probonopd
commented
1 year ago https://docs.appimage.org/packaging-guide/environment-variables.html
- OWD: Path to working directory at the time the AppImage is called
It was introduced upon request from @jviotti and the Scribus team. It is documented and in active use, as a quick search shows.
Background:
As you know, some applications (especially ones for which there is no source code available) need to be patched so that the absolute /usr is replaced with a relative ././. This then requires an AppRun that does cd "{HERE}/usr" prior to running the payload application.
Once the payload application is running, it can cd back to the original working directory (OWD), like e.g.,
does.
Let's not remove it, it would break existing AppImage builds.
Reference:
I have not once seen anybody use the
$OWDenvironment variable. Its purpose is unclear to me anyway. I think we should just remove it.