feat: respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME for argv.json on Linux by murataslan1 · Pull Request #300881 · microsoft/vscode

murataslan1 · 2026-03-11T19:10:28Z

Summary

Resolves the long-standing inconsistency where argv.json was placed under ~/.vscode/ even when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set, while all other user data already respects it (via userDataPath.ts).

Fixes #162712

Changes

2 files changed, 28 additions, 1 deletion

File	Change
`src/main.ts`	Update `getArgvConfigPath()` to use `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` on Linux (falling back to `~/.config`). Adds migration from legacy path.
`src/vs/platform/environment/common/environmentService.ts`	Update `argvResource` getter to resolve under `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` on Linux.

Behavior

Platform	XDG_CONFIG_HOME set?	argv.json location
Linux	Yes (`/custom/config`)	`/custom/config/.vscode/argv.json`
Linux	No	`~/.config/.vscode/argv.json` (same as userDataPath)
macOS/Windows	N/A	Unchanged (`~/.vscode/argv.json` / AppData)

Migration

When XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set on Linux:

Checks if legacy ~/.vscode/argv.json exists
If new location doesn't exist yet → moves file to XDG-compliant path
Errors are caught and logged (no crash on permission issues)
If both exist → uses new location (no data loss)

Prior Art

Previous PR Fix use platform specific datapath #16712 #170364 attempted this but was closed (CI issues, no error handling)
This implementation adds proper error handling, mkdirSync for the target directory, and aligns with the existing XDG pattern in userDataPath.ts (line 90)
Follows @bpasero's guidance: "respect the XDG_CONFIG_HOME variable as we do [in userDataPath.ts]"

On Linux, the user data path already respects XDG_CONFIG_HOME (see userDataPath.ts), but the argv.json config file was still always placed under ~/.vscode/. This inconsistency meant that users who set XDG_CONFIG_HOME to keep their home directory clean still had a ~/.vscode/ folder created solely for argv.json. Changes: - src/main.ts: Update getArgvConfigPath() to use XDG_CONFIG_HOME on Linux, falling back to ~/.config if not set. Includes migration logic to move argv.json from the legacy path to the new XDG-compliant path, with error handling. - environmentService.ts: Update argvResource getter to resolve argv.json under XDG_CONFIG_HOME on Linux when set. The migration only runs when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is explicitly set and the legacy file exists but the new location does not, ensuring no data loss for existing users. Fixes microsoft#162712

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR updates where VS Code resolves argv.json on Linux to better respect XDG conventions (XDG_CONFIG_HOME / ~/.config) and introduces a migration from the legacy homedir-based location.

Changes:

Update AbstractNativeEnvironmentService.argvResource to use XDG_CONFIG_HOME on Linux.
Update src/main.ts startup argv.json resolution to use XDG_CONFIG_HOME (or ~/.config) and attempt to migrate from the legacy path.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

File	Description
`src/vs/platform/environment/common/environmentService.ts`	Adjusts `argvResource` resolution on Linux to use `XDG_CONFIG_HOME`.
`src/main.ts`	Changes early startup argv.json path resolution on Linux and adds legacy-path migration logic.

Copilot · 2026-03-11T19:15:00Z

src/main.ts

+	// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME to align with how
+	// userDataPath is resolved (see userDataPath.ts)
+	const newArgvConfigPath = process.platform === 'linux'
+		? path.join(process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] || path.join(os.homedir(), '.config'), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json')
+		: path.join(os.homedir(), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json');
+
+	// Migrate from the legacy path (~/.vscode/argv.json) if needed
+	if (process.platform === 'linux' && process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']) {


On Linux without XDG_CONFIG_HOME, main.ts now reads/creates argv.json under ~/.config//argv.json, but AbstractNativeEnvironmentService.argvResource still points to ~//argv.json. This will make early argv parsing (main.ts) and later argv edits/sync (environmentService.argvResource) operate on different files. Align the path resolution logic between these two code paths (either both use XDG_CONFIG_HOME || ~/.config, or both keep the legacy homedir location unless XDG_CONFIG_HOME is explicitly set).

