GIMP 2.10 Auto-Save Recovery: Undo History and Layer Metadata Preservation Gap

Recovery Behavior Across GIMP 2.10.x

GIMP 2.10 introduced a per-session auto-save mechanism that writes temporary XCF files at a configurable interval. When the application terminates unexpectedly, the most recent auto-save file remains and can be reopened via File → Recover, restoring pixel data up to the last saved interval. However, the recovered session does not consistently preserve the full editing context.

Documented vs. Observed Restoration Scope

The auto-save preference (Environment → Save interval) and the separate backup-on-save feature (filename.xcf~) are documented as recovery aids. The backup-on-save naming convention and storage location vary by platform, but both mechanisms focus on pixel-layer fidelity. What remains unspecified is whether the recovery process should also restore the undo stack and layer-group visibility toggles.

Unresolved Consistency Question

Across the GIMP 2.10.x series, users report that recovered images retain pixel data but lose undo history and certain layer metadata such as group visibility states. This discrepancy has not been addressed in official documentation or standardized as expected behavior.

Does the current auto-save specification intend to preserve undo history and layer-group visibility on recovery? If preservation is intended, what configuration or version boundary defines when the gap is considered a bug versus a design limitation? Are there platform-specific factors in the backup-on-save path that affect metadata retention differently than the auto-save path?