Fix Windows compatibility in path handling and test fixtures

Replace hardcoded Unix root fallbacks (dir = "/") with a cross-platform
fsx.HomeOrRoot() helper. Fix shortenHomePath to use filepath.Separator
instead of "/". Expand expandHome to handle bare ~ and ~\ in addition
to ~/. Make EvalSymlinks in scope resolution fall back gracefully when
the path does not exist. Replace ~80 hardcoded Unix paths in test
fixtures with filepath.Join-based portable construction.

Author: sethdeckard

cmd/loadout/cmd/init.go

@@ -372,7 +372,11 @@ func defaultRepoPath() string {
 }
 
 func expandHome(path string) string {
-	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "~/") {
+	if path == "~" {
+		home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		return home
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "~/") || strings.HasPrefix(path, "~"+string(filepath.Separator)) {
 		home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
 		return filepath.Join(home, path[2:])
 	}

cmd/loadout/cmd/init_test.go

@@ -233,9 +233,12 @@ func TestExpandHome(t *testing.T) {
 		in   string
 		want string
 	}{
+		{"~", home},
 		{"~/foo", filepath.Join(home, "foo")},
+		{"~" + string(filepath.Separator) + "bar", filepath.Join(home, "bar")},
 		{"/abs/path", "/abs/path"},
 		{"relative", "relative"},
+		{"~user", "~user"},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		got := expandHome(tt.in)

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ func TestSaveLoad(t *testing.T) {
 	path := filepath.Join(dir, "config.json")
 
 	cfg := Config{
-		RepoPath: "/tmp/repo",
+		RepoPath: filepath.Join(dir, "repo"),
 		Targets: TargetPaths{
-			Claude: TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/tmp/claude"},
-			Codex:  TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/tmp/codex"},
+			Claude: TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: filepath.Join(dir, "claude")},
+			Codex:  TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: filepath.Join(dir, "codex")},
 		},
 		RepoActions: RepoActions{
 			ImportAutoCommit: false,

internal/fsx/file.go

@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ func EnsureDir(path string) error {
 	return os.MkdirAll(path, 0o755)
 }
 
+// HomeOrRoot returns the user's home directory, or the filesystem root
+// if the home directory cannot be determined.
+func HomeOrRoot() string {
+	if home, err := os.UserHomeDir(); err == nil {
+		return home
+	}
+	return string(filepath.Separator)
+}
+
 // ListDirs returns the names of immediate subdirectories in path.
 func ListDirs(path string) ([]string, error) {
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(path)

internal/fsx/file_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package fsx
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestHomeOrRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	got := HomeOrRoot()
+	if got == "" {
+		t.Fatal("HomeOrRoot() returned empty string")
+	}
+
+	// On a normal system, should return the home directory.
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err == nil && got != home {
+		t.Errorf("HomeOrRoot() = %q, want %q", got, home)
+	}
+
+	// Result should always be a valid absolute path or the separator root.
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(got) && got != string(filepath.Separator) {
+		t.Errorf("HomeOrRoot() = %q, want absolute path or root", got)
+	}
+}

internal/scope/scope.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package scope
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -52,12 +53,18 @@ func Resolve(projectFlag string) (Scope, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return Scope{}, fmt.Errorf("resolve path: %w", err)
 		}
-		// Resolve symlinks for consistent path comparison
+		// Resolve symlinks for consistent path comparison.
+		// Fall back to the absolute path if it does not exist yet
+		// (e.g. Windows without elevated symlink privileges).
 		resolved, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(abs)
-		if err != nil {
+		switch {
+		case err == nil:
+			startDir = resolved
+		case errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist):
+			startDir = abs
+		default:
 			return Scope{}, fmt.Errorf("resolve symlinks: %w", err)
 		}
-		startDir = resolved
 	}
 
 	root, err := DetectProjectRoot(startDir)

