Hi all. The Arduino IDE developers are tracking the request to add a portable mode here:
opened 10:04AM - 01 Feb 20 UTC
type: enhancement
topic: code
### Describe the request
Allow the Arduino IDE installation and dependencies … (application, preferences, platforms, sketchbook) to be stored under a single folder.
🙂 The user can put a complete sketch development environment on a portable drive and use it on any available computer.
🙂 The user can create a complete self-contained project environment with all project dependencies, including the IDE application itself.
### Describe the current behavior
The IDE installation and dependencies are stored in multiple separate places on the user's computer:
- Application folder (e.g., `C:\Program Files\Arduino IDE\`)
- Configuration folder (e.g., `C:\Users\<username>\.arduinoIDE\`)
- Data folder (e.g., `C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Arduino15\`)
- Sketchbook folder (e.g., `C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Arduino\`)
It is not possible for the user to configure the location of the "configuration folder".
It is possible to configure the location of the "data folder" (via `<configuration folder>/arduino-cli.yaml`), but doing so is user friendly and the configuration file is under the non-configurable "configuration folder" anyway.
🙁 A complete sketch development environment can not be easily moved between computers.
🙁 Complete self-contained project environments can't be created.
### Arduino IDE version
58aac236bf51532313db1855298294348c0abeb0
### Operating system
All
### Operating system version
Any
### Additional context
Arduino IDE 1.x has a portable installation capability, which is enabled by creating a folder named `portable` under the Arduino IDE installation folder. The configuration, boards platforms, and sketchbook are then stored under that folder:
https://docs.arduino.cc/software/ide-v1/tutorials/PortableIDE
Due to system security restrictions, it is not possible for users of the macOS or Microsoft Store packages of Arduino IDE 1.x to use that feature. These deficiencies in the previous system might be considered when designing an equivalent feature for Arduino IDE 2.x
#### Additional reports
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-581034999
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-588062961
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-699656953
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-826223410
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-845663641
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-852546573
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-955734164
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1077587059
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1078159544
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1136120558
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1166531495
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1218040181
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1221705145
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247196478
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247197948
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247391295
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247577119
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247609568
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1247712864
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1248047427
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1248048157
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1248118001
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1250076345
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1250098152
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1250329765
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1253596483
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/122#issuecomment-1262455530
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/210#issue-829925887
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/210#issuecomment-1703948467
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/2321#issuecomment-1873358113
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/is-there-really-a-portable-version-of-the-arduino-ide-2/1101134
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/italiano-lo-spamm-bar-part-2/847652/5079
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/1
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/6
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/9
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/10
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/11
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/13
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/16
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/17
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/19
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/portable-version/1033334
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/instructions-for-portable-installation-of-ide-2-0/885980
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/how-to-use-arduino-ide-2-0-0-b9-in-offline-mode/888926
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/portable-is-not-honored/850853
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/post-here-for-ide-2-0-rc/937541/3
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-windows-multiuser-environment/972533
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/italiano-lo-spamm-bar-part-2/847652/6854
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/missing-old-ide-features/698280/1
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/missing-old-ide-features/698280/2
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/checking-back-in-after-8-months-any-progress-on-a-true-portable-ide-2-x/1166551
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/24
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-0-portable/1031833/25
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-2-1-portable/1170657
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-2-1-portable/1170657/9
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/your-reason-for-not-switching-to-the-2-x-ide/1176322/12
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/your-reason-for-not-switching-to-the-2-x-ide/1176322/17
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/your-reason-for-not-switching-to-the-2-x-ide/1176322/23
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/your-reason-for-not-switching-to-the-2-x-ide/1176322/49
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/your-reason-for-not-switching-to-the-2-x-ide/1176322/145
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/need-a-way-to-make-newer-versions-of-2-0-portable/1259445
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/is-there-a-portable-version/1265230
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/ide-2-3x-portable-install/1286674
- https://www.facebook.com/official.arduino/posts/pfbid02x5KM54Gf7L56Tea79pLYVafrciYAGZrioedDVD6YFKEnJdsiNT3w6S2WinZtrAc9l?comment_id=941291360659178
### Issue checklist
- [X] I searched for previous requests in [the issue tracker](https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues?q=)
- [X] I verified the feature was still missing when using the latest [nightly build](https://www.arduino.cc/en/software#nightly-builds)
- [X] My request contains all necessary details
If you have a GitHub
The ZIP package of the Arduino IDE is not in any way intended to be equivalent to the "portable" mode of the Arduino IDE 1.x. It is simply a different package option.
In fact, if you use the Arduino IDE 1.x ZIP package without configuring it to run in portable mode, then you will find it works in the same way, where libraries and boards platforms are installed outside the installation folder.
So it is not at all accurate to claim it is "BROKEN". A missing feature is a distinctly different situation from a broken feature, so let's please try to avoid confusing the two in this discussion.