[Feature] Choose custom config location + easy switching

[Markus-G-S-Weiss]

Feature Description

Allow users to set a custom configuration directory for Winboat during installation and maybe later in 'Configuration'. If a chosen path isn’t available, Winboat falls back to the default (~/.winboat) and shows a non-blocking notice.

Use-Case

Sandboxed installs, Docker snap needs pointing configs to a mounted non-hidden folder (permission denied on hidden folder/files); quickly switch between work/personal/staging profiles; store configs in a project repo or shared volume; safely test changes in an isolated config directory; keep configs portable via a cloud-synced folder across machines.

Proposed Implementation

No response

Notice

• I have checked the issue tracker and verified that this Feature Request has not been proposed before.
• I would like to help out implementing this feature

[Levev]

I'm not sure if the burden of adding another installation step would outweigh the benefits of being able to choose a custom config location. Obviously, being able to change it later on is definitely a welcome addition.

Regarding the packaged installs, I think we could support it with a simple check (similarly to how we distinguish when WinBoat is running in development mode or in a packaged setting).

[Markus-G-S-Weiss]

@Levev Yeah, I get the concern about adding extra steps, totally fair. Still, most apps let you pick the install path, and the configs here come closest to an actual install path (especially with AppImage or .deb setups).

Maybe it doesn’t need a full new step though, it could fit under Advanced Settings (like where disk size is set). Depends a bit on when the config path actually gets written; I haven’t checked the code yet to see where that happens.