Re: [PATCH 0/2] test-lib-functions.sh: keep user's HOME, TERM and SHELL for 'test_pause' and 'debug'

Eric Sunshine [off-list ref] writes:

I also find the test_pause() user-experience suboptimal and appreciate
the idea of improving it. However, this approach seems fatally flawed.
In particular, setting HOME to the user's real home directory could
lead to undesirable results. When I'm using test_pause() to debug a
problem with a test, I'm not just inspecting the test state, but I
quite often interact with the state using the same Git commands as the
test itself would use.

Yes, I do agree with you that it is a valid concern.

I wonder if the developers can configure tools used during debugging
session with XDG so that HOME can be kept for the "fake user that
ran the test suite, with the fake user's configuration"?

On Thu, Aug 19, 2021 at 3:58 PM Junio C Hamano [off-list ref] wrote:

Eric Sunshine [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

I also find the test_pause() user-experience suboptimal and appreciate
the idea of improving it. However, this approach seems fatally flawed.
In particular, setting HOME to the user's real home directory could
lead to undesirable results. When I'm using test_pause() to debug a
problem with a test, I'm not just inspecting the test state, but I
quite often interact with the state using the same Git commands as the
test itself would use.

Yes, I do agree with you that it is a valid concern.

I wonder if the developers can configure tools used during debugging
session with XDG so that HOME can be kept for the "fake user that
ran the test suite, with the fake user's configuration"?

I haven't studied XDG deeply enough to answer, though it would not
help macOS or Windows users (but that's not an argument against
pursuing an XDG solution -- it might still help some developers).