Feature request "own hidden folder" for devl Versions

[ifohancroft]

I am interested though, since you are the one who opened this feature request, if what I suggested works for you

Hey ifohancroft, thanks for your interest in the topic.
Ideally the ./FreeCAD folder should be usable by all FreeCAD's on a user's system. The user.cfg and system.cfg hold all the user preferences and it's a PITA to have to delete them and re-set all the preferences. As you know there are command line switches to manage this; https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Start_u ... figuration
But sometimes this goes wrong (Ideally we would find out why and fix it, rather than work around it) and the user must reset the .cfg files.
I think per version .cfg files is overkill, but as you said, maybe 0.18, 0.19-dev may be reasonable. I'm not personally sure this is the solution, as the .cfg should work across versions, and the command line switches are designed to handle the edge cases.

That said, I sometimes setup a .bat file on Win to use the default .cfg files for testing, isolated from the ./FreeCAD/.cfg files.

I guess what I'm saying is that any solution you propose should maintain the current behavior as default.

I am actually fine with everything staying the way it is but since Herbk wanted a separate dev folder without having to rely on the config option I was giving a suggestion that I think might work in a way that makes sense.
Having a separate dev conf folder would be messy so I suggested to have separate version folders inside the config folder. However, maybe it will be easier to just have separate .conf files for the devel version with -devel in their names. Although, I do prefer things staying the way they currently are.

[sgrogan]

I am actually fine with everything staying the way it is

Maybe it would be more productive to make some "starter scripts" that us the existing command line options?
You've obviously done the research. What would be your solution?

[kkremitzki]

One way to resolve this issue would be to copy /usr/share/applications/freecad.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/ and edit it to make it launch your development version and pass in the appropriate command line arguments when doing so to use a different profile. See the freedesktop.org Desktop Entry Specification for more info: https://specifications.freedesktop.org/ ... ec/latest/

[ifohancroft]

I am actually fine with everything staying the way it is

Maybe it would be more productive to make some "starter scripts" that us the existing command line options?
You've obviously done the research. What would be your solution?

I think this would be ideal:

One way to resolve this issue would be to copy /usr/share/applications/freecad.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/ and edit it to make it launch your development version and pass in the appropriate command line arguments when doing so to use a different profile. See the freedesktop.org Desktop Entry Specification for more info: https://specifications.freedesktop.org/ ... ec/latest/

But I think the user should do this and not FreeCAD. Just create a shortcut to the dev version and using the option, point it to whichever config file yoi want. Herbk said people don't know the option, so maybe a quick question/answer in the FAQ letting people know about the option if they want to move the config file or use another one.

[herbk]

Hi,

Herbk said people don't know the option, so maybe a quick question/answer in the FAQ letting people know about

For me the contend of the Mod folder was the problem, especially the new mods for the 4th-axis support breaks a few times some operations i need working...

Since i know that it's posible to set a individual path to a modules folder, i do that. - It's not to much work to create a desctop icon with the parameters.
So again i'm with you if you say "keep it like it is, but say the user that it is posible".

Additional to a note in the FAQ a hint at the download page of the devl version would be helpfull.

[ifohancroft]

Hi,

Herbk said people don't know the option, so maybe a quick question/answer in the FAQ letting people know about

For me the contend of the Mod folder was the problem, especially the new mods for the 4th-axis support breaks a few times some operations i need working...

Since i know that it's posible to set a individual path to a modules folder, i do that. - It's not to much work to create a desctop icon with the parameters.
So again i'm with you if you say "keep it like it is, but say the user that it is posible".

Additional to a note in the FAQ a hint at the download page of the devl version would be helpfull.

To be honest, I didn't know you can point FreeCAD to other modules folder I thought you can only point it to different config.

I am just giving my opinion on the feature request and suggest what I think is possible and make sense. I don't really have the final say. I believe it is either FreeCAD's maintainer or the developer's decision.