Suggested change

// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME to align with how

// userDataPath is resolved (see userDataPath.ts)

const newArgvConfigPath = process.platform === 'linux'

? path.join(process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] || path.join(os.homedir(), '.config'), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json')

: path.join(os.homedir(), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json');

// Migrate from the legacy path (~/.vscode/argv.json) if needed

if (process.platform === 'linux' && process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']) {

const xdgConfigHome = process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'];

// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME when set to align with how

// userDataPath is resolved (see userDataPath.ts). Otherwise, keep

// using the legacy homedir location so that all code paths agree.

const newArgvConfigPath = process.platform === 'linux' && xdgConfigHome

? path.join(xdgConfigHome, dataFolderName!, 'argv.json')

: path.join(os.homedir(), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json');

// Migrate from the legacy path (~/.vscode/argv.json) if needed

if (process.platform === 'linux' && xdgConfigHome) {

Copilot · 2026-03-11T19:15:01Z

src/main.ts

+	// Migrate from the legacy path (~/.vscode/argv.json) if needed
+	if (process.platform === 'linux' && process.env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']) {
+		const legacyArgvConfigPath = path.join(os.homedir(), dataFolderName!, 'argv.json');
+		if (legacyArgvConfigPath !== newArgvConfigPath) {
+			try {
+				if (fs.existsSync(legacyArgvConfigPath) && !fs.existsSync(newArgvConfigPath)) {
+					fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(newArgvConfigPath), { recursive: true });
+					fs.renameSync(legacyArgvConfigPath, newArgvConfigPath);
+				}


The migration only runs when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set, but the new Linux default path also changes when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set (falls back to ~/.config). That means existing ~/./argv.json will be ignored with no migration on most Linux systems. Consider migrating from the legacy homedir location whenever the computed new path differs (regardless of whether XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set).

Copilot · 2026-03-11T19:15:01Z

src/main.ts

+			try {
+				if (fs.existsSync(legacyArgvConfigPath) && !fs.existsSync(newArgvConfigPath)) {
+					fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(newArgvConfigPath), { recursive: true });
+					fs.renameSync(legacyArgvConfigPath, newArgvConfigPath);
+				}
+			} catch (error) {
+				console.error(`Unable to migrate argv.json from ${legacyArgvConfigPath} to ${newArgvConfigPath} (${error})`);
+			}


fs.renameSync can fail when the legacy and new paths are on different filesystems (EXDEV) or if permissions prevent rename. In that case, the code logs and proceeds, leaving argv.json at the legacy location while subsequent reads use the new location. Consider falling back to a copy+unlink (or using fs.cpSync where available) when rename fails, so the migration is more reliable.

Copilot · 2026-03-11T19:15:01Z

src/vs/platform/environment/common/environmentService.ts

+		// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME to align with userDataPath resolution
+		if (env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] && isLinux) {
+			return URI.file(join(env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'], this.productService.dataFolderName, 'argv.json'));


This Linux path change only applies when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set; otherwise it still uses ~//argv.json. That does not match the Linux userDataPath behavior (XDG_CONFIG_HOME || ~/.config) and also diverges from getArgvConfigPath() in src/main.ts (which falls back to ~/.config). Consider using XDG_CONFIG_HOME || ~/.config consistently here (and possibly resolving XDG_CONFIG_HOME to an absolute path) so argvResource matches the early argv.json read path.

Suggested change

// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME to align with userDataPath resolution

if (env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] && isLinux) {

return URI.file(join(env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'], this.productService.dataFolderName, 'argv.json'));

// On Linux, align with userDataPath and early argv.json resolution: XDG_CONFIG_HOME || ~/.config

if (isLinux) {

const configHome = env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] ? resolve(env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']) : join(this.paths.homeDir, '.config');

return URI.file(join(configHome, this.productService.dataFolderName, 'argv.json'));

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings March 11, 2026 19:10

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of murataslan1 March 11, 2026 19:11 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Mar 11, 2026

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vs-code-engineering bot assigned bpasero Mar 11, 2026

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feat: respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME for argv.json on Linux#300881

feat: respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME for argv.json on Linux#300881
murataslan1 wants to merge 1 commit intomicrosoft:mainfrom
murataslan1:feature/xdg-config-home-argv

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-		// On Linux, respect XDG_CONFIG_HOME to align with userDataPath resolution
-		if (env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] && isLinux) {
-			return URI.file(join(env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'], this.productService.dataFolderName, 'argv.json'));
+		// On Linux, align with userDataPath and early argv.json resolution: XDG_CONFIG_HOME || ~/.config
+		if (isLinux) {
+			const configHome = env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] ? resolve(env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']) : join(this.paths.homeDir, '.config');
+			return URI.file(join(configHome, this.productService.dataFolderName, 'argv.json'));

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murataslan1 commented Mar 11, 2026

Summary

Changes

2 files changed, 28 additions, 1 deletion

Behavior

Migration

Prior Art

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