ipfs/ipfs-desktop

Store files in the proper location on Windows.

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#1,656 opened on Sep 28, 2020

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Description

  • OS: Windows
  • Version of IPFS Desktop: 0.12.2

Describe the bug Installing IPFS Desktop on Windows results in folders in %USERPROFILE% as well as cache and DB files in the roaming profile.

To Reproduce Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Install IPFS Desktop on Windows
  2. Notice that you have a .ipfs and .ipfs-desktop folder in %USERPROFILE% and %APPDATA/IPFS Desktop contains cache files, databases, blob storage, etc.

Expected behavior Cache files, file storage, databases, and per-machine configuration should all be stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%/ipfs/. Per user configuration (I'm not sure if IPFS has any of this, maybe the list of pinned files?) should be stored in %APPDATA%/ipfs/. Nothing should be stored in %USERPROFILE% (aka: %HOME%) unless the user *explicitly tells the app to do so such as via a save dialog box.

Additional context Both Linux and OSX also have environment variables that instruct applications where the appropriate place for files is. I believe it is called XDG_CONFIG though I'm not personally familiar with it.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptelectronnodejs
Domain
desktop
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Windows file pathsElectron environment variablesBasic JavaScript
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65
Research direction
Investigate how IPFS Desktop currently determines file storage paths, likely in the Electron main process. Check for usage of `app.getPath('userData')` or similar. Modify to use `app.getPath('localAppData')` for cache and per machine config, and `app.getPath('appData')` for user specific config. Ensure changes are applied across Windows, Linux, and macOS using their respective XDG or environment variable conventions.
Store files in the proper location on Windows. · ipfs/ipfs-desktop#1656 | Good First Issue