Add initial draft #388

jshigetomi · 2025-04-03T18:23:10Z

This pull request proposes a new RFC (RFC0066) to change the default location of PowerShell user content on Windows machines from OneDrive to the AppData directory. The goal is to align PowerShell with other developer tools and improve usability by preventing unnecessary syncing issues.

Key changes include:

Introduction of RFC0066 to move PowerShell user content to the AppData directory on Windows.
Specification of the new directory structure in AppData and the creation of a configuration file to manage the user scoped PSModulePath.
Allowing users to customize the location of PowerShell user content, with certain directories being non-configurable.
Providing an example script to relocate existing PowerShell content to the new location.

sdwheeler

There are many more comments and questions I want to add. But start with these changes.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:12:04Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+    As a user,
+    I can customize the location of where PowerShell user content is installed,
+    so that I can choose to sync with OneDrive.


Suggested change

As a user,

I can customize the location of where PowerShell user content is installed,

so that I can choose to sync with OneDrive.

As a user,

I can customize the location where PowerShell user content is installed,

so that I can avoid problems created by file sync solutions like OneDrive.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:17:24Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+
+## Specification
+
+- This change will only apply to PowerShell on Windows.


Why wouldn't we allow macOS and Linux users to relocate these files?

So configurability for all platforms but moving default location only for windows?

That sounds reasonable to me.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:19:46Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+
+- This change will only apply to PowerShell on Windows.
+- This will be an experimental feature.
+- The PowerShell user content folder will be located in the AppData.


Suggested change

- The PowerShell user content folder will be located in the AppData.

- The PowerShell user content folder will be located in the `"$env:LOCALAPPDATA\PowerShell"`.

Or should this be "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell"? The already use this location module cache and SecretManagement.

$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell makes more sense

We should get @SteveL-MSFT feedback. I prefer to not create yet another PowerShell folder somewhere, but that folder get very full of files.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:21:34Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+- The proposed directory structure:
+
+    C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\PowerShell\
+    ├── Modules                  (Configurable)


Why aren't we allowing the location of the content folder to be changed? I want all my user files in one location, I don't want modules in one place and scripts/profiles in another.

I see. So only the location of the config file itself is not configurable and all other files is configurable through the config file.

I see. So only the location of the config file itself is not configurable

Correct. Whether the other locations are configurable is open to discussion. My vision was that we would only allow configuration of the PSContentPath. Everything else would be in that location.

PSContentPath (configurable)
├── Scripts (Not Configurable)
├── Modules (Not Configurable)
├── Help (Not Configurable)
├── profile.ps1 (Not Configurable)

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:23:25Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+    C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\PowerShell\
+    ├── Modules                  (Configurable)
+    ├── Scripts                  (Not Configurable)
+    ├── Profiles                 (Not Configurable)


Profiles are currently in the root of the content folder. I am not against making a profiles subfolder, but is there a reason for this change?

I meant to make it a ps1 and not a directory.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:28:14Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+    {
+        "PSModulePath" : "C:\\Users\\chungjustin\\PowerShell"
+    }


PSModulePath is already a value used in the config file. I suggest changing the name for this configuration to UserPSModulePath. If we allow rehoming of the content folder then use UserPSContentPath.

Use the suggested formatting.

Suggested change

{

"PSModulePath" : "C:\\Users\\chungjustin\\PowerShell"

}

```json

{

"PSModulePath" : "C:\\Users\\chungjustin\\PowerShell"

}

```

Question: Should setting PSModulePath and the user paths be mutually exclusive?

I think making them not mutually exclusive is a good idea. And maybe even separating the scripts and profile out too?

{
"PSModulePath": "C:\Users\user\PowerShell",
"UserPSModulePath": "C:\Users\user\PowerShell",
"UserPSContentPath": "C:\Users\user\PowerShellContent"
"UserScriptPath": "C:\Users\user\PowerShellContent"
"UserProfilePath": "C:\Users\user\PowerShellContent"
}

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:42:34Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+## Alternate Proposals and Considerations
+
+- The following functionalities will be affected:
+  - Secret Management.


