[bug-fix] Fix reinstall-overwrites-kept-config: preserve config on plain reinstall after --keep-config

src/specify_cli/extensions/__init__.py

@@ -1397,12 +1397,51 @@ def install_from_directory(
                 backup_config_dir.unlink()
             did_remove = self.remove(manifest.id)
 
+        # Rescue any config files left behind by a prior `remove --keep-config`.
+        # When an extension is removed with --keep-config, it is no longer in
+        # the registry but its config files remain in dest_dir.  A subsequent
+        # plain (non-force) install would delete that directory unconditionally,
+        # silently discarding the preserved config.  We read those files into
+        # memory now and write them back after copytree so the user's values
+        # always win over the packaged defaults.
+        stranded_configs: dict[str, tuple[bytes, int]] = {}
+        if dest_dir.exists() and not self.registry.is_installed(manifest.id):
+            for cfg_file in (
+                list(dest_dir.glob("*-config.yml"))
+                + list(dest_dir.glob("*-config.local.yml"))
+            ):
+                if cfg_file.is_file() and not cfg_file.is_symlink():
+                    stranded_configs[cfg_file.name] = (
+                        cfg_file.read_bytes(),
+                        cfg_file.stat().st_mode,
+                    )
+
         # Install extension (dest_dir computed above during self-install guard)
         if dest_dir.exists():
             shutil.rmtree(dest_dir)
 
         ignore_fn = self._load_extensionignore(source_dir)
-        shutil.copytree(source_dir, dest_dir, ignore=ignore_fn)
+        try:
+            shutil.copytree(source_dir, dest_dir, ignore=ignore_fn)
+        except BaseException:
+            # copytree failed — dest_dir may be absent or only partially
+            # created.  Write the rescued configs back now so they are not
+            # permanently lost even though the install did not complete.
+            if stranded_configs:
+                dest_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                for filename, (content, mode) in stranded_configs.items():
+                    target = dest_dir / filename
+                    target.write_bytes(content)
+                    target.chmod(mode & 0o660)
+            raise
+
+        # Restore stranded configs rescued before the rmtree above.
+        for filename, (content, mode) in stranded_configs.items():
+            target = dest_dir / filename
+            target.write_bytes(content)
+            # Mask to only user/group read-write bits to avoid restoring
+            # setuid/setgid or world-writable permissions.
+            target.chmod(mode & 0o660)
 
         # Register commands with AI agents
         registered_commands = {}

tests/test_extensions.py

@@ -1226,6 +1226,69 @@ def test_install_force_config_preserved(self, extension_dir, project_dir):
         assert new_config.exists()
         assert new_config.read_text() == "test: config"
 
+    def test_reinstall_after_keep_config_preserves_config(
+        self, extension_dir, project_dir
+    ):
+        """Reinstalling after `remove --keep-config` must not overwrite preserved config."""
+        manager = ExtensionManager(project_dir)
+
+        # Add a packaged default config so the reinstall has a file to overwrite.
+        # Without the fix, the packaged default would silently win on reinstall.
+        packaged_config = extension_dir / "test-ext-config.yml"
+        packaged_config.write_text("model: default-model\nmax_iterations: 1\n")
+
+        # Install once (packaged default is copied into the installed directory)
+        manager.install_from_directory(
+            extension_dir, "0.1.0", register_commands=False
+        )
+
+        # Overwrite the installed config with user-customized values
+        ext_dir = project_dir / ".specify" / "extensions" / "test-ext"
+        config_file = ext_dir / "test-ext-config.yml"
+        config_file.write_text("model: custom-model\nmax_iterations: 99\n")
+
+        # Remove while preserving config
+        manager.remove("test-ext", keep_config=True)
+        assert not manager.registry.is_installed("test-ext")
+        assert config_file.exists()
+        assert "custom-model" in config_file.read_text()
+
+        # Plain reinstall (no --force) — packaged default is still present in
+        # extension_dir, so a naive implementation would overwrite the custom values.
+        manager.install_from_directory(
+            extension_dir, "0.1.0", register_commands=False
+        )
+
+        # Preserved config must survive the reinstall and beat the packaged default
+        assert config_file.exists()
+        assert "custom-model" in config_file.read_text()
+        assert "99" in config_file.read_text()
+        assert "default-model" not in config_file.read_text()
+
+    def test_reinstall_after_keep_config_preserves_local_config(
+        self, extension_dir, project_dir
+    ):
+        """Local config override files (*-config.local.yml) are also rescued on reinstall."""
+        manager = ExtensionManager(project_dir)
+
+        manager.install_from_directory(
+            extension_dir, "0.1.0", register_commands=False
+        )
+
+        ext_dir = project_dir / ".specify" / "extensions" / "test-ext"
+        local_cfg = ext_dir / "test-ext-config.local.yml"
+        local_cfg.write_text("local_override: true\n")
+
+        manager.remove("test-ext", keep_config=True)
+        assert local_cfg.exists()
+
+        manager.install_from_directory(
+            extension_dir, "0.1.0", register_commands=False
+        )
+
+        assert local_cfg.exists()
+        assert "local_override: true" in local_cfg.read_text()
+
     def test_install_force_without_existing(self, extension_dir, project_dir):
         """Test force-install when extension is NOT already installed (works normally)."""
         manager = ExtensionManager(project_dir)