Open and Save dialog boxes ignore current working directory

[Jim Pivarski]

When invoked from a command prompt, Inkscape's Open and Save dialog boxes start in the directory that was last used by Inkscape, not the working directory of the command prompt. This behavior is unlike most other Linux/UNIX applications (for example, Gimp) and leads to many lost files and frustration.

If some users want the current behavior, at least the start-from-current-working-directory behavior should be an option (feature request).

Tested on Ubuntu Linux 6.06, 8.04, 10.04, 10.10, 11.04 packaged versions. (I've been waiting for someone else to complain. :)

Thanks,
-- Jim

[Melodie (mgreissel)]

I have a class with 22 XP computers. Often students try to "Save As" or "Save a copy" and the dialog box will not open. If they did save successfully, when they go to start a new document... the Save As and Save a Copy will not open. This does not happen to all students or all computers... one class the XP is working fine, then the next it is not... it seems random. This is causing a great amount of frustration. The students love using Inkscape, so we would like to have this problem fixed. My Windows 7 Laptop does not have this problem. Melodie

[su_v (suv-lp)]

@Melodie - you describe a known regression with the Windows port of Inkscape 0.48.2:
Bug #805095 “no File->Save As... dialog box if previously opened a file from root directory of a drive ”
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/805095>

Please consider installing the more recent version Inkscape 0.48.3.1 which no longer is affected by this regression:
<http://sourceforge.net/projects/inkscape/files/inkscape/0.48.3.1/>

[su_v (suv-lp)]

> When invoked from a command prompt, Inkscape's Open and Save dialog
> boxes start in the directory that was last used by Inkscape, not the
> working directory of the command prompt.

With recent versions of GTK+ (2.24.16 and later), the current working directory is easily reachable within the Gtk file dialogs (Save, as well as Open and Import), since it is now listed at the top of the predefined bookmarks on the left side ('Places').

For 'Save as' (and 'Save a copy') dialogs, Inkscape 0.48 (and current trunk) already default to the directory of the currently open file (optionally, can be changed in the preferences to the last used one), for new files it varies depending on upstream GTK+ version.

[su_v (suv-lp)]

Proposal from new duplicate (bug #1155070):

> I would like to have a general preference "Use current directory" which
> means
>
> * open file looks in current directory
> * save, save as, save bitmat... save by default in current directory
> * import imports from current directory
>
> all I/O relate to current directory. (…)

> This behavior is useful when starting inkscape from a term with the
> command line. Therefore we can imagine an argument "-c" or "--
> current_directory".