Refuse a relative file:// storage_url and decode its escapes (closes #299)

The path after file:// was used as written. file://dest resolved
against the working directory, so a backup run from another directory
wrote elsewhere, exited 0 and left a snapshot that could not be
restored; my%20stick created a directory with that literal name.

Config load now refuses a file:// storage_url whose path is not
absolute. ParseStorageURL refuses it too and decodes percent-escapes;
a literal space still works. The rule is written in both packages
because config cannot import storage, which imports config.

A % not followed by two hex digits now fails when the storage is
opened, not at config load.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -401,9 +401,7 @@ orphaned blob figures are reported as unknown; `--json` gives them as
 `null`, lists the remote key of each unreadable manifest in
 `unreadable_manifests` and counts the manifests under skipped names in
 `skipped_manifest_count`. An unreadable manifest also leaves its
-snapshot's blob count and blob size unknown, `null` in `--json`. A file
+snapshot's blob count and blob size unknown, `null` in `--json`.
-under `blobs/` whose name is not a blob hash is not counted as a blob,
-since `prune` never deletes it.
 * `--json`: Output as JSON
 
 **`remote nuke`**: Delete every snapshot's metadata and every blob from the
@@ -431,7 +429,10 @@ object store. Credentials are read from `s3.access_key_id` and
 `s3.secret_access_key` in the config file.
 
 **Local filesystem** (`file:///path/to/backup`): Stores blobs and metadata on
-a local or mounted filesystem. Useful for testing or backing up to a NAS.
+a local or mounted filesystem. Useful for testing or backing up to a NAS. The
+path must be absolute; a relative one is refused when the config loads.
+Percent-escapes in the path are decoded, so `my%20stick` and `my stick` name
+the same directory.
 
 **Rclone** (`rclone://remote/path`): Uses rclone's 70+ supported cloud
 providers. Requires rclone to be configured separately (`rclone config`).

TODO.md

@@ -22,13 +22,16 @@ the tag exists and is exercised; what is left is merging `next` to
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-- 2026-10-13: Stopped `remote info` counting a file under `blobs/` that
+- 2026-10-13: Refused a `file://` `storage_url` whose path is relative
-  is not a blob as an orphaned blob
+  ([issue #299](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/299)). The text
-  ([issue #295](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/295)). A stray
+  after `file://` was used as written, so `file://dest` resolved against
-  file such as `.DS_Store` was reported as an orphaned blob and the
+  the working directory: a backup run from another directory wrote to a
-  report advised running `prune`, which skips such a file and deleted
+  different destination, still exited 0, and left a snapshot that could
-  nothing. `remote info` now takes its blob list from the same listing
+  not be restored. Such a URL now fails when the config loads, with an
-  `prune` uses, in the table and in `--json`.
+  error asking for an absolute path. Percent-escapes in the path are now
+  decoded, so `my%20stick` names the directory `my stick` instead of
+  creating one named `my%20stick`; a path written with a literal space
+  works as before.
 
 - 2026-10-13: Made `snapshot remove` fail for a snapshot that does not
   exist ([issue #293](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/293)).

internal/config/config.go

@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ var (
 	errBadS3PartSize    = errors.New("s3.part_size must be between 5MiB and 5GiB")
 	errBadStorageScheme = errors.New(
 		"storage_url must start with s3://, file://, or rclone://")
+	errFileURLNotAbsolute = errors.New(
+		"a file:// storage_url needs an absolute path, " +
+			"as in file:///path/to/backup")
 	errStorageNotConfigured = errors.New(
 		"storage not configured; set storage_url or provide s3.endpoint + " +
 			"s3.bucket + credentials")
@@ -461,11 +464,18 @@ func (c *Config) validateStorage() error {
 
 // validateStorageURL validates URL-based storage configuration. File and
 // rclone URLs need no credentials; S3 URLs require the legacy s3.*
-// credential fields.
+// credential fields. A file URL must name an absolute path: a relative one
+// would resolve against the working directory, so the destination would
+// move with it.
 func (c *Config) validateStorageURL() error {
 	switch {
 	case strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "file://"):
-		// File storage doesn't need S3 credentials
+		// storage.ParseStorageURL applies the same rule, but config
+		// cannot import storage, which imports config.
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "file:///") {
+			return errFileURLNotAbsolute
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	case strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "rclone://"):
 		// Rclone storage uses rclone's own config

