Add QOL feature for changing the custom nodes folder location through cli args or a COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR environment variable.

app/custom_node_manager.py

@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import os
-import folder_paths
 import glob
-from aiohttp import web
 import json
 import logging
+import os
 from functools import lru_cache
 
-from utils.json_util import merge_json_recursive
+from aiohttp import web
 
+import folder_paths
+from utils.json_util import merge_json_recursive
 
 # Extra locale files to load into main.json
 EXTRA_LOCALE_FILES = [
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ def safe_load_json_file(file_path: str) -> dict:
 
 
 class CustomNodeManager:
+    """Manages and resolves folders for custom nodes.
+
+    The custom_nodes folder location can be overridden using either
+    by passing in a folder through client argument --custom-nodes-directory,
+    or by setting COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR as an environment variable.
+
+    The cli argument takes prescedence if passed in.
+    """
     @lru_cache(maxsize=1)
     def build_translations(self):
         """Load all custom nodes translations during initialization. Translations are

comfy/cli_args.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import argparse
 import enum
 import os
+
 import comfy.options
 
 
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ parser.add_argument("--extra-model-paths-config", type=str, default=None, metava
 parser.add_argument("--output-directory", type=str, default=None, help="Set the ComfyUI output directory. Overrides --base-directory.")
 parser.add_argument("--temp-directory", type=str, default=None, help="Set the ComfyUI temp directory (default is in the ComfyUI directory). Overrides --base-directory.")
 parser.add_argument("--input-directory", type=str, default=None, help="Set the ComfyUI input directory. Overrides --base-directory.")
+parser.add_argument("--custom-nodes-directory", type=str, default=None, help="Set the ComfyUI custom_nodes directory. Overrides --base-directory and environment variable COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR.")
 parser.add_argument("--auto-launch", action="store_true", help="Automatically launch ComfyUI in the default browser.")
 parser.add_argument("--disable-auto-launch", action="store_true", help="Disable auto launching the browser.")
 parser.add_argument("--cuda-device", type=int, default=None, metavar="DEVICE_ID", help="Set the id of the cuda device this instance will use. All other devices will not be visible.")

folder_paths.py

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import logging
+import mimetypes
 import os
 import time
-import mimetypes
-import logging
-from typing import Literal, List
 from collections.abc import Collection
+from typing import List, Literal
 
 from comfy.cli_args import args
 
@@ -115,6 +115,11 @@ def set_input_directory(input_dir: str) -> None:
     global input_directory
     input_directory = input_dir
 
+def set_custom_nodes_directory(custom_nodes_dir: str) -> None:
+    #NOTE: this function doesn't need a "get_custom_nodes_directory", we have "get_folder_paths".
+    global folder_names_and_paths
+    folder_names_and_paths["custom_nodes"] = ([custom_nodes_dir], set())
+
 def get_output_directory() -> str:
     global output_directory
     return output_directory

main.py

@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 import comfy.options
+
 comfy.options.enable_args_parsing()
 
-import os
 import importlib.util
-import folder_paths
-import time
-from comfy.cli_args import args
-from app.logger import setup_logger
 import itertools
-import utils.extra_config
 import logging
+import os
 import sys
+import time
+
+import folder_paths
+import utils.extra_config
+from app.logger import setup_logger
+from comfy.cli_args import args
+from comfy_api import feature_flags
 from comfy_execution.progress import get_progress_state
 from comfy_execution.utils import get_executing_context
-from comfy_api import feature_flags
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     #NOTE: These do not do anything on core ComfyUI, they are for custom nodes.
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ def apply_custom_paths():
         for config_path in itertools.chain(*args.extra_model_paths_config):
             utils.extra_config.load_extra_path_config(config_path)
 
-    # --output-directory, --input-directory, --user-directory
+    # --output-directory, --input-directory, --user-directory, --custom-nodes-directory
     if args.output_directory:
         output_dir = os.path.abspath(args.output_directory)
         logging.info(f"Setting output directory to: {output_dir}")
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ def apply_custom_paths():
         logging.info(f"Setting user directory to: {user_dir}")
         folder_paths.set_user_directory(user_dir)
 
+    #NOTE: hierarchy of resolution should be cli args first, then environment.
+    if args.custom_nodes_directory:
+        custom_nodes_dir = os.path.abspath(args.custom_nodes_dir)
+        logging.info(f"Setting custom nodes directory to: {custom_nodes_dir}")
+        folder_paths.set_custom_nodes_directory(custom_nodes_dir)
+    elif os.environ.get("COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR", None):
+        custom_nodes_dir = os.path.abspath(os.environ.get("COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR"))
+        logging.info(f"Setting custom nodes directory to: {custom_nodes_dir} from environment variable COMFYUI_CUSTOM_NODES_DIR")
+        folder_paths.set_custom_nodes_directory(custom_nodes_dir)
+
 
 def execute_prestartup_script():
     if args.disable_all_custom_nodes and len(args.whitelist_custom_nodes) == 0:
@@ -106,10 +118,9 @@ execute_prestartup_script()
 
 # Main code
 import asyncio
+import gc
 import shutil
 import threading
-import gc
-
 
 if os.name == "nt":
     os.environ['MIMALLOC_PURGE_DELAY'] = '0'
@@ -144,16 +155,16 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 if 'torch' in sys.modules:
     logging.warning("WARNING: Potential Error in code: Torch already imported, torch should never be imported before this point.")
 
+import app.logger
+import comfy.model_management
 import comfy.utils
-
+import comfyui_version
 import execution
+import hook_breaker_ac10a0
+import nodes
 import server
 from protocol import BinaryEventTypes
-import nodes
-import comfy.model_management
-import comfyui_version
-import app.logger
-import hook_breaker_ac10a0
+
 
 def cuda_malloc_warning():
     device = comfy.model_management.get_torch_device()
@@ -293,7 +304,7 @@ def cleanup_temp():
 
 def setup_database():
     try:
-        from app.database.db import init_db, dependencies_available
+        from app.database.db import dependencies_available, init_db
         if dependencies_available():
             init_db()
     except Exception as e: