Please use FreeDesktop $HOME/.config/ directory recommendation for *nix systems

[aplatypus]

Problem you are trying to solve

The rustup install shell script announces that it will load and create two related directories:

• ~/.rustup
• ~/.cargo

This adds to the burden of config data and metadata in dot-directories and dot-files on *nix systems. My personal practice is to place all dot- files and directories under the recommended ~/.config/ directory; even when I am forced to create symbolic a link, as in this example: ".mysql --> .config/mysql".

In the same section of rustup ... the script informs me that these locations can be modified respectively with:

• RUSTUP_HOME and
• CARGO_HOME

environment variables. At that point I cancelled the rustup shell install script and defined the relevant environment variables and re-ran the script with encouraging results. The initial preamble reported that the installer would use the:

• ~/.config/rustup/
• ~/.config/.cargo/

... directories defined by the respective environment variables. The installer did an excellent job "enabling" the specified directories. Well done rustup team :-D

Solution you'd like

I would prefer that the default configuration and metadata follow the OpenDesktop standard and place settings and data under the $HOME/.config/ directory.

The rustup script could use the environment variables FreeDesktop specification for setting environment variables.

• https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/environment.d.html

Furthermore, this allows users to keep configuration information under one umbrella directory and improve general admin and maintenance processing.

Notes

Please see:

• Consider putting PATH modification to ~/.config/environment.d on Linux platforms #3123 and
• Set environment variables in rust-toolchain.toml #2883

... for a more rounded view of this opportunity.

• I appreciate that there are challenges raised for non-systemd_ installations.
  • However, some common, reasonable and pragmatic approach would probably enhance the configuration and maintenance process in any case.
• Personally speaking, I'd like to tame all ".-files" and have them under a common location like ~/.config/...

[rami3l]

@aplatypus Thanks for filing this issue!

It so happened that we have just discussed about making PATH changes persistent in #3495 (comment).

Although I'm personally okay with such a change, unfortunately the consensus was that it was out of scope and will not be implemented.

(cc @rbtcollins for closing some relevant issues)

[djc]

Going to close this as a duplicate of #247.