Fixed the plugin factory setup; it runs after the data directory is known

app/MindWork AI Studio/Layout/MainLayout.razor.cs

@@ -83,29 +83,13 @@ public partial class MainLayout : LayoutComponentBase, IMessageBusReceiver, IDis
         // Ensure that all settings are loaded:
         await this.SettingsManager.LoadSettings();
         
-        //
-        // We cannot process the plugins before the settings are loaded,
-        // and we know our data directory.
-        //
-        if(PreviewFeatures.PRE_PLUGINS_2025.IsEnabled(this.SettingsManager))
-        {
-            _ = Task.Run(async () =>
-            {
-                // Ensure that all internal plugins are present:
-                await PluginFactory.EnsureInternalPlugins();
-            
-                // Load (but not start) all plugins, without waiting for them:
-                var pluginLoadingTimeout = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
-                await PluginFactory.LoadAll(pluginLoadingTimeout.Token);
-            
-                // Set up hot reloading for plugins:
-                PluginFactory.SetUpHotReloading();
-            });
-        }
-        
         // Register this component with the message bus:
         this.MessageBus.RegisterComponent(this);
-        this.MessageBus.ApplyFilters(this, [], [ Event.UPDATE_AVAILABLE, Event.CONFIGURATION_CHANGED, Event.COLOR_THEME_CHANGED, Event.SHOW_ERROR ]);
+        this.MessageBus.ApplyFilters(this, [],
+        [
+            Event.UPDATE_AVAILABLE, Event.CONFIGURATION_CHANGED, Event.COLOR_THEME_CHANGED, Event.SHOW_ERROR,
+            Event.STARTUP_PLUGIN_SYSTEM, Event.PLUGINS_RELOADED
+        ]);
         
         // Set the snackbar for the update service:
         UpdateService.SetBlazorDependencies(this.Snackbar);
@@ -118,6 +102,9 @@ public partial class MainLayout : LayoutComponentBase, IMessageBusReceiver, IDis
         // Solve issue https://github.com/MudBlazor/MudBlazor/issues/11133:
         MudGlobal.TooltipDefaults.Duration = TimeSpan.Zero;
         
+        // Send a message to start the plugin system:
+        await this.MessageBus.SendMessage<bool>(this, Event.STARTUP_PLUGIN_SYSTEM);
+        
         await this.themeProvider.WatchSystemPreference(this.SystemeThemeChanged);
         await this.UpdateThemeConfiguration();
         this.LoadNavItems();
@@ -182,6 +169,32 @@ public partial class MainLayout : LayoutComponentBase, IMessageBusReceiver, IDis
                     error.Show(this.Snackbar);
                 
                 break;
+            
+            case Event.STARTUP_PLUGIN_SYSTEM:
+                if(PreviewFeatures.PRE_PLUGINS_2025.IsEnabled(this.SettingsManager))
+                {
+                    _ = Task.Run(async () =>
+                    {
+                        // Set up the plugin system:
+                        PluginFactory.Setup();
+                        
+                        // Ensure that all internal plugins are present:
+                        await PluginFactory.EnsureInternalPlugins();
+            
+                        // Load (but not start) all plugins, without waiting for them:
+                        var pluginLoadingTimeout = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
+                        await PluginFactory.LoadAll(pluginLoadingTimeout.Token);
+            
+                        // Set up hot reloading for plugins:
+                        PluginFactory.SetUpHotReloading();
+                    });
+                }
+                
+                break;
+            
+            case Event.PLUGINS_RELOADED:
+                await this.InvokeAsync(this.StateHasChanged);
+                break;
         }
     }
 

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/Event.cs

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ public enum Event
     STATE_HAS_CHANGED,
     CONFIGURATION_CHANGED,
     COLOR_THEME_CHANGED,
+    STARTUP_PLUGIN_SYSTEM,
     PLUGINS_RELOADED,
     SHOW_ERROR,
     

