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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Abstracting the Linux Desktop from the File-system
From:       James Richard Tyrer <tyrerj () acm ! org>
Date:       2002-12-01 9:40:50
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 >
 > Well how about a users data files. You assume that a user wants all
 > their documents, saved web pages etc on the desktop and that is
 > simply not true.

What I *am* assuming is that the root of the directory tree where a user
will store all of their documents & stuff should not be the $HOME
directory and that the Desktop directory would be a much better choice.

 > Yet the majority of apps (kde/gnome/others) default to save data in
 > the home directory

This assumption is not correct.  They default to the current working 
directory and they can be told what that is.

Open Konqueror::KFM; go to you Desktop directory; Open a Konsole with: 
"Tools => Open Terminal"; now start an application using the command 
line in that Konsole; Now test and see where it saves its files by default.

 > and load it from the same place. If home is the desktop then it will
 > VERY QUICKLY get filled up.

Actually, what is being proposed is that the user that doesn't want to 
use the desktop paradigm would still save that stuff to Documents which 
would be a folder on the Desktop.  With the desktop paradigm, the user 
would need to file the stuff away (just like a real desktop.

 > Or are you suggesting that users MUST adopt a new operating paradigm
 > of *always* switching to a documents folder to save/load to go with
 > your home/desktop?

I am not suggesting that they MUST do anything.  There would need to be 
a default but it should be configurable.

 > Even if that is preferable (and I do it) it should not be forced on
 > people, that is what the home dir is for;  to store a users data and
 > his personal config files.

Which stone tablet is that written on? :-)

Actually, the $HOME directory is the place for a whole lot of stuff 
other than data files that MUST be there.  It is for this reason that I 
think that it should be possible to configure another directory as the 
root of the directory tree where you store your documents -- as the 
default working directory.

--
JRT

 
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