Use user-writable default path for control socket (#3551)

The previous default /run/gunicorn.ctl requires root permissions.
Now uses $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/gunicorn.ctl if available, otherwise
$HOME/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl. This works on Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD,
and macOS without requiring elevated privileges.

- Add _get_default_control_socket() helper in config.py
- Create parent directory automatically with 0o700 permissions
- Update gunicornc CLI to use the same default path
- Add unit tests for path selection and directory creation

docs/content/reference/settings.md

@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ A WSGI application path in pattern ``$(MODULE_NAME):$(VARIABLE_NAME)``.
 
 **Command line:** `--control-socket PATH`
 
-**Default:** `'/run/gunicorn.ctl'`
+**Default:**
+
+$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/gunicorn.ctl or $HOME/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl
 
 Unix socket path for control interface.
 
@@ -62,9 +64,9 @@ The control socket allows runtime management of Gunicorn via the
 ``gunicornc`` command-line tool. Commands include viewing worker
 status, adjusting worker count, and graceful reload/shutdown.
 
-By default, creates ``/run/gunicorn.ctl`` (requires write access to
+Default: ``$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/gunicorn.ctl`` if XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is set,
-``/run``). For user-level deployments, specify a different path such
+otherwise ``$HOME/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl``. The parent directory is
-as ``/tmp/gunicorn.ctl`` or ``~/.gunicorn.ctl``.
+created automatically if needed.
 
 Use ``--no-control-socket`` to disable.
 

gunicorn/config.py

@@ -3128,13 +3128,32 @@ class DirtyWorkerExit(Setting):
 
 # Control Socket Settings
 
+
+def _get_default_control_socket():
+    """Get default control socket path based on available directories.
+
+    Prefers XDG_RUNTIME_DIR if available (standard on Linux, sometimes BSD),
+    falls back to $HOME/.gunicorn/ directory.
+    """
+    # Prefer XDG_RUNTIME_DIR if available
+    xdg_runtime = os.environ.get('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR')
+    if xdg_runtime and os.path.isdir(xdg_runtime):
+        return os.path.join(xdg_runtime, 'gunicorn.ctl')
+
+    # Fall back to $HOME/.gunicorn/
+    home = os.path.expanduser('~')
+    gunicorn_dir = os.path.join(home, '.gunicorn')
+    return os.path.join(gunicorn_dir, 'gunicorn.ctl')
+
+
 class ControlSocket(Setting):
     name = "control_socket"
     section = "Control"
     cli = ["--control-socket"]
     meta = "PATH"
     validator = validate_string
-    default = "/run/gunicorn.ctl"
+    default = _get_default_control_socket()
+    default_doc = "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/gunicorn.ctl or $HOME/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl"
     desc = """\
         Unix socket path for control interface.
 
@@ -3142,9 +3161,9 @@ class ControlSocket(Setting):
         ``gunicornc`` command-line tool. Commands include viewing worker
         status, adjusting worker count, and graceful reload/shutdown.
 
-        By default, creates ``/run/gunicorn.ctl`` (requires write access to
+        Default: ``$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/gunicorn.ctl`` if XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is set,
-        ``/run``). For user-level deployments, specify a different path such
+        otherwise ``$HOME/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl``. The parent directory is
-        as ``/tmp/gunicorn.ctl`` or ``~/.gunicorn.ctl``.
+        created automatically if needed.
 
         Use ``--no-control-socket`` to disable.
 

gunicorn/ctl/cli.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import json
 import os
 import sys
 
+from gunicorn.config import _get_default_control_socket
 from gunicorn.ctl.client import ControlClient, ControlClientError, parse_command
 
 
@@ -405,8 +406,8 @@ Examples:
 
     parser.add_argument(
         '-s', '--socket',
-        default='gunicorn.ctl',
+        default=_get_default_control_socket(),
-        help='Control socket path (default: gunicorn.ctl in current directory)'
+        help='Control socket path (default: auto-detected based on XDG_RUNTIME_DIR or ~/.gunicorn/)'
     )
 
     parser.add_argument(

gunicorn/ctl/server.py

@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ class ControlSocketServer:
         """Main async server loop."""
         self._loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
 
