From 80084390339ff527edb02c1b7a77eb7c04639125 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Abdessamad Derraz <3028866+Abdess@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 05:06:36 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] fix: keep manifests and target lists apart

Both are written as <platform>.json. --manifest-targets aimed at install/
replaced install/retroarch.json with a target table, and --manifest aimed
at install/targets/ did the reverse, both with exit 0. Each mode now stops
when the output directory holds the other kind and names the directory to
use.
---
 scripts/generate_pack.py        | 49 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 tests/test_audit_regressions.py | 36 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 85 insertions(+)

diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index ff3cc9ced..c4b06d0f0 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -2181,6 +2181,53 @@ def generate_md5_pack(
     return zip_path
 
 
+def _json_artifact_kind(path: Path) -> str | None:
+    """"manifest" for an install manifest, "targets" for a per-target core
+    list, None for anything else. The two share their file names: install.py
+    fetches install/<platform>.json and install/targets/<platform>.json."""
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError, json.JSONDecodeError):
+        return None
+    if not isinstance(data, dict) or not data:
+        return None
+    if "manifest_version" in data:
+        return "manifest"
+    if all(v is None or isinstance(v, list) for v in data.values()):
+        return "targets"
+    return None
+
+
+def _refuse_mixed_output(output_dir: str, writing: str) -> None:
+    """Stop before one kind of installer JSON overwrites the other.
+
+    Both are named <platform>.json, so --manifest-targets aimed at install/
+    replaced install/retroarch.json, the file every installer downloads, with
+    a target table, and the reverse replaced a target list by a manifest.
+    """
+    directory = Path(output_dir)
+    if not directory.is_dir():
+        return
+    other = "targets" if writing == "manifest" else "manifest"
+    held = sorted(
+        p.name for p in directory.glob("*.json") if _json_artifact_kind(p) == other
+    )
+    if not held:
+        return
+    what = {
+        "manifest": "install manifests (install/ in the repository)",
+        "targets": "per-target core lists (install/targets/ in the repository)",
+    }
+    flag = "--manifest" if writing == "manifest" else "--manifest-targets"
+    print(
+        f"ERROR: {output_dir} holds {what[other]}: {', '.join(held[:3])}"
+        f"{', ...' if len(held) > 3 else ''}. {flag} writes {what[writing]} under the "
+        f"same file names; pass the --output-dir that holds those instead.",
+        file=sys.stderr,
+    )
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+
 def generate_target_manifests(targets_dir: str, output_dir: str) -> None:
     """Convert target YAMLs to installer JSON manifests."""
     os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
@@ -3100,6 +3147,7 @@ def _main(held: contextlib.ExitStack) -> None:
             _run_verify_packs(args)
         return
     if args.manifest_targets:
+        _refuse_mixed_output(args.output_dir, "targets")
         with _pack_output_lock(args.output_dir):
             generate_target_manifests(
                 os.path.join(args.platforms_dir, "targets"), args.output_dir
@@ -3276,6 +3324,7 @@ def _main(held: contextlib.ExitStack) -> None:
     )
 
     if args.manifest:
+        _refuse_mixed_output(args.output_dir, "manifest")
         with _pack_output_lock(args.output_dir):
             _run_manifest_mode(
                 args, groups, db, zip_contents, emu_profiles, target_cores_cache
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index 387506981..c098693b1 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -5848,5 +5848,41 @@ class RequiredOnlyReachesDataDirectories(unittest.TestCase):
         ])
 
 
+class InstallerJsonKindsNeverOverwriteEachOther(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Install manifests and target core lists are both <platform>.json.
+    --manifest-targets aimed at install/ replaced install/retroarch.json, the
+    file every installer downloads, with a target table, exit 0."""
+
+    def _run(self, *flags: str, held: str) -> tuple:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=TMP_ROOT) as tmp:
+            target = Path(tmp, "retroarch.json")
+            before = (ROOT / held).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+            target.write_text(before, encoding="utf-8")
+            proc = subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, "scripts/generate_pack.py", *flags,
+                 "--offline", "--output-dir", tmp],
+                cwd=ROOT, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=600,
+            )
+            return proc, before, target.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+    def test_target_lists_refuse_a_manifest_directory(self):
+        proc, before, after = self._run(
+            "--manifest-targets", held="install/retroarch.json"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1, proc.stdout + proc.stderr)
+        self.assertIn("holds install manifests", proc.stderr)
+        self.assertIn("--output-dir", proc.stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(after, before)
+
+    def test_manifests_refuse_a_target_list_directory(self):
+        proc, before, after = self._run(
+            "--manifest", "--platform", "retroarch",
+            held="install/targets/retroarch.json",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1, proc.stdout + proc.stderr)
+        self.assertIn("holds per-target core lists", proc.stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(after, before)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()