KDE Plasma5 + xdg-user-dir: plasma5 xorg session does not autostart xdg-user-dirs.desktop

[cx405]

Describe the bug

This is what I observe for NEW user with clean home directory.
configuration.nix has only plasma5 enabled.

> find ~ -name *dirs.dirs
> ls -1 ~
Desktop
> xdg-
xdg-desktop-icon      xdg-icon-resource     xdg-screensaver       xdg-user-dirs-update
xdg-desktop-menu      xdg-mime              xdg-settings          
xdg-email             xdg-open              xdg-user-dir          


> xdg-user-dirs-update
> find ~ -name *dirs.dirs
/home/testuser/.config/user-dirs.dirs
> ls -1 ~
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Music
Pictures
Public
Templates
Videos

> ls -1 /run/current-system/sw/etc/xdg/autostart/
baloo_file.desktop
gmenudbusmenuproxy.desktop
kaccess.desktop
klipper.desktop
kwrited-autostart.desktop
org.kde.kdeconnect.daemon.desktop
org.kde.plasmashell.desktop
pam_kwallet_init.desktop
polkit-kde-authentication-agent-1.desktop
powerdevil.desktop
xdg-user-dirs.desktop
xembedsniproxy.desktop
> cat /run/current-system/sw/etc/xdg/autostart/xdg-user-dirs.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=User folders update
TryExec=xdg-user-dirs-update
Exec=xdg-user-dirs-update
StartupNotify=false
NoDisplay=true

X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=Initialization
X-KDE-autostart-phase=1

Plasma ignores the requirement to autostart /run/current-system/sw/etc/xdg/autostart/xdg-user-dirs.desktop

Linked discussion:
#222904 comment 1483124476
#221604 #222904

Expected behavior

The desktop file xdg-user-dirs.desktop is installed together with xdg-user-dirs-update script by package xdg-user-dirs sourced by all DEs, including Plasma. This desktop file is expected to be executed by DE so that xdg-user-dirs-update can building the home directories.

Behavior can be disabled by linking directories to $HOME.

Notify maintainers

@ttuegel
@nyanloutre
(from https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/nixos-22.11/pkgs/desktops/plasma-5/default.nix#L38)

Metadata

Please run nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m" and paste the result.

[user@system:~]$ nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m"
> nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m"
 - system: `"x86_64-linux"`
 - host os: `Linux 6.0.10-lqx1, NixOS, 22.11 (Raccoon), 22.11.3253.eac7da7b519`
 - multi-user?: `yes`
 - sandbox: `yes`
 - version: `nix-env (Nix) 2.11.1`
 - channels(root): `"nixos-22.11"`
 - nixpkgs: `/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos`

[nixos-discourse]

This issue has been mentioned on NixOS Discourse. There might be relevant details there:

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/error-installing-kde-spin-i-think/27375/4

[nixos-discourse]

This issue has been mentioned on NixOS Discourse. There might be relevant details there:

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/error-installing-kde-spin-i-think/27375/6

[cx405]

As per discourse discussion and thanks to jtojnar, this is due a confirmed bug: systemd/systemd#18791 Patch is already out. Bug affects only KDE and impacts all distributions. Until it lands, use either:

1. in ~/.config/autostart create a file “userdirs.desktop” with this content:

[Desktop Entry]
Exec=xdg-user-dirs-update
TryExec=xdg-user-dirs-update
NoDisplay=true
StartupNotify=false
Type=Application
X-KDE-AutostartScript=true
X-KDE-autostart-phase=1

or
2) add this to configuration.nix to create systemd user service, which does the same:

systemd.user.services.xdg-user-dirs_workaround={
 description="(Workaround to 2a63d3f0) User folders update";
 documentation=["man:xdg-user-dirs-update(1)"];
 path=[pkgs.xdg-user-dirs];
 wantedBy=["graphical-session-pre.target"];
 unitConfig.RequiresMountsFor="/home";
 serviceConfig.Type="oneshot";
 script="${pkgs.bash}/bin/xdg-user-dirs-update";
};

there is no need to enable anything, its managed by NixOS, reboot and relogin should be enough.

Directories can be controlled from within configuration.nix like this (example):

environment.etc."xdg/user-dirs.defaults".text=''
 DESKTOP=Desktop
 DOWNLOAD=Downloads
 TEMPLATES=Documents/Templates
 PUBLICSHARE=Documents/Public
 DOCUMENTS=Documents
 MUSIC=Documents/Music
 PICTURES=Documents/Photos
 VIDEOS=Documents/Movies
'';

Beware that directory localization is extremely primitive, only few words allowed. Custom directory names are possible by editing the ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs after relogin, or write them as-is globally for every user into configuration.nix.