fix(aw-sync): default sync dir to documented data dir, migrate legacy ~/ActivityWatchSync by TimeToBuildBob · Pull Request #667 · ActivityWatch/aw-server-rust

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T18:00:06Z

Problem

aw-sync's default sync location was ~/ActivityWatchSync, created in the user's
home directory. A stock install makes this visible immediately: aw-tauri's
first-run autostart module list ships { name = "aw-sync", args = "daemon" }, so a
fresh install runs the sync daemon and writes ~/ActivityWatchSync/<uuid>/test.db
without the user opting into sync at all — clashing with the documented data
directories (ActivityWatch/activitywatch#1418).

What changed

get_sync_dir() now defaults to data_dir()/activitywatch/aw-sync on desktop,
matching aw-server's data_dir()/activitywatch/<component> convention
(aw-server/src/dirs.rs::get_data_dir) and aw-sync's own config dir
(config_dir()/activitywatch/aw-sync). Android keeps its app-scoped historical
location, and the AW_SYNC_DIR / --sync-dir overrides are unchanged.
If ~/ActivityWatchSync already has content, that path is kept. aw-sync's
transport is an external folder synchronizer (Syncthing/Dropbox/etc) watching
that directory; auto-renaming it would disconnect existing setups, and a failed
cross-device rename would start a fresh empty tree beside live data. New
installs with no legacy dir get the documented location. An empty leftover of
~/ActivityWatchSync does not displace live data already in the documented
dir. Existing users can delete the old folder or set AW_SYNC_DIR to switch.

Testing

Unit tests in aw-sync/src/dirs.rs cover the resolution paths:

prefers_existing_legacy_sync_dir
uses_documented_dir_when_no_legacy
prefers_legacy_even_if_documented_also_exists
empty_legacy_does_not_displace_populated_documented

cargo test -p aw-sync --lib   # 17 passed (incl. 4 new)
cargo clippy -p aw-sync       # no new lints in aw-sync

Closes ActivityWatch/activitywatch#1418

… ~/ActivityWatchSync aw-sync's default sync location was `~/ActivityWatchSync`, which a stock install (aw-tauri first-run autostarts `aw-sync daemon`) created in the user's home directory, clashing with the documented data directories (ActivityWatch/activitywatch#1418). - get_sync_dir() now defaults to data_dir()/activitywatch/aw-sync on desktop, matching aw-server's data_dir()/activitywatch/<component> convention and aw-sync's own config dir. Android keeps its app-scoped historical location; AW_SYNC_DIR/--sync-dir overrides are unchanged. - One-time migration moves an existing ~/ActivityWatchSync into the new location at daemon/CLI startup so synced data is preserved. It no-ops when an explicit location is set or no legacy dir exists, and refuses to auto-merge if both locations already have data (leaves both in place, logs a warning) rather than risk losing data. - Adds unit tests for the migrate, no-op, and refuse-to-merge paths. Closes ActivityWatch/activitywatch#1418 Git-Session-Id: fd9c

greptile-apps · 2026-09-01T18:02:26Z

Greptile Summary

The PR changes aw-sync’s desktop default from ~/ActivityWatchSync to the platform data directory while retaining legacy roots intended to preserve existing external-folder transports.

Adds platform-aware default and legacy-directory resolution.
Updates CLI help and README documentation for the new selection behavior.
Adds regression coverage for legacy, documented, unreadable, and metadata-error states.

Confidence Score: 4/5

The PR should not merge until empty legacy directories reliably defer to the documented sync root without risking a split from temporarily unreadable documented state.

The resolver still returns an empty legacy directory whenever the documented directory is absent, empty, or unreadable, contradicting the new default and leaving a path that can separate synchronization from existing documented state.

Files Needing Attention: aw-sync/src/dirs.rs

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
aw-sync/src/dirs.rs	Implements and tests the new sync-root resolver, but its empty-legacy fallback can still select the legacy path contrary to the documented default and can redirect away from unreadable documented state.
aw-sync/src/main.rs	Updates CLI help to describe the intended platform-data default and legacy-content fallback.
aw-sync/README.md	Documents the platform data directory and retention of legacy directories that already contain data.

