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Add a portable mode #122

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Add a portable mode#122
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topic: codeRelated to content of the project itselftype: enhancementProposed improvement
@ornea

Description

@ornea
ornea
opened on Feb 1, 2020

Describe the request

Allow the Arduino IDE installation and dependencies (application, preferences, platforms, sketchbook) to be stored under a single folder.

🙂 The user can put a complete sketch development environment on a portable drive and use it on any available computer.
🙂 The user can create a complete self-contained project environment with all project dependencies, including the IDE application itself.

Describe the current behavior

The IDE installation and dependencies are stored in multiple separate places on the user's computer:

  • Application folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Arduino IDE\)
  • Configuration folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\.arduinoIDE\)
  • Data folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Arduino15\)
  • Sketchbook folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Arduino\)

It is not possible for the user to configure the location of the "configuration folder".

It is possible to configure the location of the "data folder" (via <configuration folder>/arduino-cli.yaml), but doing so is user friendly and the configuration file is under the non-configurable "configuration folder" anyway.

🙁 A complete sketch development environment can not be easily moved between computers.
🙁 Complete self-contained project environments can't be created.

Arduino IDE version

58aac23

Operating system

All

Operating system version

Any

Additional context

Arduino IDE 1.x has a portable installation capability, which is enabled by creating a folder named portable under the Arduino IDE installation folder. The configuration, boards platforms, and sketchbook are then stored under that folder:

https://docs.arduino.cc/software/ide-v1/tutorials/PortableIDE

Due to system security restrictions, it is not possible for users of the macOS or Microsoft Store packages of Arduino IDE 1.x to use that feature. These deficiencies in the previous system might be considered when designing an equivalent feature for Arduino IDE 2.x

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  • I searched for previous requests in the issue tracker
  • I verified the feature was still missing when using the latest nightly build
  • My request contains all necessary details

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    topic: codeRelated to content of the project itselftype: enhancementProposed improvement

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