Support for moving the config directory on linux.

32 votes

Current location of the configuration directory on linux is `$HOME/.gitkraken/`. The freedesktop XDG Base Directory Specification[1] suggests putting it in `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gitkraken` (by default `XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/`).

Permanently moving the directory would be a breaking change, but many applications are using an environment variable to change this location on a per user basis. (e.g. for gtk2 I can do `export GTK2_RC_FILES="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
`).

This helps keeping users' directories clean, and allows for easier tracking of configuration files (for example for backup purposes).

If this is already an option, I was unable to find it in the documentation.

Thank you.

[1]https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html

Under consideration Suggested by: dk (14 Jul, '21) • Upvoted: today • Comments: 6

Comments: 6

09 Apr, '22
Daniel
The app should respect the `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` environment variable. I also use it on macOS.
2
27 Aug, '22
George
+1 for this feature. I would also suggest fully implementing `XDG` standard, not just for configuration. I.e. also make use of `$HOME/.local/share` and `$HOME/.cache`.

> The app should respect the `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` environment variable. I also use it on macOS.

It doesn't seem to. I have the var explicitly set, yet it still was created in `$HOME/.gitkraken`.
2
04 Nov, '23
Yoshikage Kira
For Linux users who want to prevent GitKraken from cluttering their home directory, a temporary workaround is to restrict GitKraken's access to your home directory and add .gitkraken to the list of persistent home directory-relative paths. This can be easily achieved using an application like Flatseal.

Also you'll have to manually add access to .ssh, .gnupg, and folder with repo in your home directory.
1
12 Nov, '23
Aaron Lichtman
It seems that version 9.10.0 on Linux ALSO creates a `~/.gk/repoMapping.json` file, in addition to the `~/.gitkraken` directory.

This is too much clutter in my $HOME directory, and I've deleted the client.
5
25 Jan
Sebastian
Please use the XDG directory structure:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/XDG_Base_Directory#User_directories

For example:

$HOME/.config/gitkraken
$HOME/.cache/gitkraken
$HOME/.local/share/gitkraken
$HOME/.local/state/gitkraken

Alternatively, use OS-specific directories:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Axosoft\GitKraken\User Data (Windows)
$HOME/Library/Application Support/Axosoft/GitKraken (macOS)
$HOME/.config/gitkraken (Linux)

How Chromium does it:

https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/62.0.3202.58/docs/user_data_dir.md#default-location
3
05 Feb
Alex
This is my only major complaint about gitkraken. The audacity to think that the user wouldn't want to control where you write files to their system is absurd.

Let us move it.
2