Cannot load EVEREST_SAVEPATH variable from everest-env.txt file

[Pilogoude]

My mods and Everest install are up to date

Yes

I have recreated the bug with only Everest OR a minimum number of mods enabled

No

Describe the bug

Hi, I recently switched to Linux, and the save location is not the same as on Windows. This is why I need to use the environment variable EVEREST_SAVEPATH.

Unfortunately, I was only able to use it by using an export command and then opening the game from a terminal:

export EVEREST_SAVEPATH=/run/media/Pilogoude/HDD-1To/Games/itch.io/everest/
switcherooctl launch /run/media/Pilogoude/HDD-1To/Games/itch.io/everest/Celeste

(Note: I am using a laptop and I need to use switcherooctl launch to run the game on my dedicated graphics card instead of the integrated one).

I cannot make EVEREST_SAVEPATH work with the everest-env.txt file, even though it is placed correctly in the game installation root folder (in the same location as the existing everest-launch.txt file). Inside the file, I wrote:

EVEREST_SAVEPATH=/run/media/Pilogoude/HDD-1To/Games/itch.io/everest/

I am sure that I formatted my everest-env.txt file correctly, because I already asked a question about it here. So I am coming here now because the game still does not take my environment variable into account.

I am playing the native Linux version of Celeste from itch.io.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a file named everest-env.txt in the game installation root folder, at the same location as everest-launch.txt
2. Inside everest-env.txt, add the following line:EVEREST_SAVEPATH=/run/media/Pilogoude/HDD-1To/Games/itch.io/everest/
3. Launch the game from a terminal that does not have the EVEREST_SAVEPATH environment variable exported, or from a desktop entry or file explorer

Expected behavior

The game should read the everest-env.txt file and apply the EVEREST_SAVEPATH environment variable, and should then load and save the progress in the specified custom folder instead of the default Linux save location /home/Pilogoude/.local/share/Celeste/.

Operating System

CachyOS

Everest Version

6314

Mods required to reproduce

No response

Additional context

No response

[SnipUndercover]

Pardon for the long delay, but I just took a look at this and I think there is in fact a bug.

Early in the boot process, Everest reads its settings file by calling the patched UserIO.GetSaveFilePath function - see line 85:

Everest/Celeste.Mod.mm/Mod/Everest/BOOT.cs

Lines 80 to 105 in 985fd82

	// Load the compatibility mode and colored logging settings
	Everest.CompatibilityMode = Everest.CompatMode.None;
	bool coloredLogging = true;
	bool useExclusiveFullscreen = false;
	try {
	string path = patch_UserIO.GetSaveFilePath("modsettings-Everest");
	if (File.Exists(path)) {
	using Stream stream = File.OpenRead(path);
	using StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream);
	Dictionary<object, object> settings = new Deserializer().Deserialize<Dictionary<object, object>>(reader);
	if (settings != null) {
	if (settings.TryGetValue(nameof(CoreModuleSettings.CompatibilityMode), out object val)) {
	Everest.CompatibilityMode = Enum.Parse<Everest.CompatMode>((string) val);
	Console.WriteLine($"Loaded compatibility mode setting: {Everest.CompatibilityMode}");
	}
	if (settings.TryGetValue(nameof(CoreModuleSettings.D3D11UseExclusiveFullscreen), out val))
	useExclusiveFullscreen = bool.Parse((string) val);
	if (settings.TryGetValue(nameof(CoreModuleSettings.ColorizedLogging), out val))
	coloredLogging = bool.Parse((string) val);
	}
	}
	} catch (Exception ex) {
	LogError("COMPAT-MODE-LOAD", ex);
	goto Exit;
	}

However, since this is the first time this type has been accessed by the runtime, UserIO's class constructor is run, which evaluates GetSavePath("Saves") and GetSavePath("Backups") and sets them to SavePath and BackupPath respectively.

Everest/Celeste.Mod.mm/Patches/UserIO.cs

Lines 21 to 25 in 985fd82

	static class patch_UserIO {
	[MonoModIfFlag("RelinkXNA")]
	[MonoModReplace]
	private static string SavePath = GetSavePath("Saves"), BackupPath = GetSavePath("Backups");

GetSavePath is the function that reads the EVEREST_SAVEPATH environment variable.
After these two fields are evaluated, their value is never changed again.

Everest/Celeste.Mod.mm/Patches/UserIO.cs

Lines 36 to 39 in 985fd82

	private static string GetSavePath(string dir) {
	string env = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("EVEREST_SAVEPATH");
	if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(env))
	return Path.Combine(env, dir);

Meanwhile, the everest-env.txt file is parsed after the variable is read. The patched Celeste.Main function is called at line 128, which then parses everest-env.txt at line 97.

Everest/Celeste.Mod.mm/Mod/Everest/BOOT.cs

Line 128 in 985fd82

patch_Celeste.Main(args);

Everest/Celeste.Mod.mm/Patches/Celeste.cs

Lines 97 to 125 in 985fd82

	if (File.Exists("everest-env.txt")) {
	foreach (string line in File.ReadAllLines("everest-env.txt")) {
	if (line.StartsWith("#"))
	continue;
	int index = line.IndexOf('=');
	if (index == -1)
	continue;
	string key = line.Substring(0, index).Trim();
	if (key.StartsWith("'") && key.EndsWith("'"))
	key = key.Substring(1, key.Length - 2);
	string value = line.Substring(index + 1).Trim();
	if (value.StartsWith("'") && value.EndsWith("'"))
	value = value.Substring(1, value.Length - 2);
	if (key.EndsWith("!")) {
	key = key.Substring(0, key.Length - 1);
	} else {
	value = value
	.Replace("\\r", "\r")
	.Replace("\\n", "\n")
	.Replace($"${{{key}}}", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(key) ?? "");
	}
	Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable(key, value);
	}
	}

Fortunately, SavePath and BackupPath are not readonly, so we can change them after the static constructor. The question however, is what to do about it. I guess we could move everest-env.txt parsing earlier but I'd like some input from the rest of the team.

Thank you for reporting.