internal/scope/scope_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package scope
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/config"
@@ -136,6 +137,44 @@ func TestResolve_ExplicitPath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestResolve_ExplicitPath_NoSymlinks(t *testing.T) {
+	// A real directory that is not a symlink should resolve without error.
+	dir := resolveSymlinks(t, t.TempDir())
+	gitDir := filepath.Join(dir, ".git")
+	claudeDir := filepath.Join(dir, ".claude")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(gitDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setup .git: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(claudeDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setup .claude: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	sc, err := Resolve(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Resolve(%q) error = %v", dir, err)
+	}
+	if sc.Project != dir {
+		t.Errorf("Project = %q, want %q", sc.Project, dir)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolve_ExplicitPath_NonexistentFallsBackToAbs(t *testing.T) {
+	// When the explicit path does not exist, EvalSymlinks returns
+	// os.ErrNotExist and Resolve should fall back to the absolute path
+	// rather than returning an error.
+	missing := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "does-not-exist")
+	_, err := Resolve(missing)
+	// The path doesn't contain .git so DetectProjectRoot will fail,
+	// but the important thing is we get past the EvalSymlinks step.
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error from DetectProjectRoot, got nil")
+	}
+	// Should NOT be a "resolve symlinks" error.
+	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "resolve symlinks") {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q, should not fail at symlink resolution for missing path", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestResolve_ExplicitPath_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	// No .git
@@ -146,37 +185,40 @@ func TestResolve_ExplicitPath_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTargetRoot_User(t *testing.T) {
+	claudePath := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "user", ".claude", "skills")
+	codexPath := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "user", ".codex", "skills")
 	sc := Scope{Project: ""}
 	paths := config.TargetPaths{
-		Claude: config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/home/user/.claude/skills"},
-		Codex:  config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/home/user/.codex/skills"},
+		Claude: config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: claudePath},
+		Codex:  config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: codexPath},
 	}
 
 	got := sc.TargetRoot(domain.TargetClaude, paths)
-	if got != "/home/user/.claude/skills" {
+	if got != claudePath {
 		t.Errorf("TargetRoot(claude) = %q, want user path", got)
 	}
 	got = sc.TargetRoot(domain.TargetCodex, paths)
-	if got != "/home/user/.codex/skills" {
+	if got != codexPath {
 		t.Errorf("TargetRoot(codex) = %q, want user path", got)
 	}
 }
 
 func TestTargetRoot_Project(t *testing.T) {
-	sc := Scope{Project: "/projects/my-app"}
+	projectDir := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "projects", "my-app")
+	sc := Scope{Project: projectDir}
 	paths := config.TargetPaths{
-		Claude: config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/home/user/.claude/skills"},
-		Codex:  config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: "/home/user/.codex/skills"},
+		Claude: config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "user", ".claude", "skills")},
+		Codex:  config.TargetConfig{Enabled: true, Path: filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "user", ".codex", "skills")},
 	}
 
 	got := sc.TargetRoot(domain.TargetClaude, paths)
-	want := filepath.Join("/projects/my-app", ".claude", "skills")
+	want := filepath.Join(projectDir, ".claude", "skills")
 	if got != want {
 		t.Errorf("TargetRoot(claude) = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}
 
 	got = sc.TargetRoot(domain.TargetCodex, paths)
-	want = filepath.Join("/projects/my-app", ".codex", "skills")
+	want = filepath.Join(projectDir, ".codex", "skills")
 	if got != want {
 		t.Errorf("TargetRoot(codex) = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}

internal/tui/commands.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/app"
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/config"
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/domain"
+	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/fsx"
 )
 
 // Messages
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ func startImportCmd(svc *app.Service, projectRoot string) tea.Cmd {
 	return func() tea.Msg {
 		dir, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
-			dir = "/"
+			dir = fsx.HomeOrRoot()
 		}
 		if projectRoot != "" {
 			dir = projectRoot

internal/tui/model.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/app"
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/config"
 	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/domain"
+	"github.com/sethdeckard/loadout/internal/fsx"
 )
 
 type paneID int
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ func (m *Model) openBrowse() tea.Cmd {
 		dir, _ = os.Getwd()
 	}
 	if dir == "" {
-		dir = "/"
+		dir = fsx.HomeOrRoot()
 	}
 	return m.openBrowseAt(dir)
 }
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ func (m *Model) startImportForCurrentScope() tea.Cmd {
 			dir, _ = os.Getwd()
 		}
 		if dir == "" {
-			dir = "/"
+			dir = fsx.HomeOrRoot()
 		}
 		m.loading = false
 		m.importStartDir = dir