plugin-helper/README.md

# plugin-helper

`plugin-helper` is an early Python CLI for managing Beat Saber plugins in BSManager installs.

The first implementation focuses on safe local workflows:

- discover BSManager instances
- scan existing `Plugins/` and `Libs/` files
- read checked-in registry and per-version lockfiles
- generate a machine-readable install plan from local release assets
- apply exactly that plan and record install state
- uninstall only files recorded in install state

Default BSManager instance root:

```text
/home/pleb/.local/share/BSManager/BSInstances
```

Default plugin-helper state directory:

```text
$XDG_STATE_HOME/plugin-helper
```

If `XDG_STATE_HOME` is not set, the state directory defaults to:

```text
~/.local/state/plugin-helper
```

Override the instance root with `--instances-root`,
`PLUGIN_HELPER_INSTANCES_ROOT`, or `plugin-helper.local.toml`. To search
multiple explicit roots, separate them with `:`.

Override the state directory with `--state-dir`, `PLUGIN_HELPER_STATE_DIR`, or
`plugin-helper.local.toml`.

## Local Configuration

This checkout is intended to manage the local Linux BSManager install. If you
also manage a Windows install, use a separate clone on that partition and point
both clones at the same state directory only when you intentionally want one
shared source of truth.

Copy the example config and adjust paths if needed:


```sh
cp plugin-helper.toml.example plugin-helper.local.toml
```

`plugin-helper.local.toml` is ignored by git and uses top-level fields:

```toml
instances_root = "~/.local/share/BSManager/BSInstances"
state_dir = "~/.local/state/plugin-helper"
```

For repo-local state, set:

```toml
state_dir = ".state"
```

For a shared Windows-partition state directory, set the same `state_dir` in both
clones, for example:

```toml
state_dir = "~/Windows/Users/pleb/ops/plugin-helper/.state"
```

CLI flags override environment variables, environment variables override local
config, and local config overrides built-in defaults.

## Commands

For normal use, run the Textual menu from the repo root:

```sh
PYTHONPATH=src python -m plugin_helper
```

That is equivalent to `PYTHONPATH=src python -m plugin_helper menu` when run
from an interactive terminal.

The menu reads `plugin-helper.local.toml` when present, shows each discovered
Beat Saber install with its resolved state directory, and lets you toggle
managed plugins with arrow keys and Space. In the plugin table, use `d` to
disable all currently enabled managed plugins and `e` to enable all currently
disabled managed plugins.

The individual subcommands are mostly for automation and debugging. If you use
them, pass `--state-dir` directly only when you intentionally want to override
the configured state directory for one command.

Install assets are currently expected to already exist locally, usually under:

```text
<state-dir>/instances/<instance>/downloads/<plugin-id>/
```

## Beat Saber Data Backups

`backup-userdata` copies the mounted Windows `UserData` folder and Beat Saber
Windows app data into the adjacent `../backups` repo. With the Windows mount at
`~/Windows`, the helper infers Beat Saber's Windows app data as:

```text
/home/pleb/Windows/Users/pleb/AppData/LocalLow/Hyperbolic Magnetism/Beat Saber
```

Example manual backup after mounting Windows:

```sh
PYTHONPATH=src python -m plugin_helper \
  --instances-root /home/pleb/Windows/Users/pleb/BSManager/BSInstances \
  backup-userdata \
  --instance 1.44.1
```

By default the backup repo receives plain copied files under
`../backups/beat-saber/UserData` and `../backups/beat-saber/AppData`, plus
`../backups/beat-saber/backup-descriptor.json` describing the source paths from
the latest backup run. Use
`--appdata-path <path>` if the Windows profile path ever differs, `--no-appdata`
for a `UserData`-only sync, or `--backup-root <path>` to choose a different
destination.

`restore-userdata` copies those backup trees back into a target instance. It
moves the current `UserData` and AppData trees aside first as
`<name>.pre-restore-<timestamp>` snapshots. On Linux BSManager installs,
AppData is restored into the BSManager SharedContent Proton prefix unless
`--appdata-path` is provided. If `backup-descriptor.json` is present, its
`instance` field must match `--instance`.

Example restore into the local Linux instance:

```sh
PYTHONPATH=src python -m plugin_helper \
  --instances-root /home/pleb/.local/share/BSManager/BSInstances \
  restore-userdata \
  --instance 1.44.1
```

The backup intentionally omits bulky/generated data:

- `UserData/BeatLeader/Replays`
- `UserData/BeatLeader/ReplayerCache`
- `UserData/BeatLeader/LeaderboardsCache`
- `UserData/BeatLeader/ReplayHeadersCache`
- `UserData/ScoreSaber/Replays`
- `UserData/BeatSaberPlus/Cache`
- `UserData/BeatSaverNotifier.json`
- `UserData/Accsaber/PlayerScoreCache.json`
- `UserData/NalulunaAvatars/cache`
- `UserData/SongDetailsCache.proto`
- `AppData/com.unity.addressables`
- `*.log`

Other large folders seen in the 1.44.1 `UserData` tree are
`Custom Campaigns`, `SongCore`, `AssetBundleLoadingTools`, `NalulunaMenu`, and
`NalulunaSkybox`. Those are not skipped by default because they can contain
custom content or non-obvious user choices rather than pure cache data.

## Operational notes

- BSManager can inherit launch arguments configured in Steam for Beat Saber.
  Check both places before debugging black screens or startup hangs. Duplicating
  arguments such as `--no-yeet fpfc` can make the game fail command-line
  parsing after BSIPA and plugins have already loaded.
- BSIPA is managed as a first-class bootstrap phase. The `bootstrap` command
  applies the locked `bsipa` root archive, runs `IPA.exe -n` through Proton, and
  records every bootstrap-relevant file under root `IPA.exe*`, `winhttp.dll`,
  `Libs/`, and `IPA/`, including backups created during patching.
- If an instance lockfile includes `bsipa`, ordinary plugin plans require a
  recorded bootstrap state plus a `Logs/_latest.log` that shows BSIPA startup.
  Use `bootstrap-check` before planning a batch when you want a quick gate.
- Use [`docs/SMOKETEST.md`](docs/SMOKETEST.md) after installing or removing a
  plugin batch. It documents the short Proton/BSManager launch loop, IPA log
  checks, and teardown commands.
- The 1.44.1 migration tracker lives in
  [`docs/notes/install-and-verify-plugins-1.44.1.md`](docs/notes/install-and-verify-plugins-1.44.1.md).