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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: A case for sharing Desktop and home directory - summary
From:       James Richard Tyrer <tyrerj () acm ! org>
Date:       2002-12-03 19:14:40
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Manuel Amador wrote:

> - "Apps put odd files in homedir":
>     * apps should save user data in a visible way (e.g. Mail).
>       Fix braindead apps which don't.
>     * apps should save app data hidden from the user (e.g
>       .mail/indexes).  Fix braindead apps.
>     * core files shouldn't appear by default
>       (most distros already do this).

Various apps put a lot of files in the $HOME directory and this is not 
just an abnormal behavior.

In fact if an application is locally installed in its own subdirectory, 
the $HOME directory is the proper place for that.  That is, if it would 
be globally installed in:

	/usr/local/foobar

Then a local install would be in:

	$HOME/foobar

This is the normal way to do things.

And then there is a whole bunch of hidden files.

Therefore, I make a different suggestion:

Rather than make the $HOME directory the Desktop directory because it is 
the default user account directory, that the Desktop directory should be 
made the default user account directory so that when you go to save a 
file in an application that instead of the $HOME directory being the 
default directory that your Desktop directory would be the default, 
making you save files in the directory tree rooted at your Desktop tree 
rather than the directory tree rooted at $HOME.

This should not be forced.  It should be configurable.  You should be 
able to select your default working directory in place of the 
"Documents" directory which only works for KDE applications.

You can currently configure the Konqueror sidebar so that it has the 
Desktop directory as a tab.  This configurability should be extended to 
the toolbars, a Desktop icon should be added that would open the Desktop 
directory.

This more versatile configuration could still function with 
Desktop==$HOME because you could set all of this stuff to $HOME if that 
was what you wanted.

I note that as I see it, one of the most significant arguments in favor 
of this is that I have 6 or 8 folders on my desktop but these 
directories are actually in the $HOME directory.  If I was using the 
Desktop directory as my default directory I wouldn't had to make a 
*.desktop file for each of them.  They would have just been there, and 
if I want to have files that I am currently working on on the Desktop, 
that would be the default.

I note two other features that are needed:

A "NoDisplayDesktop" option is needed and it needs to work in both 
*.desktop & .directory files.

You need to be able to set an applications working directory in the 
*.desktop file.

It has also been suggested that users would accumulate too many folders 
and icons on their desktop.  My suggested answer to these issues are two 
desktop objects: a filing cabinet and a tool box.  I would suggest that 
these be larger than the standard icons on the desktop.  So to implement 
this feature, would require an icon size override setting in the 
*.desktop file.  We already have profiles for Konqueror::KFM so having 
these icons both open Konqueror::KFM without toolbars and a certain size 
and position is already available.

What I am suggesting are the minor additions to make my suggested 
configuration possible.  These additional features would not require it, 
and could be used to also setup $HOME==Desktop and probably other 
configurations that I haven't even though of.

--
JRT

 
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