System Info Settings In Preferences.xml

[Cecil]

Hello.


Background:  Installed v0.93.2 x64 in Windows 10.  App was not installed to the suggested default folder in drive volume C, but instead to D:\Inkscape.

Objective:  Need to change the user paths shown in the menu dialog Edit | Preferences | System Info.  For backup, security and other admin purposes, custom folder/file paths for installed apps are not saved to the OS drive.

Problem 1:  The path data shown in the System Info menu option cannot be edited.

Problem 2:  (Related to problem 1.)  Your online Inkscape Manual, in the "Inkscape Configuration Files" section, states that the Preferences.xml file contains all the preferences accessible from the menu dialog I mentioned above.  But when I examine the XML file directly it does not contain any data related to user paths.  However, it also notes that this help section is not yet updated for v0.92.  Thus there is no helpful information there.  Also, your online FAQ section does not address these configuration issues.

Problem 3:  (Related to problem 1.)  Your online "Command Line Options" page has a section on "Environment".  That section describes variables such as TMPDIR and INKSCAPE_PROFILE_DIR.  However it does not give any example or direction on how to use them (unlike the useful listing of parameters and switches, in the Options section, which would be appended in a command line call to Inkscape.exe.)

QUESTION:  How does one manually configure the user paths shown in the Edit | Preferences | System Info menu dialog?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't think it's possible to do what you want.  However, there is a portable version of Inkscape, which as far as I understand, is made to be used on non-C drives.  It only comes in 32-bit, as far as I know, but fortunately, that will work on a 64-bit machine.

You'll see the link on this page:  https://inkscape.org/release/0.92.3/windows/32-bit/

Will that work for you?

[Moini]

It is possible to set that environment variable, or to use a symlink from the wrong directory to the correct one. I do not know how to set environment variables on Windows command line or how to create symlinks on Windows, I would have to google it also.

[Cecil]

Hello.


1.  Sorry for my belated reply.  Over the holiday season I tested the use of the INKSCAPE_PROFILE_DIR environment variable.  Success!

How?  Add this line to the "User Variables" section of Windows environment variables:
--  INKSCAPE_PROFILE_DIR=D:\INKSCAPE

(or whatever custom path you wish)

After the change, log out then log back in.


2.  However, please note that a custom path for this variable only impacts these three items in the System | System Info preferences:
--  User Config
--  User Preferences
--  User Extensions

BEFORE - (default) path:  C:\Users\<user_name>\AppData\Roaming\
AFTER - (custom) path:  D:\Inkscape\


3.  Also note that you need to log in with Windows Administrator privileges.  As an admin you can take this route to access the dialog box for editing the environment variables:
--  System | Advanced System Settings | Advanced | Environment Variables


4.  If you do not have admin privileges you can try this free small tool, Rapid Environment Editor, which I have used frequently with different Windows versions:
--  https://www.rapidee.com/en/download


5.  Hope this helps another Inkscape user.

[Moini]

Cecil, thank you for writing that set of instructions out! I'm sure it's going to be useful to someone (I might refer to it some time, too).