Adds Load with unique_ptr to VFS

Also replaces some usages of Load with shared_ptr by unique_ptr.

source/graphics/Font.cpp

@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ bool CFont::AddFontFromPath(const OsPath& fontPath)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	std::shared_ptr<u8> fontData;
+	std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> fontData;
 	size_t fontDataSize;
 	if (g_VFS->LoadFile(fontPath, fontData, fontDataSize) != 0)
 	{
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ bool CFont::AddFontFromPath(const OsPath& fontPath)
 	}
 
 	// Keep the font data alive.
-	m_FontsData.push_back(fontData);
+	m_FontsData.push_back(std::move(fontData));
 
 	// Set the font size.
 	if (FT_Error error{FT_Set_Char_Size(face, 0, FloatToF26Dot6(m_FontSize), 0 , 0)})
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ bool CFont::AddFontFromPath(const OsPath& fontPath)
 	}
 
 	// Get the height of the font.
-	if(m_Faces.empty())
+	if (m_Faces.empty())
 		m_Height = FPosF26Dot6ToFloat(face->size->metrics.height);
 
 	// Add the fallback font to the list.

source/graphics/Font.h

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-	/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  * This file is part of 0 A.D.
  *
  * 0 A.D. is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #define INCLUDED_FONT
 
 #include "graphics/Texture.h"
+#include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/code_annotation.h"
 #include "lib/os_path.h"
 #include "lib/types.h"
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ private:
 	std::reference_wrapper<const std::array<float, 256>> m_GammaCorrectionLUT;
 
 	FT_Library m_FreeType;
-	std::vector<std::shared_ptr<u8>> m_FontsData;
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter>> m_FontsData;
 	std::vector<UniqueFTFace> m_Faces;
 	UniqueFTStroker m_Stroker{nullptr, &ftStrokerDeleter};
 

source/graphics/tests/test_MeshManager.h

@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class TestMeshManager : public CxxTest::TestSuite
 	void copyFile(const VfsPath& src, const VfsPath& dst)
 	{
 		// Copy a file into the mod directory, so we can work on it:
-		std::shared_ptr<u8> data; size_t size = 0;
+		std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> data; size_t size = 0;
 		TS_ASSERT_OK(g_VFS->LoadFile(src, data, size));
 		TS_ASSERT_OK(g_VFS->CreateFile(dst, {data.get(), size}));
 	}

source/lib/file/vfs/vfs.cpp

@@ -180,6 +180,29 @@ public:
 		return INFO::OK;
 	}
 
+	Status LoadFile(const VfsPath& pathname, std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter>& fileContents, size_t& size) final
+	{
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(vfs_mutex);
+
+		VfsDirectory* directory; VfsFile* file;
+		// per 2010-05-01 meeting, this shouldn't raise 'scary error
+		// dialogs', which might fail to display the culprit pathname
+		// instead, callers should log the error, including pathname.
+		RETURN_STATUS_IF_ERR(vfs_Lookup(pathname, &m_rootDirectory, directory, &file));
+
+		size = file->Size();
+		fileContents.reset(reinterpret_cast<u8*>(rtl_AllocateAligned(size, maxSectorSize)));
+		if (!fileContents)
+			WARN_RETURN(ERR::NO_MEM);
+
+		RETURN_STATUS_IF_ERR(file->Loader()->Load(file->Name(), {fileContents.get(), file->Size()}));
+
+		stats_io_user_request(size);
+		m_trace->NotifyLoad(pathname, size);
+
+		return INFO::OK;
+	}
+
 	std::wstring TextRepresentation() const final
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(vfs_mutex);

source/lib/file/vfs/vfs.h

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_VFS
 #define INCLUDED_VFS
 
+#include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/file/file_system.h"	// CFileInfo
 #include "lib/file/vfs/vfs_path.h"
 #include "lib/os_path.h"
@@ -160,6 +161,16 @@ struct IVFS
 	 **/
 	virtual Status LoadFile(const VfsPath& pathname, std::shared_ptr<u8>& fileContents, size_t& size) = 0;
 
+	/**
+	 * Read an entire file into memory.
+	 *
+	 * @param pathname
+	 * @param fileContents receives a unique pointer to the contents.
+	 * @param size receives the size [bytes] of the file contents.
+	 * @return Status.
+	 **/
+	virtual Status LoadFile(const VfsPath& pathname, std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter>& fileContents, size_t& size) = 0;
+
 	/**
 	 * @return a string representation of all files and directories.
 	 **/

source/ps/CConsole.cpp

@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ void CConsole::LoadHistory()
 	if (!VfsFileExists(m_HistoryFile))
 		return;
 
-	std::shared_ptr<u8> buf; size_t buflen;
+	std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> buf; size_t buflen;
 	if (g_VFS->LoadFile(m_HistoryFile, buf, buflen) < 0)
 		return;
 

source/ps/ConfigDB.cpp

@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ bool CConfigDB::Reload(EConfigNamespace ns)
 
 	std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> s(m_Mutex);
 
-	std::shared_ptr<u8> buffer;
+	std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> buffer;
 	size_t buflen;
 	{
 		// Handle missing files quietly

source/ps/FileIo.h

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  * This file is part of 0 A.D.
  *
  * 0 A.D. is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_FILEPACKER
 #define INCLUDED_FILEPACKER
 
+#include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/file/io/write_buffer.h"
 #include "lib/file/vfs/vfs_path.h"
 #include "lib/types.h"
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
 	// the data read from file and used during unpack operations
-	std::shared_ptr<u8> m_buf;
+	std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> m_buf;
 	size_t m_bufSize;
 
 	size_t m_unpackPos;	/// current unpack position in stream

source/ps/Filesystem.h

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  * This file is part of 0 A.D.
  *
  * 0 A.D. is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_PS_FILESYSTEM
 #define INCLUDED_PS_FILESYSTEM
 
+#include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/file/vfs/vfs.h"
 #include "lib/file/vfs/vfs_path.h"
 #include "lib/status.h"
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ public:
 	CStr8 DecodeUTF8() const;
 
 private:
-	std::shared_ptr<u8> m_Buffer;
+	std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> m_Buffer;
 	size_t m_BufferSize;
 };
 

source/ps/VideoMode.cpp

@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ void CVideoMode::CCursor::SetCursor(const CStrW& name)
 	int hotspotX = 0, hotspotY = 0;
 	{
 		const VfsPath pathHotspotName = pathBaseName.ChangeExtension(L".txt");
-		std::shared_ptr<u8> buffer;
+		std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> buffer;
 		size_t size;
 		if (g_VFS->LoadFile(pathHotspotName, buffer, size) != INFO::OK)
 		{

source/simulation2/tests/test_Simulation2.h

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class TestSimulation2 : public CxxTest::TestSuite
 {
 	void copyFile(const VfsPath& src, const VfsPath& dst)
 	{
-		std::shared_ptr<u8> data;
+		std::unique_ptr<u8[], AlignedDeleter> data;
 		size_t size = 0;
 		TS_ASSERT_OK(g_VFS->LoadFile(src, data, size));
 		TS_ASSERT_OK(g_VFS->CreateFile(dst, {data.get(), size}));