_{Reviews (5): Last reviewed commit: "fix(aw-sync): fail closed when legacy sy..." | Re-trigger Greptile}

codecov · 2026-09-01T18:09:18Z

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 52.17391% with 11 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.
✅ Project coverage is 79.18%. Comparing base (656f3c9) to head (edb1879).
⚠️ Report is 98 commits behind head on master.

Files with missing lines	Patch %	Lines
aw-sync/src/dirs.rs	52.17%	11 Missing ⚠️

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##           master     #667      +/-   ##
==========================================
+ Coverage   70.81%   79.18%   +8.36%     
==========================================
  Files          51       67      +16     
  Lines        2916     5789    +2873     
==========================================
+ Hits         2065     4584    +2519     
- Misses        851     1205     +354

☔ View full report in Codecov by Harness.
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Auto-migration on startup had two failure modes Greptile flagged: a failed cross-device rename left the daemon writing a fresh empty tree beside live data, and a successful rename disconnected any Syncthing/ Dropbox transport still watching the old path. New installs still default to data_dir()/activitywatch/aw-sync. If ~/ActivityWatchSync already exists, keep using it. AW_SYNC_DIR and --sync-dir are unchanged.

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T18:16:12Z

@greptileai review

An empty leftover of the legacy default was enough to switch every sync operation away from remote databases already in the documented directory. Prefer the documented path when it has content and the legacy dir does not.

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T18:39:09Z

@greptileai review

A read_dir error on the legacy path must not be treated as emptiness. That silently switched the daemon onto the documented data dir while Syncthing/Dropbox still watched the old path.

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T18:48:45Z

@greptileai review

Path::exists() maps IO/permission errors to false, which selected the documented data dir and abandoned a Syncthing/Dropbox root we could not stat. Use try_exists() and keep the legacy path on Err.

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T18:53:21Z

@greptileai review

TimeToBuildBob · 2026-09-01T19:21:11Z

Greptile convergence adjudication

Hit the review-attempt cap. Not retriggering Greptile.

Verified against: edb18794be6f537118ec2fe4a66a9d5fb7531821 (current head; Greptile last-reviewed this SHA). Our own reviewer has no open findings.

CI: all green (ubuntu, windows, macOS, Android, clippy, format, coverage). mergeable=MERGEABLE, mergeStateStatus=CLEAN.

Convergence: round_convergence.status=new_blocking, stable_rounds=0 (required 2). Five rounds, each with a new P1 on resolve_sync_dir. Classic diminishing-returns loop, not a leftover bug.

Fixed (already on this head)

Finding	Class	Where
Failed `fs::rename` (EXDEV) abandoned live sync state	blocking	dropped auto-rename in `630caae`
Rename disconnected Syncthing/Dropbox transport	blocking	same; keep existing `~/ActivityWatchSync`
Empty leftover legacy dir displaced populated documented dir	blocking	`68643b7`
`read_dir` error treated as empty → silent switch	blocking	`bcdd1ce` (`dir_has_entries` → `Option<bool>`)
`exists()` mapped metadata error to absence	blocking	`edb1879` (`try_exists` fail-closed)

Remaining (non-blocking)

Finding	Class	Dismissal
Empty `~/ActivityWatchSync` still wins when documented is absent, empty, or unreadable	accepted trade-off / product call	Empty leftover already yields to a populated documented dir (`empty_legacy_does_not_displace_populated_documented`). Always-switch would disconnect a Syncthing/Dropbox root created from old docs and fail-open onto an unreadable documented dir. New installs with no leftover still get the platform data dir. Greptile withdrew this at 18:58Z (`3907389302`). Summary score stays 4/5 because the summary body was not re-edited after withdrawal.

This session: no code change. Resolved the six leftover Greptile threads (five outdated+fixed, one withdrawn). Did not retrigger review.

Domain risk (maintainer glance)

aw-sync default-dir selection:

Fresh install, no leftover folder → documented data_dir()/activitywatch/aw-sync.
Existing Syncthing/Dropbox watching ~/ActivityWatchSync → keep that path.
Empty leftover + populated documented dir → documented (covered by test).

The product call in (remaining) is whether an empty leftover with no documented content should keep the old folder. I would keep it. Switching is a silent transport break for anyone who created the folder from old docs before the first sync.

Not auto-merging (cross-repo, no merge rights). Waiting on maintainer judgment.