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/PluginSystem/PluginFactory.HotReload.cs

@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ public static partial class PluginFactory
 {
     public static void SetUpHotReloading()
     {
+        if (!IS_INITIALIZED)
+        {
+            LOG.LogError("PluginFactory is not initialized. Please call Setup() before using it.");
+            return;
+        }
+        
         LOG.LogInformation($"Start hot reloading plugins for path '{HOT_RELOAD_WATCHER.Path}'.");
         try
         {

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/PluginSystem/PluginFactory.Internal.cs

@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ public static partial class PluginFactory
 {
     public static async Task EnsureInternalPlugins()
     {
+        if (!IS_INITIALIZED)
+        {
+            LOG.LogError("PluginFactory is not initialized. Please call Setup() before using it.");
+            return;
+        }
+        
         LOG.LogInformation("Start ensuring internal plugins.");
         foreach (var plugin in Enum.GetValues<InternalPlugin>())
         {

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/PluginSystem/PluginFactory.cs

@@ -9,29 +9,34 @@ namespace AIStudio.Tools.PluginSystem;
 
 public static partial class PluginFactory
 {
-    private static readonly ILogger LOG = Program.LOGGER_FACTORY.CreateLogger("PluginFactory");
+    private static readonly ILogger LOG = Program.LOGGER_FACTORY.CreateLogger(nameof(PluginFactory));
+    private static readonly List<IAvailablePlugin> AVAILABLE_PLUGINS = [];
 
-    private static readonly string DATA_DIR = SettingsManager.DataDirectory!;
+    private static bool IS_INITIALIZED;
-    
+    private static string DATA_DIR = string.Empty;
-    private static readonly string PLUGINS_ROOT = Path.Join(DATA_DIR, "plugins");
+    private static string PLUGINS_ROOT = string.Empty;
-    
+    private static string INTERNAL_PLUGINS_ROOT = string.Empty;
-    private static readonly string INTERNAL_PLUGINS_ROOT = Path.Join(PLUGINS_ROOT, ".internal");
+    private static FileSystemWatcher HOT_RELOAD_WATCHER = null!;
-
-    private static readonly FileSystemWatcher HOT_RELOAD_WATCHER;
-
-    private static readonly List<IPluginMetadata> AVAILABLE_PLUGINS = [];
     
     /// <summary>
     /// A list of all available plugins.
     /// </summary>
     public static IReadOnlyCollection<IPluginMetadata> AvailablePlugins => AVAILABLE_PLUGINS;
-
+    /// <summary>
-    static PluginFactory()
+    /// Set up the plugin factory. We will read the data directory from the settings manager.
+    /// Afterward, we will create the plugins directory and the internal plugin directory.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static void Setup()
     {
+        DATA_DIR = SettingsManager.DataDirectory!;
+        PLUGINS_ROOT = Path.Join(DATA_DIR, "plugins");
+        INTERNAL_PLUGINS_ROOT = Path.Join(PLUGINS_ROOT, ".internal");
+        
         if (!Directory.Exists(PLUGINS_ROOT))
             Directory.CreateDirectory(PLUGINS_ROOT);
         
         HOT_RELOAD_WATCHER = new(PLUGINS_ROOT);
+        IS_INITIALIZED = true;
     }
     
     /// <summary>
@@ -48,6 +53,12 @@ public static partial class PluginFactory
     /// </remarks>
     public static async Task LoadAll(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
+        if (!IS_INITIALIZED)
+        {
+            LOG.LogError("PluginFactory is not initialized. Please call Setup() before using it.");
+            return;
+        }
+        
         LOG.LogInformation("Start loading plugins.");
         if (!Directory.Exists(PLUGINS_ROOT))
         {
@@ -151,6 +162,9 @@ public static partial class PluginFactory
     
     public static void Dispose()
     {
+        if(!IS_INITIALIZED)
+            return;
+        
         HOT_RELOAD_WATCHER.Dispose();
     }
 }