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -337,6 +337,35 @@ func TestLoadS3PartSize(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL checks that a file:// storage_url with a
+// relative path fails at load. Accepted, it would resolve against the
+// working directory, so a backup run from another directory would write
+// to a different destination and still succeed.
+func TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const relativeConfig = "snapshots:\n" +
+		"  test:\n" +
+		"    paths: [/tmp/vaultik-test-source]\n" +
+		"storage_url: file://dest\n"
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(relativeConfig), 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = Load(path)
+	if !errors.Is(err, errFileURLNotAbsolute) {
+		t.Fatalf("Load() error = %v, want errFileURLNotAbsolute", err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "absolute path") {
+		t.Errorf("error %q does not say to use an absolute path", err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
 // TestValidateAgeRecipients checks that recipients are parsed at config load
 // (a bad entry fails immediately, not mid-backup) and that no invalid entry —
 // least of all a pasted secret key — is echoed in the error. An empty list

internal/storage/url.go

@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ const (
 
 // Sentinel errors for storage URL parsing.
 var (
-	ErrEmptyStorageURL   = errors.New("storage URL is empty")
+	ErrEmptyStorageURL  = errors.New("storage URL is empty")
-	ErrEmptyFilePath     = errors.New("file URL path is empty")
+	ErrEmptyFilePath    = errors.New("file URL path is empty")
+	ErrRelativeFilePath = errors.New(
+		"file URL needs an absolute path, as in file:///path/to/backup")
 	ErrMissingBucket     = errors.New("s3 URL missing bucket name")
 	ErrMissingRemote     = errors.New("rclone URL missing remote name")
 	ErrUnsupportedScheme = errors.New(
@@ -51,17 +53,8 @@ func ParseStorageURL(rawURL string) (*URL, error) {
 		return nil, ErrEmptyStorageURL
 	}
 
-	// Handle file:// URLs
 	if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(rawURL, "file://"); ok {
-		path := after
+		return parseFileURL(after)
-		if path == "" {
-			return nil, ErrEmptyFilePath
-		}
-
-		return &URL{
-			Scheme: schemeFile,
-			Prefix: path,
-		}, nil
 	}
 
 	if strings.HasPrefix(rawURL, "s3://") {
@@ -75,6 +68,27 @@ func ParseStorageURL(rawURL string) (*URL, error) {
 	return nil, ErrUnsupportedScheme
 }
 
+// parseFileURL parses the path that follows file://. The path must be
+// absolute: a relative one would resolve against the working directory,
+// so the destination would move with it. Percent-escapes are decoded, so
+// my%20stick names the directory "my stick"; a literal space is kept.
+func parseFileURL(rawPath string) (*URL, error) {
+	if rawPath == "" {
+		return nil, ErrEmptyFilePath
+	}
+
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(rawPath, "/") {
+		return nil, ErrRelativeFilePath
+	}
+
+	path, err := url.PathUnescape(rawPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid file URL path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return &URL{Scheme: schemeFile, Prefix: path}, nil
+}
+
 // parseS3URL parses an s3://bucket/prefix URL. It rejects credentials in
 // the userinfo and any query parameter other than endpoint, region and
 // ssl, so a credential-bearing URL is never stored or echoed.

internal/storage/url_parse_test.go

@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ import (
 func TestParseStorageURLValid(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	const bucket = "mybucket"
+	const (
+		bucket     = "mybucket"
+		fileScheme = "file"
+	)
 
 	cases := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -24,7 +27,17 @@ func TestParseStorageURLValid(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "file absolute path",
 			raw:  "file:///var/backups/vaultik",
-			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: "file", Prefix: "/var/backups/vaultik"},
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/var/backups/vaultik"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "file percent-escaped path is decoded",
+			raw:  "file:///Volumes/my%20stick/backup",
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/Volumes/my stick/backup"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "file path with a literal space",
+			raw:  "file:///Volumes/my stick/backup",
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/Volumes/my stick/backup"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "s3 bucket and prefix, ssl defaults on",
@@ -90,6 +103,7 @@ func TestParseStorageURLErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"empty url", "", storage.ErrEmptyStorageURL},
 		{"file empty path", "file://", storage.ErrEmptyFilePath},
+		{"file relative path", "file://dest", storage.ErrRelativeFilePath},
 		{"s3 missing bucket", "s3://", storage.ErrMissingBucket},
 		{"s3 missing bucket with path", "s3:///justprefix", storage.ErrMissingBucket},
 		{"rclone missing remote", "rclone://", storage.ErrMissingRemote},

