#787911 reportbug: Read config from XDG_CONFIG_HOME/debian/reportbugrc.

Package:
reportbug
Source:
reportbug
Submitter:
Rodolphe PELLOUX-PRAYER
Date:
2026-09-30 22:47:01 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
Tags:
#787911#5
Date:
2015-06-06 08:54:58 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

Here a patch to allow use of XDG_CONFIG_HOME/debian/reportbugrc for settings.
Reading ~/.reportbugrc is still provided for convenience.

Regards,
Rodolphe
#787911#10
Date:
2015-06-06 15:34:42 UTC
From:
To:
control: tags -1 + moreinfo

what's the advantage? why under the 'debian' namespace?

Regards,
#787911#17
Date:
2015-06-07 13:04:54 UTC
From:
To:
Le 06/06/2015 17:34, Sandro Tosi a écrit :

Mainly, organize config files in home directory in following the xdg
basedir spec [1]. Note that this patch didn't remove the previous config
file path, it just adds the possibility to move the config file in this
new xdg dir.

Well, I guess I would like that most config files related to debian
tools are in the same place (I proposed similar patches that purpose to
dput [2] and git-buildpackage [3] for now).

But if XDG_CONFIG_HOME/debian dir is not appropriate,
XDG_CONFIG_HOME/reportbugrc would be ok.

Regards,
Rodolphe

[1] http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html
[2] https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=787840
[3] https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=787519
#787911#20
Date:
2020-10-24 02:44:02 UTC
From:
To:
Control: tags -1 - moreinfo
Control: found -1 6.5.0
Control: tags 742227 + patch
Control: forcemerge 742227 -1

I've just poked #625654 about this, but it's not clear that reportbug is
inherently Debian-specific. I also think that since they're separate
applications written by separate developers, a 'debian' subdirectory would not
be suitable.

There's another bug to use ~/.config/ with the same intent, so I'm merging that
in.
#787911#33
Date:
2023-05-23 06:02:51 UTC
From:
To:
Not sure if anyone has proposed updated ways to do it, but I made a minimal
patch that implements it
with fallback to legacy config. It's not trying to move anything, just
using XDG base dir if it's a new installation
and picking legacy config if it already exists. It allows to start using it
for fresh installs and not breaking it for old
ones which is a simple temporary compromise.

See attached.

Regards,
Shmerl.
#787911#38
Date:
2024-11-15 18:14:58 UTC
From:
To:
Now I just manually patch the installation every time the version changes.
But it would be nice to have an upstream XDG base dir support.

Thanks!

Shmerl.
#787911#43
Date:
2025-10-10 17:57:47 UTC
From:
To:
Updating my patch on top of recent reportbug. See attached.

Regards,
Shmerl.
#787911#48
Date:
2026-09-23 14:16:22 UTC
From:
To:
Dear Maintainer,

I too would like to have reportbug read configuration from
XDG_CONFIG_HOME.  You ask "what's the advantage?"

The advantage is one of organisation and consistency.  XDG basedir
specifies the locations for programs to place their configuration,
cache, and data files.  It has become rather widespread, most programs
nowadays respect it, and users have gotten used to it (just compare the
list of hidden files in your home directory and in .config).

There are a few patches on this issue and comments from a different
users.  There is also
https://salsa.debian.org/reportbug-team/reportbug/-/merge_requests/88

I don't find the specs particularly difficult to implement but there is
also the xdg package (available in Debian under python3-xdg).

Please let me know of any issues you see.  I can provide a patch to
address issues you have with the change.

Best wishes
David
#787911#53
Date:
2026-09-30 22:44:23 UTC
From:
To:
Dear Maintainer,

I'm attaching alernative git patches to adopt XDG_CONFIG_DIRS and
XDG_CONFIG_HOME across reportbug includinhg the fixes to the man
pages.

reportbug will say I don't have reportbug installed from apt.  That's
because it's now running the version I installed from git -- and so
testing the patch I'm sending.

Best wishes
David