An option to set TERMINFO to the database directly instead of a path

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ rsync algorithm to speed up repeated transfers of large files.
 Detailed list of changes
 -------------------------------------
 
+0.33.2 [future]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- A new option :opt:`terminfo_type` to allow passing the terminfo database embedded into the :envvar:`TERMINFO` env var directly instead of via a file
+
 0.33.1 [2024-03-21]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

docs/glossary.rst

@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ Variables that kitty sets when running child programs
 
 .. envvar:: TERMINFO
 
-   Path to a directory containing the kitty terminfo database.
+   Path to a directory containing the kitty terminfo database. Or the terminfo
+   database itself encoded in base64. See :opt:`terminfo_type`.
 
 .. envvar:: KITTY_INSTALLATION_DIR
 

kitty/child.py

@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ def getpid() -> str:
     return str(os.getpid())
 
 
+@run_once
+def base64_terminfo_data() -> str:
+    return (b'b64:' + fast_data_types.base64_encode(fast_data_types.terminfo_data(), True)).decode('ascii')
+
+
 class ProcessDesc(TypedDict):
     cwd: Optional[str]
     pid: int
@@ -242,9 +247,12 @@ def get_final_env(self) -> Dict[str, str]:
             # can use it to display the current directory name rather
             # than the resolved path
             env['PWD'] = self.cwd
-        tdir = checked_terminfo_dir()
-        if tdir:
-            env['TERMINFO'] = tdir
+        if opts.terminfo_type == 'path':
+            tdir = checked_terminfo_dir()
+            if tdir:
+                env['TERMINFO'] = tdir
+        elif opts.terminfo_type == 'direct':
+            env['TERMINFO'] = base64_terminfo_data()
         env['KITTY_INSTALLATION_DIR'] = kitty_base_dir
         if opts.forward_stdio:
             env['KITTY_STDIO_FORWARDED'] = '3'

kitty/fast_data_types.pyi

@@ -1560,3 +1560,4 @@ def find_in_memoryview(buf: Union[bytes, memoryview, bytearray], chr: int) -> in
 def replace_c0_codes_except_nl_space_tab(text: str) -> str:...
 @overload
 def replace_c0_codes_except_nl_space_tab(text: Union[bytes, memoryview, bytearray]) -> bytes:...
+def terminfo_data() -> bytes:...

kitty/options/definition.py

@@ -3221,6 +3221,18 @@
 '''
     )
 
+opt('terminfo_type', 'path', choices=('path', 'direct', 'none'),
+    long_text='''
+The value of the :envvar:`TERMINFO` environment variable to set. This variable is
+used by programs running in the terminal to search for terminfo databases. The default value
+of :code:`path` causes kitty to set it to a filesystem location containing the
+kitty terminfo database. A value of :code:`direct` means put the entire database into
+the env var directly. This can be useful when connecting to containers, for example. But,
+note that not all software supports this. A value of :code:`none` means do not touch the variable.
+'''
+    )
+
+
 opt('forward_stdio', 'no', option_type='to_bool', long_text='''
 Forward STDOUT and STDERR of the kitty process to child processes
 as file descriptors 3 and 4. This is useful for debugging as it