fish_add_path does nothing on msys2, and set $PATH misbehaves

[Tyler799]

fish_add_path does nothing on msys2, and set $PATH misbehaves

[faho]

You can run fish_add_path -v to see which exact set command fish_add_path ends up running.

Note that it will ignore duplicate and already included paths. If the path is not already included it will show something like

set -U fish_user_paths /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin # and the already included paths

If it does not print anything, you can do

set -l old_path $fish_user_paths
set -e fish_user_paths
fish_add_path -v /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin $old_path

to see if that runs anything.

Msys2 has some extra configuration that we know to be pretty broken - see e.g. msys2/MSYS2-packages#1634.

My assumption is that that resets $PATH to a value without your customization.

---

While this works, it results in the path being inserted several times into PATH, seemingly one after every entry in PATH.

The fish-native way to set $PATH is as a list, with a space between the arguments:

set PATH $PATH /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin

Just like any other list in fish.

: works because $PATH is a "path variable" that will be split on colons, but if you do that you need to quote $PATH:

set PATH "$PATH":/c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin

or use -a to append a path:

set -a PATH /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin

Read https://fishshell.com/docs/current/language.html#path-variables and https://fishshell.com/docs/current/language.html#combining-lists-cartesian-product for more information.

[Tyler799]

Passing -v did not print anything at all. Trying your second suggestion of using old_path, it does print something, and works:

set -U fish_user_paths /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/Documents /c/Users/tyler.shellberg/.cargo/bin

Also, set -a works without duplicating the path, so that's good. Thanks.

[faho]

Passing -v did not print anything at all. Trying your second suggestion of using old_path, it does print something:

Okay, that means $fish_user_paths already included it, which means msys is messing up your $PATH after that is applied.

You'll have to talk to the msys people. Tbh I would recommend WSL instead, but that's your call of course.

[Tyler799]

Okay, that means $fish_user_paths already included it, which means msys is messing up your $PATH after that is applied.

You'll have to talk to the msys people. Tbh I would recommend WSL instead, but that's your call of course.

I use both WSL and msys. I don't have much of a choice, I definitely need to use both.

What would I report to MSYS* maintainers? I'm concerned I may get bounced back here if I don't have something concrete.

[faho]

What would I report to WSL maintainers? I'm concerned I may get bounced back here if I don't have something concrete.

You'll have to tell the MSYS people (not the WSL people) that they seem to overwrite $PATH after $fish_user_paths is applied.

They might tell you more, e.g. there's apparently a "strict" path type that will cause it to reset $PATH, maybe something in your config triggers that.

Edit: Oh, apparently anything that's not "inherit" will cause that to happen. I can't recommend that, and it will kill $fish_user_paths.