An empty `build_dir` option makes `:VimtexClean` attempt to delete files from root directory `/`

[doronbehar]

Description

Continuing the discussion from #2677 (comment), steps to reproduce the issue are below.

Steps to reproduce

1. Add the following to your init.vim:

let g:vimtex_compiler_method = 'tectonic'
let g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic = {
	\'build_dir' : '',
	\'hooks' : [],
	\'options' : [
	\	'--keep-logs',
	\	'--synctex',
	\],
\}

2. Open a tex file.
3. Compile it.
4. Run :!ls
5. Observe there are auxiliary files.
6. Run :VimtexClean
7. Run :!ls again
8. Observe no files were deleted.

A screencast is attached:

Also, I applied the following patch to debug this issue:

diff --git i/autoload/vimtex/compiler/_template.vim w/autoload/vimtex/compiler/_template.vim
index 8bd4b30b..b829297b 100644
--- i/autoload/vimtex/compiler/_template.vim
+++ w/autoload/vimtex/compiler/_template.vim
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ function! s:compiler.clean(full) abort dict " {{{1
   call map(l:files, {_, x -> printf('%s/%s.%s',
         \ self.build_dir, fnamemodify(self.state.tex, ':t:r:S'), x)})
 
+  call vimtex#jobs#run('echo files to be cleaned are: ' . join(l:files) . ' > /tmp/files-to-clean', {'cwd': self.state.root})
   call vimtex#jobs#run('rm -f ' . join(l:files), {'cwd': self.state.root})
 endfunction
 

And the /tmp/files-to-clean shows:

files to be cleaned are: /test.synctex.gz /test.toc /test.out /test.aux /test.log /test.xdv

Expected behavior

Auxiliary files are deleted.

Actual behavior

No auxiliary files are deleted.

Do you use a latexmkrc file?

No

VimtexInfo

System info:
  OS: NixOS 23.05 (Stoat)
  Vim version: NVIM v0.9.0
  Has clientserver: true
  Servername: /run/user/1000/nvim.1060012.0

VimTeX project: test
  base: test.tex
  root: /home/doron/desktop/init-tests/nvim/pack/testing/start/vimtex/test/test-doc
  tex: /home/doron/desktop/init-tests/nvim/pack/testing/start/vimtex/test/test-doc/test.tex
  main parser: current file verified
  document class: article
  packages: amsmath mathtools tikz
  compiler: tectonic
    options:
      --keep-logs
      --synctex
  viewer: General
  qf method: LaTeX logfile

[lervag]

Continuing the discussion from #2677 (comment), steps to reproduce the issue are below.

Thanks for this wel written issue post!

One question: In #2677 you suggest a patch to update the docs for g:vimtex_compiler_latexmk, but in the below things seem to be purely related to tectonic. Do I understand correctly that I should "disregard" your previous comment and instead focus on the current issue?

Steps to reproduce

Thanks! Notice that you don't need to set g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic, because you are not changing it from default options. Further, you did not provide a minimal LaTeX sample; I'm using the standard 4 line minimal file now. I can reproduce the issue, so I'll look into!

[doronbehar]

Thanks! Notice that you don't need to set g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic, because you are not changing it from default options.

I know, in my original g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic I set some additional command line arguments to tectonic. I just didn't want to pile up unimportant details.

Further, you did not provide a minimal LaTeX sample; I'm using the standard 4 line minimal file now. I can reproduce the issue, so I'll look into!

Nice to hear my reproducing instructions work in their first shot!

One question: In #2677 you suggest a patch to update the docs for g:vimtex_compiler_latexmk, but in the below things seem to be purely related to tectonic.

Correct, that's because:

vimtex/doc/vimtex.txt

Lines 1127 to 1147 in a6df6c3

	*g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic*
	This dictionary allows customization of the |vimtex-compiler-tectonic|
	compiler. The values set by the user will take precedence over the default
	values.
	Default value: >vim
	let g:vimtex_compiler_tectonic = {
	\ 'build_dir' : '',
	\ 'hooks' : [],
	\ 'options' : [
	\ '--keep-logs',
	\ '--synctex'
	\ ],
	\}
	<
	The default value shows which entries may be changed. Here the different
	keys are explained in more detail:
	build_dir ~
	Same as |g:vimtex_compiler_latexmk| / `build_dir`.

Do I understand correctly that I should "disregard" your previous comment and instead focus on the current issue?

No. However, perhaps indeed the issue is not that complicated. One can see there that in contrast to compiler/_template.vim:

vimtex/autoload/vimtex/compiler/_template.vim

Lines 130 to 140 in a6df6c3

	function! s:compiler.clean(full) abort dict " {{{1
	let l:files = ['synctex.gz', 'toc', 'out', 'aux', 'log', 'xdv']
	if a:full
	call extend(l:files, ['pdf'])
	endif
	call map(l:files, {_, x -> printf('%s/%s.%s',
	\ self.build_dir, fnamemodify(self.state.tex, ':t:r:S'), x)})
	call vimtex#jobs#run('rm -f ' . join(l:files), {'cwd': self.state.root})
	endfunction

compiler/latexrun.vim does check if self.build_dir is empty and defaults to . if so:

vimtex/autoload/vimtex/compiler/latexrun.vim

Lines 39 to 43 in a6df6c3

	function! s:compiler.clean(...) abort dict " {{{1
	let l:cmd = printf('latexrun --clean-all -O %s',
	\ empty(self.build_dir) ? '.' : fnameescape(self.build_dir))
	call vimtex#jobs#run(l:cmd, {'cwd': self.state.root})
	endfunction

Similarly with compiler/latexmk.vim:

vimtex/autoload/vimtex/compiler/latexmk.vim

Lines 160 to 164 in a6df6c3

	function! s:compiler.clean(full) abort dict " {{{1
	let l:cmd = self.executable . ' ' . (a:full ? '-C ' : '-c ')
	if !empty(self.build_dir)
	let l:cmd .= printf(' -outdir=%s ', fnameescape(self.build_dir))
	endif

---

I imagined the issue won't be hard to fix, that's why I mentioned this in #2677 since you are rewriting that logic there anyway.

[lervag]

I believe the latest patch should fix this. Can you test?

[doronbehar]

I believe the latest patch should fix this. Can you test?

It works! Thanks for the fix. 👍 for using builtin vim delete rather then rm. It is possible that now the other compiler/latex{mk,run}.vim files can use the template's clean function as is?

[lervag]

I believe the latest patch should fix this. Can you test?

It works! Thanks for the fix. +1 for using builtin vim delete rather then rm.

Thanks! And yes, I don't understand why I didn't use that function earlier.

It is possible that now the other compiler/latex{mk,run}.vim files can use the template's clean function as is?

No, I think it is better to use latexmk -c for cleaning with latexmk.vim, and similar for latexrun.vim (latexrun --clean-all).