feat(config): generate default template when config file is not found

src/config/Config.zig

@@ -2668,18 +2668,40 @@ pub fn loadFile(self: *Config, alloc: Allocator, path: []const u8) !void {
     try self.expandPaths(std.fs.path.dirname(path).?);
 }
 
+pub const OptionalFileAction = enum { loaded, not_found, @"error" };
+
 /// Load optional configuration file from `path`. All errors are ignored.
-pub fn loadOptionalFile(self: *Config, alloc: Allocator, path: []const u8) void {
-    self.loadFile(alloc, path) catch |err| switch (err) {
-        error.FileNotFound => std.log.info(
-            "optional config file not found, not loading path={s}",
-            .{path},
-        ),
-        else => std.log.warn(
-            "error reading optional config file, not loading err={} path={s}",
-            .{ err, path },
-        ),
-    };
+///
+/// Returns the action that was taken.
+pub fn loadOptionalFile(
+    self: *Config,
+    alloc: Allocator,
+    path: []const u8,
+) OptionalFileAction {
+    if (self.loadFile(alloc, path)) {
+        return .loaded;
+    } else |err| switch (err) {
+        error.FileNotFound => return .not_found,
+        else => {
+            std.log.warn(
+                "error reading optional config file, not loading err={} path={s}",
+                .{ err, path },
+            );
+
+            return .@"error";
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+fn writeConfigTemplate(path: []const u8) !void {
+    log.info("creating template config file: path={s}", .{path});
+    const file = try std.fs.createFileAbsolute(path, .{});
+    defer file.close();
+    try std.fmt.format(
+        file.writer(),
+        @embedFile("./config-template"),
+        .{ .path = path },
+    );
 }
 
 /// Load configurations from the default configuration files. The default
@@ -2688,14 +2710,30 @@ pub fn loadOptionalFile(self: *Config, alloc: Allocator, path: []const u8) void
 /// On macOS, `$HOME/Library/Application Support/$CFBundleIdentifier/config`
 /// is also loaded.
 pub fn loadDefaultFiles(self: *Config, alloc: Allocator) !void {
+    // Load XDG first
     const xdg_path = try internal_os.xdg.config(alloc, .{ .subdir = "ghostty/config" });
     defer alloc.free(xdg_path);
-    self.loadOptionalFile(alloc, xdg_path);
+    const xdg_action = self.loadOptionalFile(alloc, xdg_path);
 
+    // On macOS load the app support directory as well
     if (comptime builtin.os.tag == .macos) {
         const app_support_path = try internal_os.macos.appSupportDir(alloc, "config");
         defer alloc.free(app_support_path);
-        self.loadOptionalFile(alloc, app_support_path);
+        const app_support_action = self.loadOptionalFile(alloc, app_support_path);
+
+        // If both files are not found, then we create a template file.
+        // For macOS, we only create the template file in the app support
+        if (app_support_action == .not_found and xdg_action == .not_found) {
+            writeConfigTemplate(app_support_path) catch |err| {
+                log.warn("error creating template config file err={}", .{err});
+            };
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (xdg_action == .not_found) {
+            writeConfigTemplate(xdg_path) catch |err| {
+                log.warn("error creating template config file err={}", .{err});
+            };
+        }
     }
 }
 

src/config/config-template

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# This is the configuration file for Ghostty.
+#
+# This template file has been automatically created at the following
+# path since Ghostty couldn't find any existing config files on your system:
+#
+#   {[path]s}
+#
+# The template does not set any default options, since Ghostty ships
+# with sensible defaults for all options. Users should only need to set
+# options that they want to change from the default.
+#
+# Run `ghostty +show-config --default --docs` to view a list of
+# all available config options and their default values.
+#
+# Additionally, each config option is also explained in detail
+# on Ghostty's website, at https://ghostty.org/docs/config.
+
+# Config syntax crash course
+# ==========================
+# # The config file consists of simple key-value pairs,
+# # separated by equals signs.
+# font-family = Iosevka
+# window-padding-x = 2
+#
+# # Spacing around the equals sign does not matter.
+# # All of these are identical:
+# key=value
+# key= value
+# key =value
+# key = value
+#
+# # Any line beginning with a # is a comment. It's not possible to put
+# # a comment after a config option, since it would be interpreted as a
+# # part of the value. For example, this will have a value of "#123abc":
+# background = #123abc
+#
+# # Empty values are used to reset config keys to default.
+# key =
+#
+# # Some config options have unique syntaxes for their value,
+# # which is explained in the docs for that config option.
+# # Just for example:
+# resize-overlay-duration = 4s 200ms

src/config/edit.zig

@@ -48,13 +48,7 @@ pub fn open(alloc_gpa: Allocator) !void {
 ///
 /// The allocator must be an arena allocator. No memory is freed by this
 /// function and the resulting path is not all the memory that is allocated.
-///
-/// NOTE: WHY IS THIS INLINE? This is inline because when this is not
-/// inline then Zig 0.13 crashes [most of the time] when trying to compile
-/// this file. This is a workaround for that issue. This function is only
-/// called from one place that is not performance critical so it is fine
-/// to be inline.
-inline fn configPath(alloc_arena: Allocator) ![]const u8 {
+fn configPath(alloc_arena: Allocator) ![]const u8 {
     const paths: []const []const u8 = try configPathCandidates(alloc_arena);
     assert(paths.len > 0);