Setup

Installation

Install Canon from crates.io:

cargo install canon-archive

This installs the canon binary.

From Source

Alternatively, build from source:

git clone https://github.com/robklg/canon.git
cd canon
cargo install --path .

Canon Home Directory

Canon stores all state in a single directory called the canon home. The default location is ~/.canon/.

It contains:

File	Purpose
`canon.db`	SQLite database (roots, sources, objects, facts)
`aliases.toml`	Filter aliases (optional — see Aliases)

The directory is created automatically on first use.

Overriding the Location

You can relocate canon home with the CANON_HOME environment variable or the --canon-home flag:

# Via environment variable
export CANON_HOME=/mnt/archive/.canon
canon scan /photos

# Via flag (takes precedence over environment variable)
canon --canon-home /tmp/test-canon scan /photos

Precedence: --canon-home flag > CANON_HOME env var > ~/.canon/

Verify Installation

canon --help

You should see the list of available commands. You’re ready to start scanning your files.