From f7b5252044a2bc5c49c3beb4d98249011ba890b4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: John Alanbrook <john@pockle.world>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:21:21 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] core flag

---
 internal/bootstrap.cm |  3 +-
 internal/engine.cm    |  8 ++---
 source/cell.c         | 80 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------
 3 files changed, 55 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)

diff --git a/internal/bootstrap.cm b/internal/bootstrap.cm
index 75c61076..a5ee6f96 100644
--- a/internal/bootstrap.cm
+++ b/internal/bootstrap.cm
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-// Hidden vars (os, args, shop_path, use_mcode) come from env
-var core_path = shop_path + '/packages/core'
+// Hidden vars (os, args, core_path, shop_path, use_mcode) come from env
 // args[0] = script name, args[1..] = user args
 var load_internal = os.load_internal
 function use_embed(name) {
diff --git a/internal/engine.cm b/internal/engine.cm
index bd4dbf76..4bb2b989 100644
--- a/internal/engine.cm
+++ b/internal/engine.cm
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Hidden vars (os, actorsym, init, shop_path) come from env
+// Hidden vars (os, actorsym, init, core_path, shop_path) come from env
 var ACTORDATA = actorsym
 var SYSYM = '__SYSTEM__'
 
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ function ends_with(str, suffix) {
 var js = use_embed('js')
 var fd = use_embed('fd')
 
-// shop_path comes from hidden env (set by cell.c)
-var packages_path = shop_path + '/packages'
-var core_path = packages_path + '/core'
+// core_path and shop_path come from hidden env (set by cell.c)
+// shop_path may be null if --core was used without --shop
+var packages_path = shop_path ? shop_path + '/packages' : null
 
 var use_cache = {}
 use_cache['core/os'] = os
diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index 881b2d9a..d57037b8 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -39,52 +39,57 @@ static const char* get_home_dir(void) {
   return home;
 }
 
-// Find and verify the cell shop
-// Precedence: override (--shop flag) > CELL_SHOP env var > ~/.cell
-int find_cell_shop(const char *override_path)
+// Resolve shop_path and core_path
+// core: --core flag > CELL_CORE env > derived from shop
+// shop: --shop flag > CELL_SHOP env > ~/.cell
+int find_cell_shop(const char *shop_override, const char *core_override)
 {
-  if (override_path) {
-    shop_path = strdup(override_path);
+  // Resolve shop_path
+  if (shop_override) {
+    shop_path = strdup(shop_override);
   } else {
     const char *env = getenv("CELL_SHOP");
     if (env) {
       shop_path = strdup(env);
     } else {
       const char *home = get_home_dir();
-      if (!home) {
+      if (!home && !core_override && !getenv("CELL_CORE")) {
         printf("ERROR: Could not determine home directory. Set HOME environment variable.\n");
         return 0;
       }
-      size_t path_len = strlen(home) + strlen("/" CELL_SHOP_DIR) + 1;
-      shop_path = malloc(path_len);
-      if (!shop_path) {
-        printf("ERROR: Could not allocate memory for shop path\n");
-        return 0;
+      if (home) {
+        size_t path_len = strlen(home) + strlen("/" CELL_SHOP_DIR) + 1;
+        shop_path = malloc(path_len);
+        if (shop_path)
+          snprintf(shop_path, path_len, "%s/" CELL_SHOP_DIR, home);
       }
-      snprintf(shop_path, path_len, "%s/" CELL_SHOP_DIR, home);
     }
   }
 
