Commands fail when currentvault names no vault (closes #156)

An empty currentvault, or one naming a vault that does not exist, made
`secret list` report an empty vault with exit 0 and `secret add` fail on a
missing directory. ResolveVaultSymlink now refuses an empty or invalid
name, or one with no directory under vaults.d, with an error that wraps
ErrVaultNotFound, names the file and says to run
`secret vault select <name>`. Every command that uses the current vault
gets it; `secret vault list` and `secret info` still run.

newSizeTestVault wrote a full path into currentvault, which resolved only
because the last path element was taken as the name; it now relies on
CreateVault selecting the vault.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ and unlocker set. This allows for complete isolation between different contexts
 
 ## Commands Reference
 
+Every time `secret` prints, in a table or in `--json` output, is in UTC,
+whatever `TZ` or the system's time zone is set to. The date in a version's name
+is the UTC date too.
+
 ### Confirmation Before Removal
 
 `secret rm`, `secret version rm`, `secret vault remove` and
@@ -114,7 +118,11 @@ are allowed, and a name must not be empty, `.` or `..`.
 
 #### `secret vault select <name>`
 
-Switches to the specified vault for subsequent operations.
+Switches to the specified vault for subsequent operations. When `currentvault`
+is empty or names a vault that does not exist, every command that uses the
+current vault fails with an error that names the file and says to run
+`secret vault select <name>`. `secret vault list` still lists the vaults, and
+`secret info` still runs; both show no vault as current.
 
 #### `secret vault remove <name> [--force]` / `secret vault rm` ⚠️ 🛑
 

internal/cli/current_vault_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package cli_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/secret/internal/cli"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/secret/internal/secret"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/secret/internal/vault"
+)
+
+// TestListFailsWhenCurrentVaultDoesNotExist is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/156, where a currentvault file
+// that was empty, held an invalid vault name, or named a vault that does
+// not exist, made `secret list` report an empty vault. Listing must fail
+// with an error that names the file and says to run `secret vault select`,
+// `secret vault list` must still list the vaults, and selecting a vault
+// must make listing work again. The name "." would make vaults.d itself the
+// vault, and "../vaults.d/work" would reach the vault work by a path.
+func TestListFailsWhenCurrentVaultDoesNotExist(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, name := range []string{"", ".", "../vaults.d/work", "gone"} {
+		t.Run(strconv.Quote(name), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			fs := newTwoVaultFs(t)
+			currentVaultPath := filepath.Join(testStateDir, "currentvault")
+			require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs, currentVaultPath,
+				[]byte(name), secret.FilePerms))
+
+			c := cli.NewCLIInstanceWithStateDir(fs, testStateDir)
+
+			var out bytes.Buffer
+
+			cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+			cmd.SetOut(&out)
+
+			err := c.ListSecrets(cmd, false, true, "")
+			require.ErrorIs(t, err, vault.ErrVaultNotFound)
+			require.ErrorContains(t, err, currentVaultPath)
+			require.ErrorContains(t, err, "secret vault select")
+			assert.Empty(t, out.String())
+
+			require.NoError(t, c.ListVaults(cmd, false))
+			assert.Equal(t, "Available vaults:\n  default\n  work\n", out.String())
+
+			require.NoError(t, c.SelectVault(cmd, "default"))
+			out.Reset()
+			require.NoError(t, c.ListSecrets(cmd, false, true, ""))
+			assert.Equal(t, "x\n", out.String())
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/cli/list_times_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ package cli_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -125,6 +128,57 @@ func TestMovedSecretKeepsItsTimes(t *testing.T) {
 		"updated %s, then %s", beforeMove.UpdatedAt, afterMove.UpdatedAt)
 }
 
