Fix config-not-found errors, dev-build hint, unify output writer

ResolveConfigPath now stats explicit paths from --config and
$VAULTIK_CONFIG and produces an actionable error naming the bad
path and suggesting 'vaultik config init' (with the right path
in the --config case). The default-search failure message lists
the paths it tried.

The scanner no longer hard-codes os.Stdout vs io.Discard based on
EnableProgress. ScannerConfig and ScannerParams take an explicit
Output io.Writer, and the Vaultik caller passes v.Stdout — which
itself is set to io.Discard in --cron mode. One knob controls
both scanner-level and Vaultik-level user-facing output.

The version command prints a hint when Version == "dev" telling
the user this is a development build without embedded version
metadata.

internal/cli/root.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/adrg/xdg"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -63,13 +64,21 @@ func GetRootFlags() RootFlags {
 
 // ResolveConfigPath resolves the config file path from flags, environment, or default.
 // Search order: --config flag, VAULTIK_CONFIG env, XDG config dir, /etc/vaultik/config.yml.
+// Explicit paths from --config and $VAULTIK_CONFIG are checked for existence
+// so the user gets a clear error instead of a downstream YAML parser failure.
 func ResolveConfigPath() (string, error) {
-	if rootFlags.ConfigPath != "" {
+	if path := rootFlags.ConfigPath; path != "" {
-		return rootFlags.ConfigPath, nil
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("config file from --config not found: %s (run 'vaultik config init --config %s' to create it)", path, path)
+		}
+		return path, nil
 	}
 
-	if envPath := os.Getenv("VAULTIK_CONFIG"); envPath != "" {
+	if path := os.Getenv("VAULTIK_CONFIG"); path != "" {
-		return envPath, nil
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("config file from $VAULTIK_CONFIG not found: %s (unset VAULTIK_CONFIG, point it at an existing file, or run 'vaultik config init')", path)
+		}
+		return path, nil
 	}
 
 	for _, path := range defaultConfigPaths() {
@@ -78,7 +87,7 @@ func ResolveConfigPath() (string, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("no config file found; run 'vaultik config init' to create one, or specify with --config")
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("no config file found at %s (run 'vaultik config init' to create the default config, or pass --config <path>)", strings.Join(defaultConfigPaths(), " or "))
 }
 
 // defaultConfigPaths returns the ordered list of config paths to search.

internal/cli/version.go

@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ func NewVersionCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			fmt.Printf("  commit:  %s\n", globals.Commit)
 			fmt.Printf("  go:      %s\n", runtime.Version())
 			fmt.Printf("  os/arch: %s/%s\n", runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
+			if globals.Version == "dev" {
+				fmt.Println()
+				fmt.Println("This is a development build (no version information embedded).")
+				fmt.Println("Build a release binary with 'make vaultik' or download from")
+				fmt.Println("https://sneak.berlin/go/vaultik for embedded version metadata.")
+			}
 		},
 	}
 

internal/snapshot/module.go

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package snapshot
 
 import (
+	"io"
+
 	"github.com/spf13/afero"
 	"go.uber.org/fx"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 // ScannerParams holds parameters for scanner creation
 type ScannerParams struct {
 	EnableProgress bool
+	Output         io.Writer // Where one-off scanner messages go; nil disables them
 	Fs             afero.Fs
 	Exclude        []string // Exclude patterns (combined global + snapshot-specific)
 	SkipErrors     bool     // Skip file read errors (log loudly but continue)
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ func provideScannerFactory(cfg *config.Config, repos *database.Repositories, sto
 			CompressionLevel: cfg.CompressionLevel,
 			AgeRecipients:    cfg.AgeRecipients,
 			EnableProgress:   params.EnableProgress,
+			Output:           params.Output,
 			Exclude:          excludes,
 			SkipErrors:       params.SkipErrors,
 		})

internal/snapshot/scanner.go

@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ type ScannerConfig struct {
 	MaxBlobSize      int64
 	CompressionLevel int
 	AgeRecipients    []string  // Optional, empty means no encryption
-	EnableProgress   bool     // Enable progress reporting
+	EnableProgress   bool      // Enable the live progress reporter (ETAs, throughput)
+	Output           io.Writer // Where one-off scanner messages go; nil disables them
 	Exclude          []string  // Glob patterns for files/directories to exclude
 	SkipErrors       bool      // Skip file read errors (log loudly but continue)
 }
@@ -142,9 +143,9 @@ func NewScanner(cfg ScannerConfig) *Scanner {
 	// Compile exclude patterns
 	compiledExclude := compileExcludePatterns(cfg.Exclude)
 
-	output := io.Writer(io.Discard)
+	output := cfg.Output
-	if cfg.EnableProgress {
+	if output == nil {
-		output = os.Stdout
+		output = io.Discard
 	}
 
 	return &Scanner{

internal/vaultik/snapshot.go

@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) createNamedSnapshot(opts *SnapshotCreateOptions, hostname, sna
 
 	scanner := v.ScannerFactory(snapshot.ScannerParams{
 		EnableProgress: !opts.Cron,
+		Output:         v.Stdout,
 		Fs:             v.Fs,
 		Exclude:        v.Config.GetExcludes(snapName),
 		SkipErrors:     opts.SkipErrors,