XDG directories for config #258
Description
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Currently, instagram-cli stores all user data, config, cache, and downloads inside ~/.instagram-cli. While this works, it does not follow the XDG Base Directory specification, which is the standard on Linux and other Unix-like systems for separating configuration, cache, and user data. Users who follow XDG conventions have cluttered home directories, and this prevents integration with system-wide standards for managing user directories.
Describe the solution you'd like
Optional support for XDG user directories:
| Purpose | Current path | Example XDG path |
|---|---|---|
| Config | ~/.instagram-cli/config.ts.yaml |
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/instagram-cli/config.ts.yaml |
| User data | ~/.instagram-cli/users |
$XDG_DATA_HOME/instagram-cli/users |
| Cache | ~/.instagram-cli/cache |
$XDG_CACHE_HOME/instagram-cli |
| Media / downloads | ~/.instagram-cli/media |
$XDG_DATA_HOME/instagram-cli/media |
| Generated files | ~/.instagram-cli/generated |
$XDG_DATA_HOME/instagram-cli/generated |
| Logs | ~/.instagram-cli/logs |
$XDG_STATE_HOME/instagram-cli/logs |
This could be implemented as an opt-in feature, where paths starting with xdg: (e.g., xdg:DOWNLOAD) are expanded to the appropriate XDG user dir. Default behavior remains unchanged for existing users.
Describe alternatives you've considered
- Leaving the current
~/.instagram-clilayout as-is (status quo). - Using symlinks to map XDG directories manually. Works but is user-side and not integrated into the CLI.
- Hardcoding XDG paths in the CLI, but this could break existing setups and is less flexible.
Additional context
A possible implementation could include:
if (filePath.startsWith('xdg:')) {
const key = filePath.slice(4).toUpperCase();
const dir = getXdgUserDir(key); // calls `xdg-user-dir` or parses ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs
if (!dir) throw new Error(`Unknown XDG user dir: ${key}`);
return dir;
}