Need to explain why this is a problem.

SecretManagement extension vaults are registered for the current user context in:

$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell\secretmanagement\secretvaultregistry\

When an extension vault is registered, SecretManagement stores the full path to the extension module in the registry. Moving the PowerShell content to a new location will break the vault registrations.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-03T19:43:30Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+- Use the following script to relocate the PowerShell contents folder:
+
+```pwsh
+$newPath = "C:\Custom\PowerShell\Modules"
+$currentUserModulePath = [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments') + "\PowerShell\Modules"
+Move-Item -Path $currentUserModulePath -Destination $newPath -Force
+```


Fix formatting

Suggested change

- Use the following script to relocate the PowerShell contents folder:

```pwsh

$newPath = "C:\Custom\PowerShell\Modules"

$currentUserModulePath = [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments') + "\PowerShell\Modules"

Move-Item -Path $currentUserModulePath -Destination $newPath -Force

```

- Use the following script to relocate the PowerShell contents folder:

```pwsh

$newPath = "C:\Custom\PowerShell\Modules"

$currentUserModulePath = [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments') + "\PowerShell\Modules"

Move-Item -Path $currentUserModulePath -Destination $newPath -Force

```

sdwheeler

More comments

sdwheeler · 2025-04-04T18:21:20Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

-    I can customize the location of where PowerShell user content is installed,
-    so that I can choose to sync with OneDrive.
+    I can customize the location where PowerShell user content is installed,
+    so that I can avoid problems created by file sunc solutions like OneDrive.


Suggested change

so that I can avoid problems created by file sunc solutions like OneDrive.

so that I can avoid problems created by file sync solutions like OneDrive.

sdwheeler · 2025-04-04T18:25:45Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+- The proposed directory structure:
+
+    C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\PowerShell\
+    ├── Modules                  (Configurable)


I see. So only the location of the config file itself is not configurable

Correct. Whether the other locations are configurable is open to discussion. My vision was that we would only allow configuration of the PSContentPath. Everything else would be in that location.

PSContentPath (configurable)
├── Scripts (Not Configurable)
├── Modules (Not Configurable)
├── Help (Not Configurable)
├── profile.ps1 (Not Configurable)

sdwheeler · 2025-04-04T18:28:10Z

Draft-Accepted/RFC0066-PowerShell-User-Content-Location

+        `$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell\secretmanagement\secretvaultregistry\`
+    When an extension vault is registered, SecretManagement stores the full path to the extension module in the registry. Moving the PowerShell content to a new location will break the vault registrations.


Suggested change

`$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell\secretmanagement\secretvaultregistry\`

When an extension vault is registered, SecretManagement stores the full path to the extension module in the registry. Moving the PowerShell content to a new location will break the vault registrations.

`$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell\secretmanagement\secretvaultregistry\`

When an extension vault is registered, SecretManagement stores the full path to the extension

module in the registry. Moving the PowerShell content to a new location will break the vault

registrations.

Justin Chung added 3 commits April 3, 2025 12:38

Add initial draft

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Fix date

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Reword motivation and specification

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sdwheeler suggested changes Apr 3, 2025

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Add initial draft #388

Add initial draft #388

jshigetomi commented Apr 3, 2025

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sdwheeler Apr 4, 2025


		## Specification

		- This change will only apply to PowerShell on Windows.

	- The PowerShell user content folder will be located in the AppData.
	- The PowerShell user content folder will be located in the `"$env:LOCALAPPDATA\PowerShell"`.

	so that I can avoid problems created by file sunc solutions like OneDrive.
	so that I can avoid problems created by file sync solutions like OneDrive.

		`$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerShell\secretmanagement\secretvaultregistry\`
		When an extension vault is registered, SecretManagement stores the full path to the extension module in the registry. Moving the PowerShell content to a new location will break the vault registrations.

Add initial draft #388

Are you sure you want to change the base?

Add initial draft #388

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jshigetomi commented Apr 3, 2025

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