configs/config.example.yml

@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ storage_url: "rclone://myremote/path/to/backups"
 
 # Path to local SQLite index database
 # This database tracks file state for incremental backups
+# It must be an absolute path; ~ is expanded
 # Default: the platform data directory, e.g.
 #   macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/vaultik/index.sqlite
 #   Linux: ~/.local/share/vaultik/index.sqlite

internal/cli/config.go

@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ storage_url: ""
 # Hostname used in snapshot IDs. Default: system hostname.
 # hostname: myserver
 
-# Path to the local SQLite index database.
+# Path to the local SQLite index database. It must be an absolute path;
+# ~ is expanded.
 # Default: the platform data directory, e.g.
 #   macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/vaultik/index.sqlite
 #   Linux: ~/.local/share/vaultik/index.sqlite

internal/config/config.go

@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ var (
 	errFileURLNotAbsolute = errors.New(
 		"a file:// storage_url needs an absolute path, " +
 			"as in file:///path/to/backup")
+	errIndexPathNotAbsolute = errors.New(
+		"index_path and VAULTIK_INDEX_PATH need an absolute path, " +
+			"as in ~/.local/share/vaultik/index.sqlite")
 	errNegativePruneGracePeriod = errors.New(
 		"prune_grace_period must not be negative")
 	errStorageNotConfigured = errors.New(
@@ -387,6 +390,8 @@ func Parse(data []byte) (*Config, error) {
 //     create needs a recipient and it checks for one itself
 //   - At least one snapshot must be configured with at least one path
 //   - Storage must be configured (either storage_url or s3.* fields)
+//   - The index path must be absolute: a relative one would resolve against
+//     the working directory, so each directory would get its own index
 //   - Chunk size must be at least 1MB
 //   - Blob size limit must be at least the largest chunk the chunker can emit
 //     (chunk_size times chunker.ChunkSizeSpread), so a single-chunk blob never
@@ -420,6 +425,10 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(c.IndexPath) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", errIndexPathNotAbsolute, c.IndexPath)
+	}
+
 	if c.ChunkSize.Int64() < minChunkSize {
 		return errChunkSizeTooSmall
 	}

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ func TestValidateBlobSizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
 			AgeRecipients:    []string{testSneakAgePublicKey},
 			Snapshots:        map[string]SnapshotConfig{"test": {Paths: []string{"/tmp/src"}}},
 			StorageURL:       "file:///tmp/vaultik-test-store",
+			IndexPath:        "/tmp/vaultik-test-index.sqlite",
 			ChunkSize:        chunkSize,
 			BlobSizeLimit:    blobLimit,
 			CompressionLevel: 3,
@@ -510,6 +511,65 @@ func TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLoadIndexPath checks that a relative index_path fails at load, naming
+// the value. Accepted, it would resolve against the working directory, so a
+// backup run from another directory would start from an empty index. A path
+// starting with ~ is expanded and loads.
+func TestLoadIndexPath(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("home directory: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	load := func(t *testing.T, indexPath string) (*Config, error) {
+		t.Helper()
+
+		data := "snapshots:\n" +
+			"  test:\n" +
+			"    paths: [/tmp/vaultik-test-source]\n" +
+			"storage_url: file:///tmp/vaultik-test-storage\n" +
+			"index_path: " + indexPath + "\n"
+
+		path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+		err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(data), 0o600)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		return Load(path)
+	}
+
+	t.Run("relative path is rejected", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		_, err := load(t, "relative/index.sqlite")
+		if !errors.Is(err, errIndexPathNotAbsolute) {
+			t.Fatalf("Load() error = %v, want errIndexPathNotAbsolute", err)
+		}
+
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), `"relative/index.sqlite"`) {
+			t.Errorf("error %q does not name the value", err.Error())
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("path starting with ~ is expanded", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		cfg, err := load(t, "~/vaultik/index.sqlite")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Load() unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		want := filepath.Join(home, "vaultik", "index.sqlite")
+		if cfg.IndexPath != want {
+			t.Errorf("IndexPath = %q, want %q", cfg.IndexPath, want)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 // 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
@@ -522,6 +582,7 @@ func TestValidateAgeRecipients(t *testing.T) {
 			AgeRecipients:    recipients,
 			Snapshots:        map[string]SnapshotConfig{"test": {Paths: []string{"/tmp/src"}}},
 			StorageURL:       "file:///tmp/vaultik-test-store",
+			IndexPath:        "/tmp/vaultik-test-index.sqlite",
 			ChunkSize:        Size(10 * 1024 * 1024),
 			BlobSizeLimit:    Size(10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024),
 			CompressionLevel: 3,