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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

Author Topic: Use the stardard location of each platform to store configuration and saves  (Read 1955 times)

montaropdf

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Hello,

Would it be possible for Fractal Softworks to plan the use of standardized location for the configuration and save game files.

I know those exist in windows and I suppose they exist on MAC. On linux, the platform I play on, it is the XDG Base Directory Specifications which tends to be the standard.

This would allow to remove the game directory without the fear of loosing the save games or the configuration.

To summarize the XDG spec:
- configuration -> in a subdirectory of the directory specified in the envvar $XDG_CONFIG_HOME or ~/.config, if the variable is empty.
- data (save games) -> in a subdirectory of the directory specified in the envvar $XDG_DATA_HOME or ~/.local/share, if the variable is empty.

Do you think that mods could also land in $XDG_DATA_HOME, or maybe ~/.local/lib? Would it make sense?
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Yunru

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Eurgh, no thanks!

I want my saves and mods local, so I can have multiple instances for each version!

Beyond which, what situations is there where if you're deleting the game directory, you don't *also* want to delete the saves and mods?

michail

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You can tell Starsector where everything should be stored. Check out "starsector.sh", there's a bunch of "-Dcom.fs.starfarer.settings.paths" properties passed to the game. Game's AUR package for example stuffs everything in ~/.starsector, it seems.
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vladokapuh

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i keep multiple installs and i prefer them to stay as self contained as possible
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Tartiflette

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That standard is so terrible!
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koprus

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Is this the standard that made the c: drive a complete and utter mess?
 Where in order to find saved work or savegame files u have to use the web to search for which folder each dev feels like using for dumping files?

Where is it in? Appdada? userfolder? mydocuments? mygames? roaming? local? localow? Kudos to all the devs that suport portable saving and installations!

Just checked there are 10 times more folders with saved games in the "my documents" folder than in the "saved games" one and im positive that they exist in all the above folders in ambundance.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2022, 09:29:52 AM by koprus »
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Challanger

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Personally would like to be able to store the ships templates separately from saved run.
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montaropdf

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You can tell Starsector where everything should be stored. Check out "starsector.sh", there's a bunch of "-Dcom.fs.starfarer.settings.paths" properties passed to the game. Game's AUR package for example stuffs everything in ~/.starsector, it seems.

Thanks, I will have a look.
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montaropdf

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Is this the standard that made the c: drive a complete and utter mess?
 Where in order to find saved work or savegame files u have to use the web to search for which folder each dev feels like using for dumping files?

Where is it in? Appdada? userfolder? mydocuments? mygames? roaming? local? localow? Kudos to all the devs that suport portable saving and installations!

Just checked there are 10 times more folders with saved games in the "my documents" folder than in the "saved games" one and im positive that they exist in all the above folders in ambundance.

I donĀ“t know for the Microsoft OS, as I don't use it, but for Linux, devs seems to respect it a bit more, or they simply do it the old way a directoy prefixed with a dot in the home folder of the user. Thats not ideal, but at least it is easy to find stuff.


As for people that play with multiple "profiles" of the game, symlinks and a dedicated script to bind the wanted profile to the symlinks could do the trick, just look how works a distribution like GUIX for example. Another solution is to use containers, but it is way less easy to setup.
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SCC

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Re: Use the stardard location of each platform to store configuration and saves
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2022, 10:11:04 AM »

It's rather funny the thread says "each platform", but discussion is only about Linux.
I play on Windows and I prefer the way the game works now. I don't have to guess where stuff is and I can keep multiple versions, if I have to.

montaropdf

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Re: Use the stardard location of each platform to store configuration and saves
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2022, 09:08:40 AM »

Okay, but why not just do that to solve your original issue?

Because, I think, this could be beneficial to everybody, not just me. Moreover, there is possibly some details to consider, before going that way. Out of experience, keeping data, applications, libraries and configuration separated, avoid mistakes like removing important data or configuration while removing/upgrading an application. I do expect the game to reach some stability in terms of data file format, so the need to play multiple version should fade away at some point. I play only the last version available, as I don't see a need to play with older versions.

Now that I know the directories can be specified in the starsector.sh script, I will see what can be done to suit my needs.


It's rather funny the thread says "each platform", but discussion is only about Linux.
I play on Windows and I prefer the way the game works now. I don't have to guess where stuff is and I can keep multiple versions, if I have to.

Linux is the sole platform I know enough to detail how data and applications should be organized. This is why I talk about the linux platform, essentially. However, starsector is available on other OSes, so those OSes should be part of the suggestion, too.
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