fix: run the read-only tools from the repo root

Only verify.py and generate_pack.py moved to the repository root. From
any other folder slots, region_audit, provenance_report and bundled_only
said database.json was missing and to rebuild it, identity and
list_platforms named a missing folder, and game_rules ended on a
FileNotFoundError traceback. work_from_repo_root moves to common.py and
the eight tools call it: defaults are read from the root, a path the
user typed from where it was typed.

scripts/bundled_only.py

@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ def main() -> int:
     parser.add_argument("--json", action="store_true", help="print the list as JSON")
     parser.add_argument("--strict", action="store_true", help="exit 1 while a file is listed")
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["db", "emulators_dir", "platforms_dir", "install_dir"])
 
     rows = bundled_only(
         load_database(args.db), load_emulator_profiles(args.emulators_dir),

scripts/common.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
 from collections import Counter
 
+import argparse
 import filecmp
 import hashlib
 import functools
@@ -670,6 +671,31 @@ def suggest_names(
     return f"{listing_flag} lists all {total}."
 
 
+def work_from_repo_root(
+    args: argparse.Namespace, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, path_flags: list[str]
+) -> None:
+    """Run from the repository root, whichever directory the command started in.
+
+    database.json records every file from the root and the data registry
+    names its caches the same way, so a run from scripts/ ended on a
+    FileNotFoundError traceback. A path the caller typed is read from where
+    they typed it, a default from the root.
+    """
+    root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+    if Path.cwd().resolve() == root:
+        return
+    for flag in path_flags:
+        value = getattr(args, flag, None)
+        if value and value != parser.get_default(flag):
+            # A Path stays a Path for the code that joins onto it.
+            setattr(args, flag, type(value)(os.path.abspath(value)))
+    os.chdir(root)
+    if getattr(args, "platform", None):
+        # Read before the move, the registry was not there to map
+        # "RetroArch" to its slug.
+        args.platform = platform_arg(args.platform)
+
+
 def platform_arg(value: str) -> str:
     """--platform as typed, mapped to the registry's slug when it names one.
 

scripts/cross_reference.py

@@ -1191,6 +1191,9 @@ def main() -> None:
         "--list-emulators", action="store_true", help="List available emulators"
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["emulators_dir", "platforms_dir", "db"])
     if args.list_emulators:
         ignored = [flag for flag, on in (
             ("--emulator", args.emulator), ("--platform", args.platform),

scripts/game_rules.py

@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ def main() -> int:
                         help="profiles the rules are checked against (default emulators)")
     parser.add_argument("--json", action="store_true", help="print the summary as JSON")
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["regions", "extras", "headers", "emulators_dir"])
 
     regions = load_yaml(args.regions)
     extras = load_yaml(args.extras)

scripts/identity.py

@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ def main() -> int:
         "--strict", action="store_true", help="exit non-zero when any is found"
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["bios_dir"])
     from common import require_directory  # noqa: PLC0415
 
     require_directory(args.bios_dir)

scripts/list_platforms.py

@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ def list_platforms() -> list[str]:
 
 def main() -> None:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(allow_abbrev=False, description="List available platforms")
-    parser.parse_args()
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, [])
 
     platforms = list_platforms()
 

scripts/provenance_report.py

@@ -384,6 +384,9 @@ def main() -> int:
         "(the pipeline writes derivable.json)",
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["db", "provenance_dir", "emulators_dir", "write_derivable"])
     if args.write_derivable and not args.derive:
         parser.error("--write-derivable records what --derive finds: pass both")
 

scripts/region_audit.py

@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ def main() -> int:
     )
     parser.add_argument("--json", action="store_true", help="Machine-readable output")
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["db", "emulators_dir"])
 
     db = load_database(args.db)
     profiles = load_emulator_profiles(args.emulators_dir)

scripts/slots.py

@@ -1009,6 +1009,9 @@ def main() -> int:
         "without it the run reports them and exits 0",
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    from common import work_from_repo_root  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    work_from_repo_root(args, parser, ["db", "platforms_dir", "emulators_dir"])
 
     import contextlib
 

scripts/verify.py

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ from common import (
     _foreign_tree,
     _owner_tokens,
     platform_arg,
+    work_from_repo_root,
     target_listing_line,
     suggest_names,
     system_index,
@@ -130,29 +131,6 @@ DEFAULT_EMULATORS_DIR = "emulators"
 REPO_ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
 
-def work_from_repo_root(
-    args: argparse.Namespace, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, path_flags: list[str]
-) -> None:
-    """Run from the repository root, whichever directory the command started in.
-
-    database.json records every file from the root and the data registry
-    names its caches the same way, so a run from scripts/ ended on a
-    FileNotFoundError traceback. A path the caller typed is read from where
-    they typed it, a default from the root.
-    """
-    if os.path.realpath(os.getcwd()) == os.path.realpath(REPO_ROOT):
-        return
-    for flag in path_flags:
-        value = getattr(args, flag, None)
-        if value and value != parser.get_default(flag):
-            setattr(args, flag, os.path.abspath(value))
-    os.chdir(REPO_ROOT)
-    if getattr(args, "platform", None):
-        # Read before the move, the registry was not there to map
-        # "RetroArch" to its slug.
-        args.platform = platform_arg(args.platform)
-
-
 # Status model: aligned with Batocera BiosStatus (batocera-systems:967-969)
 
 

tests/test_tool_messages.py

@@ -188,6 +188,49 @@ class TheAllHelpNamesWhatItCovers(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(stale, [])
 
 
+class ReadOnlyToolsRunFromAnyFolder(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Only verify.py and generate_pack.py moved to the repository root.
+    From another folder slots, region_audit, provenance_report and
+    bundled_only said database.json was missing and to rebuild it,
+    identity and list_platforms named a missing folder, and game_rules
+    ended on a FileNotFoundError traceback."""
+
+    COMMANDS = (
+        ["slots.py", "--platform", "retroarch"],
+        ["identity.py"],
+        ["cross_reference.py", "--emulator", "handy"],
+        ["list_platforms.py"],
+        ["region_audit.py"],
+        ["provenance_report.py"],
+        ["bundled_only.py"],
+        ["game_rules.py"],
+    )
+
+    def test_each_reads_the_repository_from_a_subfolder(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=REPO_ROOT / "tmp") as folder:
+            for command in self.COMMANDS:
+                with self.subTest(command=command[0]):
+                    proc = subprocess.run(
+                        [sys.executable, str(REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / command[0]),
+                         *command[1:]],
+                        cwd=folder, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300,
+                        check=False,
+                    )
+                    self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 0, proc.stderr[-500:])
+                    self.assertNotIn("Traceback", proc.stderr)
+                    self.assertEqual(os.listdir(folder), [])
+
+    def test_a_typed_path_is_read_from_where_it_was_typed(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=REPO_ROOT / "tmp") as folder:
+            proc = subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, str(REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / "slots.py"),
+                 "--db", "nosuch.json"],
+                cwd=folder, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300, check=False,
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1)
+        self.assertIn(str(Path(folder) / "nosuch.json"), proc.stderr)
+
+
 class AMistypedTargetAcrossAllPlatforms(unittest.TestCase):
     """`verify --all --target swich` ended on "no platform has it" after 17
     INFO lines, two of which held the suggestion."""