+// TestListedTimesAreUTC is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/169, where times were printed
+// in the local time zone. It runs `secret list` on the built binary with
+// TZ set to New York, where the secret's last update, 03:04:05 UTC on 2
+// January, is 22:04:05 the day before.
+func TestListedTimesAreUTC(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stateDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	vlt, err := vault.CreateVault(
+		afero.NewOsFs(), stateDir, "default", testMnemonicBuffer(t), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	vlt.Mnemonic = testMnemonicBuffer(t)
+	err = vlt.AddSecret("x", memguard.NewBufferFromBytes([]byte("one")), false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	updated := time.Date(2026, time.January, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, time.UTC)
+	current := filepath.Join(stateDir, "vaults.d", "default", "secrets.d", "x",
+		"current")
+	require.NoError(t, os.Chtimes(current, updated, updated))
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		flags []string
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{flags: nil, want: "2026-01-02 03:04"},
+		{
+			flags: []string{"--json"},
+			want:  `"updated_at": "2026-01-02T03:04:05Z"`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		args := append([]string{"list"}, tt.flags...)
+
+		//nolint:gosec // G204: test executes the freshly built secret binary
+		cmd := exec.CommandContext(t.Context(), secretBinaryPath(t), args...)
+		cmd.Env = []string{
+			secret.EnvStateDir + "=" + stateDir,
+			"TZ=America/New_York",
+			"PATH=" + os.Getenv("PATH"),
+		}
+
+		output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		require.NoError(t, err, "%v: %s", args, output)
+		assert.Contains(t, string(output), tt.want, "%v", args)
+	}
+}
+
 // listSecrets returns the output of `secret list`, or of
 // `secret list --json` when jsonOutput is set.
 func listSecrets(t *testing.T, c *cli.Instance, jsonOutput bool) string {

internal/cli/root.go

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/awnumar/memguard"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ import (
 // every memguard buffer before it returns, so the caller must do nothing
 // but exit with the code.
 func Entry() int {
+	// Every time secret prints or writes is in UTC, whatever TZ or the
+	// system's time zone is set to.
+	time.Local = time.UTC //nolint:gosmopolitan // this makes local time UTC
+
 	raiseLockedMemoryLimit()
 
 	// On SIGINT or SIGTERM memguard runs this function, wipes every buffer

internal/cli/secrets_size_test.go

@@ -36,17 +36,11 @@ func newSizeTestVault(t *testing.T) (afero.Fs, *vault.Vault) {
 
 	fs := afero.NewMemMapFs()
 
-	// Create vault
+	// Create vault, which selects it as the current vault
 	_, err := vault.CreateVault(fs, testStateDir, testVaultName,
 		testMnemonicBuffer(t), nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	// Set current vault
-	currentVaultPath := filepath.Join(testStateDir, "currentvault")
-	vaultPath := filepath.Join(testStateDir, "vaults.d", testVaultName)
-	err = afero.WriteFile(fs, currentVaultPath, []byte(vaultPath), 0o600)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
 	// Get vault and set up long-term key
 	vlt, err := vault.GetCurrentVault(fs, testStateDir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)

internal/vault/management.go

@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ func ValidateVaultName(name string) error {
 }
 
 // ResolveVaultSymlink reads the currentvault file to get the path to the current vault
-// The file contains just the vault name (e.g., "default")
+// The file contains just the vault name (e.g., "default"). An empty or
+// invalid name, or the name of a vault that does not exist, is an error
+// wrapping ErrVaultNotFound that names the file and says to run
+// 'secret vault select <name>'.
 func ResolveVaultSymlink(fs afero.Fs, currentVaultPath string) (string, error) {
 	secret.Debug("resolveVaultSymlink starting", "path", currentVaultPath)
 
@@ -74,6 +77,21 @@ func ResolveVaultSymlink(fs afero.Fs, currentVaultPath string) (string, error) {
 	stateDir := filepath.Dir(currentVaultPath)
 	absolutePath := filepath.Join(stateDir, "vaults.d", vaultName)
 
+	// An empty name would make vaults.d itself the vault's directory
+	exists := false
+	if isValidVaultName(vaultName) {
+		exists, err = afero.DirExists(fs, absolutePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to check if vault exists: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !exists {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("vault '%s' named in %s %w; run "+
+			"'secret vault select <name>' to select a vault",
+			vaultName, currentVaultPath, ErrVaultNotFound)
+	}
+
 	secret.Debug("Resolved to absolute path", "absolute_path", absolutePath)
 
 	return absolutePath, nil