Core: Change portable install folder to portable/ #122778

Merged
Brecht Van Lommel merged 1 commits from brecht/blender:portable into blender-v4.2-release 2024-06-05 18:36:24 +02:00

There is a mechanism to store config files in the same folder as the
Blender executable. The typical use case is putting Blender on a USB
drive and taking the config with you.

However the problem is that this is using the 4.2/ folder, which is fine
for config/ but with e.g. addons, studiolights and now extensions this
is mixing user and system files. This requires exceptions, doesn't
work well in some cases and is just generally not great design.

Instead use a folder named portable/ that is separate.

There is a mechanism to store config files in the same folder as the Blender executable. The typical use case is putting Blender on a USB drive and taking the config with you. However the problem is that this is using the 4.2/ folder, which is fine for config/ but with e.g. addons, studiolights and now extensions this is mixing user and system files. This requires exceptions, doesn't work well in some cases and is just generally not great design. Instead use a folder named portable/ that is separate.
Brecht Van Lommel added 1 commit 2024-06-05 16:14:36 +02:00
Core: Change portable install folder to portable/
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9751dce96a
There is a mechanism to store config files in the same folder as the
Blender executable. The typical use case is putting Blender on a USB
drive and taking the config with you.

However the problem is that this is using the 4.2/ folder, which is fine
for config/ but with e.g. addons, studiolights and now extensions this
is mixing user and system files. This requires exceptions, doesn't
work well in some cases and is just generally not great design.

Instead use a folder named portable/ that is separate.
Brecht Van Lommel requested review from Campbell Barton 2024-06-05 16:15:26 +02:00
Brecht Van Lommel requested review from Sergey Sharybin 2024-06-05 16:15:26 +02:00
Brecht Van Lommel requested review from Bastien Montagne 2024-06-05 16:15:27 +02:00
Author
Owner

I already verbally agreed with all the reviewers on the design, so I guess this just needs one person to check the code.

I already verbally agreed with all the reviewers on the design, so I guess this just needs one person to check the code.
Brecht Van Lommel changed target branch from main to blender-v4.2-release 2024-06-05 16:16:05 +02:00

@blender-bot package

@blender-bot package
Member

Package build started. Download here when ready.

Package build started. [Download here](https://builder.blender.org/download/patch/PR122778) when ready.
Sergey Sharybin approved these changes 2024-06-05 17:52:54 +02:00
Brecht Van Lommel merged commit 939e4b2efc into blender-v4.2-release 2024-06-05 18:36:24 +02:00
Brecht Van Lommel deleted branch portable 2024-06-05 18:36:27 +02:00
First-time contributor

Could you explain a bit more how this works?
Do we need to create this [portable] folder in Blender's root directory and then add config folder and any other assets inside it?

Could you explain a bit more how this works? Do we need to create this [portable] folder in Blender's root directory and then add config folder and any other assets inside it?
Author
Owner

See:
https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/4.2/advanced/blender_directory_layout.html#portable-installation

You only need to create the portable folder, and Blender will save configuration, extensions and presets there. You can manually add files there if you want, it works the same as the default location for storing these things.

See: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/4.2/advanced/blender_directory_layout.html#portable-installation You only need to create the `portable` folder, and Blender will save configuration, extensions and presets there. You can manually add files there if you want, it works the same as the default location for storing these things.
First-time contributor

@brecht Why don't "portable" zip downloads include this folder automatically? Has always been a source of confusion in my experience when people think they're setting up a portable version but without the folder to make it portable, it's creating and using config files in the user's home directory instead.

@brecht Why don't "portable" zip downloads include this folder automatically? Has always been a source of confusion in my experience when people think they're setting up a portable version but without the folder to make it portable, it's creating and using config files in the user's home directory instead.
Author
Owner

I think most users downloading zip files are not doing it to get a portable Blender in this sense. On macOS and Linux there also is no clear distinction between installer and zip, so it would be a bit strange to do it only for Windows.

If anything I would remove the wording "portable" from blender.org/download/.

I think most users downloading zip files are not doing it to get a portable Blender in this sense. On macOS and Linux there also is no clear distinction between installer and zip, so it would be a bit strange to do it only for Windows. If anything I would remove the wording "portable" from [blender.org/download/](https://www.blender.org/download/).
Member

If anything I would remove the wording "portable" from blender.org/download/.

I wouldn't do that. The portable aspect is pretty important and unique to Blender too, compared to other DCC apps.

I'd rather either leave it as is, since it's not that many people anyway (see note below), or promote it and either:

  1. Have the Portable version be truly portable by adding the /portable folder to it (perhaps as a build step done by buildbot).
  2. Show the zip/portable version more prominently and/or...
  3. ...mention how to make Blender truly portable in the Download page.

By the way, just for the record, the download count during the last 30 days was roughly:

  • Windows Installer: 1.3M
  • Windows .zip: 45K
  • macOS 216K
  • Linux: 96K

It's really not that many people downloading the zip compared to the installer anyway.

> If anything I would remove the wording "portable" from blender.org/download/. I wouldn't do that. The portable aspect is pretty important and unique to Blender too, compared to other DCC apps. I'd rather either leave it as is, since it's not that many people anyway (see note below), or promote it and either: 1. Have the Portable version be truly [portable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_application) by adding the `/portable` folder to it (perhaps as a build step done by buildbot). 2. Show the zip/portable version more prominently and/or... 3. ...mention how to make Blender truly portable in the Download page. ---- By the way, just for the record, the download count during the last 30 days was roughly: * Windows Installer: **1.3M** * Windows .zip: **45K** * macOS **216K** * Linux: **96K** It's really not that many people downloading the zip compared to the installer anyway.
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Reference: blender/blender#122778
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