-  // Derive core_path from shop_path
-  size_t core_len = strlen(shop_path) + strlen("/" CELL_CORE_DIR) + 1;
-  core_path = malloc(core_len);
+  // Resolve core_path
+  if (core_override) {
+    core_path = strdup(core_override);
+  } else {
+    const char *env = getenv("CELL_CORE");
+    if (env) {
+      core_path = strdup(env);
+    } else if (shop_path) {
+      size_t core_len = strlen(shop_path) + strlen("/" CELL_CORE_DIR) + 1;
+      core_path = malloc(core_len);
+      if (core_path)
+        snprintf(core_path, core_len, "%s/" CELL_CORE_DIR, shop_path);
+    }
+  }
+
   if (!core_path) {
-    printf("ERROR: Could not allocate memory for core path\n");
-    free(shop_path);
-    shop_path = NULL;
+    printf("ERROR: No core path. Use --core <path> or set CELL_CORE.\n");
     return 0;
   }
-  snprintf(core_path, core_len, "%s/" CELL_CORE_DIR, shop_path);
 
   // Check if the core directory exists
   struct stat st;
   if (stat(core_path, &st) != 0 || !S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
-    printf("ERROR: Cell shop not found at %s\n", shop_path);
-    printf("Run 'cell install' to set up the cell environment.\n");
-    free(core_path);
-    free(shop_path);
-    core_path = NULL;
-    shop_path = NULL;
+    printf("ERROR: Core not found at %s\n", core_path);
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -205,9 +210,10 @@ void script_startup(cell_rt *prt)
     JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "init", JS_NULL);
   }
 
-  if (shop_path) {
+  if (core_path)
+    JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "core_path", JS_NewString(js, core_path));
+  if (shop_path)
     JS_SetPropertyStr(js, hidden_env, "shop_path", JS_NewString(js, shop_path));
-  }
 
   // Stone the environment
   hidden_env = JS_Stone(js, hidden_env);
@@ -277,10 +283,14 @@ static void print_usage(const char *prog)
   printf("Usage: %s [options] <script> [args...]\n\n", prog);
   printf("Run a cell script (.ce actor or .cm module).\n\n");
   printf("Options:\n");
-  printf("  --shop <path>              Set shop path (overrides CELL_SHOP env var)\n");
+  printf("  --core <path>              Set core path directly (overrides CELL_CORE)\n");
+  printf("  --shop <path>              Set shop path (overrides CELL_SHOP)\n");
   printf("  --mcode <script> [args]    Run through mcode compilation pipeline\n");
   printf("  --test [heap_size]         Run C test suite\n");
   printf("  -h, --help                 Show this help message\n");
+  printf("\nEnvironment:\n");
+  printf("  CELL_CORE                  Core path (default: <shop>/packages/core)\n");
+  printf("  CELL_SHOP                  Shop path (default: ~/.cell)\n");
   printf("\nRecompile after changes:  make\n");
   printf("Bootstrap from scratch:  make bootstrap\n");
 }
@@ -310,6 +320,7 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
   int use_mcode = 0;
   int arg_start = 1;
   const char *shop_override = NULL;
+  const char *core_override = NULL;
 
   // Parse flags (order-independent)
   while (arg_start < argc && argv[arg_start][0] == '-') {
@@ -323,12 +334,19 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
       }
       shop_override = argv[arg_start + 1];
       arg_start += 2;
+    } else if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--core") == 0) {
+      if (arg_start + 1 >= argc) {
+        printf("ERROR: --core requires a path argument\n");
+        return 1;
+      }
+      core_override = argv[arg_start + 1];
+      arg_start += 2;
     } else {
       break;
     }
   }
 
-  if (!find_cell_shop(shop_override)) return 1;
+  if (!find_cell_shop(shop_override, core_override)) return 1;
 
   size_t boot_size;
   int boot_is_bin = 1;
@@ -359,7 +377,9 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
   JSValue hidden_env = JS_NewObject(ctx);
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "os", js_os_use(ctx));
-  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "shop_path", JS_NewString(ctx, shop_path));
+  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "core_path", JS_NewString(ctx, core_path));
+  if (shop_path)
+    JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "shop_path", JS_NewString(ctx, shop_path));
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "use_mcode", JS_NewBool(ctx, use_mcode));
   JSValue args_arr = JS_NewArray(ctx);
   for (int i = arg_start; i < argc; i++) {