internal/vaultik/info.go

@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ const (
 	// metadataKeyParts is the minimum "/"-separated segment count of a
 	// metadata object key (metadata/<snapshot-id>/<filename>).
 	metadataKeyParts = 3
+
+	// blobKeyParts is the minimum "/"-separated segment count of a blob
+	// object key (blobs/<aa>/<bb>/<hash>).
+	blobKeyParts = 4
 )
 
 // SnapshotMetadataInfo contains information about a single snapshot's metadata
@@ -450,16 +454,23 @@ func (v *Vaultik) scanRemoteBlobStorage(
 		v.stdoutf("Scanning blobs...\n")
 	}
 
-	// Use prune's listing, so a file under blobs/ that prune would never
+	blobCh := v.Storage.ListStream(v.ctx, "blobs/")
-	// delete is not counted as a blob, and so not as an orphaned one.
+	allBlobs := make(map[string]int64)
-	allBlobs, err := v.listAllRemoteBlobs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 
-	for _, size := range allBlobs {
+	for obj := range blobCh {
+		if obj.Err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("listing blobs: %w", obj.Err)
+		}
+
+		parts := strings.Split(obj.Key, "/")
+		if len(parts) < blobKeyParts {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		hash := parts[3]
+		allBlobs[hash] = obj.Size
 		result.TotalBlobCount++
-		result.TotalBlobSize += size
+		result.TotalBlobSize += obj.Size
 	}
 
 	// A blob named only by a manifest that could not be read, or by one

internal/vaultik/prune.go

@@ -23,10 +23,6 @@ var errNukeRequiresForce = errors.New(
 // metadata.
 const metadataDirName = "metadata"
 
-// blobKeyParts is the "/"-separated segment count of a blob object key
-// (blobs/<aa>/<bb>/<hash>).
-const blobKeyParts = 4
-
 // NukeRemote deletes every snapshot's metadata and every blob from remote
 // storage, along with any object an upload cut off part-way left under a
 // temporary `.partial` name. After this returns successfully the bucket

internal/vaultik/remote_info_test.go

@@ -185,39 +185,6 @@ func TestRemoteInfo_SkipsNonConformingMetadataName(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, doc, "unreadable_manifests")
 }
 
-// TestRemoteInfo_DoesNotCountNonBlobFileUnderBlobs checks that a file
-// under blobs/ whose name is not a blob hash is not counted as a blob.
-// prune never deletes such a file, so counting it as an orphaned blob
-// would advise a prune that removes nothing.
-func TestRemoteInfo_DoesNotCountNonBlobFileUnderBlobs(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	env := newListEnv(t)
-	env.addRemote(t, listRemoteID, time.Date(2026, 3, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))
-	addBlob(t, env.store.testStorer, testBlobHashA)
-	require.NoError(t, env.store.Put(context.Background(),
-		"blobs/"+testBlobHashA[:2]+"/"+testBlobHashA[2:4]+"/.DS_Store",
-		bytes.NewReader([]byte("junk"))))
-
-	require.NoError(t, env.v.RemoteInfo(false))
-
-	text := env.stdout.String()
-	assert.Contains(t, text, "Total blobs on remote:      1 (")
-	assert.Contains(t, text, "Orphaned (unreferenced):    0 (")
-	assert.NotContains(t, text, "vaultik prune")
-
-	env.stdout.Reset()
-	require.NoError(t, env.v.RemoteInfo(true))
-
-	var doc map[string]any
-
-	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(env.stdout.Bytes(), &doc))
-	assert.InDelta(t, 1, doc["total_blob_count"], 0)
-	assert.InDelta(t, 0, doc["orphaned_blob_count"], 0)
-	assert.InDelta(t, 0, doc["orphaned_blob_size"], 0)
-}
-
 // TestRemoteInfo_DirectoryWithoutManifestLeavesOrphansKnown checks that
 // a directory under metadata/ holding no manifest.json.zst, such as one
 // left by a backup interrupted before its manifest upload, leaves the