C library that may be useful check it out, written for the sole purpose of xdg basedir spec compliance: <a href="https://n.ethz.ch/student/nevillm/download/libxdg-basedir/" target="_blank">https://n.ethz.ch/student/nevillm/download/libxdg-basedir/</a><br>

</font></div>

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Acknowledgement sent to ferkiwi+a <at> gmail.com:
New bug report received and forwarded. Copy sent to Emacs Bugs <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>. Full text available.
Report forwarded to bug-submit-list <at> lists.donarmstrong.com, Emacs Bugs <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>:
bug#583; Package emacs. Full text available.
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