Add app.defaultWorkspacePath to pick where Open Folder starts

Packages/macOS/CmuxSettings/Sources/CmuxSettings/Keys/AppCatalogSection.swift

@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ public struct AppCatalogSection: SettingCatalogSection {
         userDefaultsKey: "newWorkspacePlacement"
     )
 
+    /// Folder the Open Folder panel starts in. Empty keeps the active
+    /// workspace's directory. Supports a leading `~`.
+    public let defaultWorkspacePath = DefaultsKey<String>(
+        id: "app.defaultWorkspacePath",
+        defaultValue: "",
+        userDefaultsKey: "defaultWorkspacePath"
+    )
+
     public let workspaceInheritWorkingDirectory = DefaultsKey<Bool>(
         id: "app.workspaceInheritWorkingDirectory",
         defaultValue: true,

Packages/macOS/CmuxSettings/Sources/CmuxSettings/Values/OpenFolderPanelStartDirectory.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import Foundation
+import os
+
+nonisolated private let openFolderPanelStartDirectoryLogger = Logger(
+    subsystem: "com.cmuxterm.app",
+    category: "OpenFolderPanel"
+)
+
+/// Picks the folder the Open Folder panel starts in.
+///
+/// `app.defaultWorkspacePath` pins it (#3156). When that is empty or does
+/// not name an existing directory, the panel starts in the active
+/// workspace's directory, as before.
+public struct OpenFolderPanelStartDirectory {
+    public var homeDirectory: String
+    public var isDirectory: (String) -> Bool
+
+    public init(
+        homeDirectory: String = NSHomeDirectory(),
+        isDirectory: @escaping (String) -> Bool = { path in
+            var isDirectory: ObjCBool = false
+            return FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: path, isDirectory: &isDirectory) && isDirectory.boolValue
+        }
+    ) {
+        self.homeDirectory = homeDirectory
+        self.isDirectory = isDirectory
+    }
+
+    public func resolve(configuredPath: String, workspaceDirectory: String?) -> URL? {
+        let trimmed = configuredPath.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+        if !trimmed.isEmpty {
+            if let path = expandedPath(trimmed), isDirectory(path) {
+                return URL(fileURLWithPath: path, isDirectory: true)
+            }
+            openFolderPanelStartDirectoryLogger.warning(
+                "app.defaultWorkspacePath is not an existing folder; using the active workspace directory"
+            )
+        }
+        if let workspaceDirectory, !workspaceDirectory.isEmpty {
+            return URL(fileURLWithPath: workspaceDirectory, isDirectory: true)
+        }
+        return nil
+    }
+
+    /// Expands a leading `~`. Returns nil for a path that is not absolute
+    /// after expansion.
+    func expandedPath(_ path: String) -> String? {
+        var expanded = path
+        if expanded == "~" {
+            expanded = homeDirectory
+        } else if expanded.hasPrefix("~/") {
+            expanded = homeDirectory + String(expanded.dropFirst())
+        }
+        return expanded.hasPrefix("/") ? expanded : nil
+    }
+}

Packages/macOS/CmuxSettings/Tests/CmuxSettingsTests/OpenFolderPanelStartDirectoryTests.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import Foundation
+import Testing
+@testable import CmuxSettings
+
+@Suite("Open Folder panel start directory")
+struct OpenFolderPanelStartDirectoryTests {
+    private let resolver = OpenFolderPanelStartDirectory(
+        homeDirectory: "/Users/me",
+        isDirectory: { ["/Users/me/workspace", "/Users/me", "/srv/code"].contains($0) }
+    )
+
+    private func resolve(_ configuredPath: String, workspaceDirectory: String? = "/active") -> String? {
+        resolver.resolve(configuredPath: configuredPath, workspaceDirectory: workspaceDirectory)?.path
+    }
+
+    @Test func configuredPathWinsWhenItIsAnExistingFolder() {
+        #expect(resolve("~/workspace") == "/Users/me/workspace")
+        #expect(resolve("  ~/workspace\n") == "/Users/me/workspace")
+        #expect(resolve("~") == "/Users/me")
+        #expect(resolve("/srv/code") == "/srv/code")
+    }
+
+    @Test func fallsBackToTheActiveWorkspaceDirectory() {
+        #expect(resolve("") == "/active")
+        #expect(resolve("~/missing") == "/active")
+        #expect(resolve("relative/path") == "/active")
+        #expect(resolve("~other/code") == "/active")
+    }
+
+    @Test func returnsNilWithNoUsableDirectory() {
+        #expect(resolve("", workspaceDirectory: nil) == nil)
+        #expect(resolve("~/missing", workspaceDirectory: "") == nil)
+    }
+
+    @Test func defaultsToEmpty() {
+        #expect(AppCatalogSection().defaultWorkspacePath.defaultValue.isEmpty)
+    }
+}

