Use D: for Windows installations on Azure

conda_smithy/data/conda-forge.json

@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
               "$ref": "#/$defs/AzureRunnerSettings"
             }
           ],
-          "description": "Windows-specific settings for runners"
+          "description": "Windows-specific settings for runners. Some important variables you can set are:\n\n- `CONDA_BLD_PATH`: Location of the conda-build workspace. Defaults to `D:\\bld`\n- `MINIFORGE_HOME`: Location of the base environment installation. Defaults to\n  `D:\\Miniforge`.\n- `SET_PAGEFILE`: `\"True\"` to increase the pagefile size via conda-forge-ci-setup.\n\nIf you are running out of space in `D:`, consider changing to `C:`.\nIt's a slower drive but has more space available. We recommend you keep\nboth `CONDA_BLD_PATH` and `MINIFORGE_HOME` in the same drive for performance."
         },
         "user_or_org": {
           "anyOf": [
@@ -2265,7 +2265,7 @@
           "type": "null"
         }
       ],
-      "description": "Azure Pipelines CI settings. This is usually read-only and should not\nnormally be manually modified. Tools like conda-smithy may modify this, as needed.\nFor example:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    # flag for forcing the building all supported providers\n    force: False\n    # toggle for storing the conda build_artifacts directory (including the\n    # built packages) as an Azure pipeline artifact that can be downloaded\n    store_build_artifacts: False\n    # toggle for freeing up some extra space on the default Azure Pipelines\n    # linux image before running the Docker container for building\n    free_disk_space: False\n    # limit the amount of CI jobs running concurrently at a given time\n    # each OS will get its proportional share of the configured value\n    max_parallel: 25\n```\n\nBelow is an example configuration for setting up a self-hosted Azure agent for Linux:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    settings_linux:\n    pool:\n        name: your_local_pool_name\n        demands:\n          - some_key -equals some_value\n    workspace:\n        clean: all\n    strategy:\n        maxParallel: 1\n```\n\nBelow is an example configuration for adding a swapfile on an Azure agent for Linux:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    settings_linux:\n        swapfile_size: 10GiB\n```"
+      "description": "Azure Pipelines CI settings. This is usually read-only and should not\nnormally be manually modified. Tools like conda-smithy may modify this, as needed.\nFor example:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    # flag for forcing the building all supported providers\n    force: False\n    # toggle for storing the conda build_artifacts directory (including the\n    # built packages) as an Azure pipeline artifact that can be downloaded\n    store_build_artifacts: False\n    # toggle for freeing up some extra space on the default Azure Pipelines\n    # linux image before running the Docker container for building\n    free_disk_space: False\n    # limit the amount of CI jobs running concurrently at a given time\n    # each OS will get its proportional share of the configured value\n    max_parallel: 25\n```\n\nBelow is an example configuration for setting up a self-hosted Azure agent for Linux:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    settings_linux:\n        pool:\n            name: your_local_pool_name\n            demands:\n                - some_key -equals some_value\n        workspace:\n            clean: all\n        strategy:\n            maxParallel: 1\n```\n\nBelow is an example configuration for adding a swapfile on an Azure agent for Linux:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    settings_linux:\n        swapfile_size: 10GiB\n```\n\nIf you need more space on Windows, you can use `C:` at the cost of IO performance:\n\n```yaml\nazure:\n    settings_win:\n        variables:\n            CONDA_BLD_PATH: \"C:\\bld\"\n            MINIFORGE_HOME: \"C:\\Miniforge\"\n```"
     },
     "drone": {
       "anyOf": [

conda_smithy/data/conda-forge.yml

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ azure:
     timeoutInMinutes: 360
     variables:
       CONDA_BLD_PATH: D:\\bld\\
+      MINIFORGE_HOME: D:\Miniforge
       UPLOAD_TEMP: D:\\tmp
   store_build_artifacts: false
   timeout_minutes: null

conda_smithy/schema.py

@@ -211,11 +211,25 @@ class AzureConfig(BaseModel):
         default_factory=lambda: AzureRunnerSettings(
             pool={"vmImage": "windows-2022"},
             variables={
+                "MINIFORGE_HOME": "D:\\Miniforge",
                 "CONDA_BLD_PATH": "D:\\\\bld\\\\",
                 "UPLOAD_TEMP": "D:\\\\tmp",
             },
         ),
-        description="Windows-specific settings for runners",
+        description=cleandoc(
+            """
+            Windows-specific settings for runners. Some important variables you can set are:
+
+            - `CONDA_BLD_PATH`: Location of the conda-build workspace. Defaults to `D:\\bld`
+            - `MINIFORGE_HOME`: Location of the base environment installation. Defaults to
+              `D:\\Miniforge`.
+            - `SET_PAGEFILE`: `"True"` to increase the pagefile size via conda-forge-ci-setup.
+
+            If you are running out of space in `D:`, consider changing to `C:`.
+            It's a slower drive but has more space available. We recommend you keep
+            both `CONDA_BLD_PATH` and `MINIFORGE_HOME` in the same drive for performance.
+            """
+        ),
     )
 
     user_or_org: Optional[Union[str, Nullable]] = Field(
@@ -1237,14 +1251,14 @@ class ConfigModel(BaseModel):
         ```yaml
         azure:
             settings_linux:
-            pool:
-                name: your_local_pool_name
-                demands:
-                  - some_key -equals some_value
-            workspace:
-                clean: all
-            strategy:
-                maxParallel: 1
+                pool:
+                    name: your_local_pool_name
+                    demands:
+                        - some_key -equals some_value
+                workspace:
+                    clean: all
+                strategy:
+                    maxParallel: 1
         ```
 
         Below is an example configuration for adding a swapfile on an Azure agent for Linux:
@@ -1254,6 +1268,16 @@ class ConfigModel(BaseModel):
             settings_linux:
                 swapfile_size: 10GiB
         ```
+
+        If you need more space on Windows, you can use `C:` at the cost of IO performance:
+
+        ```yaml
+        azure:
+            settings_win:
+                variables:
+                    CONDA_BLD_PATH: "C:\\bld"
+                    MINIFORGE_HOME: "C:\\Miniforge"
+        ```
         """
         ),
     )

conda_smithy/templates/azure-pipelines-win.yml.tmpl

@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ jobs:
           urllib.request.urlretrieve(url, path)
 
     - script: |
-        start /wait "" %BUILD_ARTIFACTSTAGINGDIRECTORY%\Miniforge.exe /InstallationType=JustMe /RegisterPython=0 /S /D=C:\Miniforge
+        start /wait "" %BUILD_ARTIFACTSTAGINGDIRECTORY%\Miniforge.exe /InstallationType=JustMe /RegisterPython=0 /S /D=$(MINIFORGE_HOME)
       displayName: Install Miniforge
 
-    - powershell: Write-Host "##vso[task.prependpath]C:\Miniforge\Scripts"
+    - powershell: Write-Host "##vso[task.prependpath]$(MINIFORGE_HOME)\Scripts"
       displayName: Add conda to PATH
 
     - script: |

news/2076-install-to-D.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* Use the faster ``D:\`` drive for Miniforge installations on Windows and expose this path as the ``MINIFORGE_HOME`` variable. (#2076)
+
+**Deprecated:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Removed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Security:**
+
+* <news item>