`Foot` terminal choice always opens `footclient` even if a server isn't active

[stilic]

Install method (Flatpak/Binary/Other)
Flatpak

Distrobox Version
1.8.2.5

Describe your Issue
Title.

[kacperpaczos]

I looked into this. The supported-terminals table maps Foot to the footclient binary unconditionally (src/utils.rs), and footclient is only a thin client — it exits with code 220 when its server socket does not exist. So with Foot selected and no foot --server running, every terminal action silently does nothing.

#229 makes BoxBuddy check footclient's default socket path first ($XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/foot-$WAYLAND_DISPLAY.sock → $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/foot.sock → /tmp/foot.sock, per footclient(1)) and launch plain foot when there is none; with a live server it keeps using footclient. In the Flatpak the socket is looked for on the host, since that is where the terminal is spawned.

A few questions to make sure the fix matches your setup, @stilic:

1. When Foot is selected and no server is running — do you see any error, or simply nothing happens?
2. Do you run foot --server at all? If yes, with the default socket, or a custom --server <path>?
3. Since you are on the Flatpak — does your foot server run on the host, and does anything open if you run flatpak-spawn --host footclient from inside a sandbox?
4. If you are able to try the fix/foot-server-fallback branch (PR Fall back to plain foot when no foot server is running #229): does Open Terminal now open a plain foot window with no server running, and still go through footclient when the server is up?

[stilic]

When Foot is selected and no server is running — do you see any error, or simply nothing happens?

I do get errors since the client binary expects the server to be active.

Do you run foot --server at all? If yes, with the default socket, or a custom --server <path>?

No.

Since you are on the Flatpak — does your foot server run on the host, and does anything open if you run flatpak-spawn --host footclient from inside a sandbox?

I don't run one at all but if I did, it would run on the host.
I expect flatpak-spawn to work fine otherwise.

If you are able to try the fix/foot-server-fallback branch (PR Fall back to plain foot when no foot server is running #229): does Open Terminal now open a plain foot window with no server running, and still go through footclient when the server is up?

I will try but I would need to look into how to build the flatpak image first.

[kacperpaczos]

Thanks — that confirms the exact case the fix targets: no server at all, footclient erroring out. Since you don't use a custom --server socket, the default-path check in #229 covers your setup fully: with no server you'll get a plain foot window, and if you ever start foot --server on the host, BoxBuddy will go back to using footclient automatically.

The easiest way to try the branch as a Flatpak is GNOME Builder — the manifest in the repo builds from the local checkout ("type": "dir"), so whatever branch you have checked out is what runs:

1. git clone -b fix/foot-server-fallback https://github.com/kacperpaczos/BoxBuddyRS.git
2. Open the folder in GNOME Builder (Builder itself is on Flathub). It picks up io.github.dvlv.boxbuddyrs.json automatically and offers to download the GNOME 50 SDK plus the rust-stable extension on first build.
3. Press Run (▶) — it builds and launches the sandboxed Flatpak directly.

If you prefer the command line, the repo's make flatpak does the same via flatpak-builder and produces a boxbuddy.flatpak bundle you can flatpak install --user boxbuddy.flatpak (see docs/CONTRIBUTING.md).

Two things worth checking when you test: Open Terminal with no server should open a plain foot window, and after foot --server is up the same click should reuse it through footclient.

[stilic]

@kacperpaczos I tried your fix and it works perfectly! Thanks!