Sources/AppDelegate.swift

@@ -9267,10 +9267,13 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, UNUserNotificationCent
         panel.prompt = String(localized: "menu.file.openFolder.panelPrompt", defaultValue: "Open")
         // Seed the panel with the active workspace's directory. Use the shared
         // main-window resolver so this works even when an auxiliary window is key.
-        if let context = preferredMainWindowContextForWorkspaceCreation(debugSource: "openFolderPanel.seed"),
-           let cwd = context.tabManager.selectedWorkspace?.currentDirectory,
-           !cwd.isEmpty {
-            panel.directoryURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: cwd)
+        // app.defaultWorkspacePath, when set to an existing folder, wins.
+        let context = preferredMainWindowContextForWorkspaceCreation(debugSource: "openFolderPanel.seed")
+        if let startDirectory = OpenFolderPanelStartDirectory().resolve(
+            configuredPath: AppCatalogSection().defaultWorkspacePath.value(in: .standard),
+            workspaceDirectory: context?.tabManager.selectedWorkspace?.currentDirectory
+        ) {
+            panel.directoryURL = startDirectory
         }
         if panel.runModal() == .OK, let url = panel.url {
             openWorkspaceForExternalDirectory(

Sources/CmuxSettingsFileStore+SupportedPaths.swift

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ extension CmuxSettingsFileStore {
         "app.paneResizeStepPixels",
         "app.focusHistoryIncludesPanesAndTabs",
         "app.preferredEditor",
+        "app.defaultWorkspacePath",
         "app.openSupportedFilesInCmux",
         "app.openMarkdownInCmuxViewer",
         "app.iMessageMode",

Sources/CmuxSettingsJSONPathSupport.swift

@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ enum AppSettingsFileMapping {
 
     static let stringSettings: [SettingsFileStringMapping] = [
         .init(jsonKey: "preferredEditor", defaultsKey: app.preferredEditor.userDefaultsKey),
+        .init(jsonKey: "defaultWorkspacePath", defaultsKey: app.defaultWorkspacePath.userDefaultsKey),
     ]
 }
 

Sources/ContentView.swift

@@ -8659,6 +8659,12 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                 panel.allowsMultipleSelection = false
                 panel.title = String(localized: "panel.openFolder.title", defaultValue: "Open Folder")
                 panel.prompt = String(localized: "panel.openFolder.prompt", defaultValue: "Open")
+                if let startDirectory = OpenFolderPanelStartDirectory().resolve(
+                    configuredPath: AppCatalogSection().defaultWorkspacePath.value(in: .standard),
+                    workspaceDirectory: tabManager.selectedWorkspace?.currentDirectory
+                ) {
+                    panel.directoryURL = startDirectory
+                }
                 if panel.runModal() == .OK, let url = panel.url {
                     _ = tabManager.acquireOptionalWorkspaceIfActive {
                         tabManager.addWorkspaceIfActive(workingDirectory: url.path)

Sources/KeyboardShortcutSettingsFileStore+Template.swift

@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ extension CmuxSettingsFileStore {
                     "paneResizeStepPixels": SettingCatalog().app.paneResizeStepPixels.defaultValue,
                     "focusHistoryIncludesPanesAndTabs": SettingCatalog().app.focusHistoryIncludesPanesAndTabs.defaultValue,
                     "preferredEditor": "",
+                    "defaultWorkspacePath": AppCatalogSection().defaultWorkspacePath.defaultValue,
                     "openSupportedFilesInCmux": AppCatalogSection().openSupportedFilesInCmux.defaultValue,
                     "openMarkdownInCmuxViewer": AppCatalogSection().openMarkdownInCmuxViewer.defaultValue,
                     "reorderOnNotification": SettingCatalog().app.reorderOnNotification.defaultValue,

skills/cmux-settings/references/all-keys.md

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ General app preferences from Settings > App.
 | `app.keepWorkspaceOpenWhenClosingLastSurface` | boolean | `false` | When true, closing the last surface keeps the workspace open. |
 | `app.focusPaneOnFirstClick` | boolean | `true` | When cmux is inactive, the first click can activate and focus the clicked pane. |
 | `app.preferredEditor` | string | `""` | Custom editor command used when Cmd-click file previews are disabled or a file is unsupported. Leave empty to use the default. |
+| `app.defaultWorkspacePath` | string | `""` | Folder the Open Folder panel starts in, for example ~/code. Supports a leading ~. Leave empty to start in the active workspace's directory. |
 | `app.openSupportedFilesInCmux` | boolean | `true` | When enabled, Cmd-clicking readable local files opens supported previews in cmux, including text, code, PDFs, images, audio, video, and Quick Look files. Preview headers include an Open With menu based on the user's default and compatible macOS apps for that file. |
 | `app.openMarkdownInCmuxViewer` | boolean | `true` | When enabled, Cmd-clicking .md/.markdown/.mkd/.mdx files opens the rendered cmux markdown viewer panel (with live reload) instead of the generic file preview. |
 | `app.devWindowDisplay` | string | `""` | DEBUG-only display name used when opening new windows. An empty value uses the system default. |

web/data/cmux.schema.json

@@ -533,6 +533,11 @@
           "default": "",
           "description": "Custom editor command used when Cmd-click file previews are disabled or a file is unsupported. Leave empty to use the default."
         },
+        "defaultWorkspacePath": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "default": "",
+          "description": "Folder the Open Folder panel starts in, for example ~/code. Supports a leading ~. Leave empty to start in the active workspace's directory."
+        },
         "openSupportedFilesInCmux": {
           "type": "boolean",
           "default": true,