+        # Create parent directory if needed (for ~/.gunicorn/)
+        socket_dir = os.path.dirname(self.socket_path)
+        if socket_dir and not os.path.exists(socket_dir):
+            os.makedirs(socket_dir, mode=0o700)
+
         # Remove socket if it exists
         if os.path.exists(self.socket_path):
             os.unlink(self.socket_path)

tests/ctl/test_server.py

@@ -361,3 +361,59 @@ class TestControlSocketServerPermissions:
                 assert mode == 0o660
             finally:
                 server.stop()
+
+
+class TestControlSocketServerDirectoryCreation:
+    """Tests for automatic directory creation."""
+
+    def test_creates_parent_directory(self):
+        """Test that server creates parent directory if it doesn't exist."""
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            # Create a path with a non-existent subdirectory
+            subdir = os.path.join(tmpdir, '.gunicorn')
+            socket_path = os.path.join(subdir, 'gunicorn.ctl')
+
+            assert not os.path.exists(subdir)
+
+            arbiter = MockArbiter()
+            server = ControlSocketServer(arbiter, socket_path)
+
+            server.start()
+
+            # Wait for socket to exist
+            for _ in range(50):
+                if os.path.exists(socket_path):
+                    break
+                time.sleep(0.1)
+
+            try:
+                # Directory should have been created
+                assert os.path.isdir(subdir)
+                # Directory should have restricted permissions (0o700)
+                mode = os.stat(subdir).st_mode & 0o777
+                assert mode == 0o700
+                # Socket should exist
+                assert os.path.exists(socket_path)
+            finally:
+                server.stop()
+
+    def test_works_with_existing_directory(self):
+        """Test that server works when parent directory already exists."""
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            socket_path = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'gunicorn.ctl')
+
+            arbiter = MockArbiter()
+            server = ControlSocketServer(arbiter, socket_path)
+
+            server.start()
+
+            # Wait for socket to exist
+            for _ in range(50):
+                if os.path.exists(socket_path):
+                    break
+                time.sleep(0.1)
+
+            try:
+                assert os.path.exists(socket_path)
+            finally:
+                server.stop()

tests/test_config.py

@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+import tempfile
 
 import pytest
 
 from gunicorn import config
+from gunicorn.config import _get_default_control_socket
 from gunicorn.app.base import Application
 from gunicorn.app.wsgiapp import WSGIApplication
 from gunicorn.errors import ConfigError
@@ -551,3 +553,39 @@ def test_str():
         assert False, 'missing expected setting lines? {}'.format(
             OUTPUT_MATCH.keys()
         )
+
+
+# Tests for _get_default_control_socket
+
+class TestGetDefaultControlSocket:
+    """Tests for the _get_default_control_socket function."""
+
+    def test_uses_xdg_runtime_dir_when_set_and_exists(self, monkeypatch):
+        """When XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is set and exists, use it."""
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            monkeypatch.setenv('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR', tmpdir)
+            result = _get_default_control_socket()
+            assert result == os.path.join(tmpdir, 'gunicorn.ctl')
+
+    def test_falls_back_when_xdg_runtime_dir_not_exists(self, monkeypatch):
+        """When XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is set but doesn't exist, fall back to home."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR', '/nonexistent/path/that/does/not/exist')
+        monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', '/home/testuser')
+        result = _get_default_control_socket()
+        assert result == '/home/testuser/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl'
+
+    def test_falls_back_when_xdg_runtime_dir_not_set(self, monkeypatch):
+        """When XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is not set, use home directory."""
+        monkeypatch.delenv('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR', raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', '/home/testuser')
+        result = _get_default_control_socket()
+        assert result == '/home/testuser/.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl'
+
+    def test_uses_home_directory_structure(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Verify the path structure uses .gunicorn subdirectory."""
+        monkeypatch.delenv('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR', raising=False)
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', tmpdir)
+            result = _get_default_control_socket()
+            assert result == os.path.join(tmpdir, '.gunicorn', 'gunicorn.ctl')
+            assert result.endswith('.gunicorn/gunicorn.ctl')