your home directory vesus /home

Godsmacker777 · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:27 am Post subject: your home directory vesus /home

The *nix system sets all user-specific application data/settings in the particular user's home directory..where is this specified?

In other words..could I set the place where all of this "system" data is stored for user "jason" in a subdirectory of the user's home?

I know is sort of confusing so I will try to explain. I'm an organizational freak, and I would like to move all of the "application data" for my users (like .fbpanel .xchat .xinitrc, etc.) to another directory. I don't want to move my home directory..I want to keep /home/jason, but I want to put all of these files I am talking about in a subdir of /home/jason

so is there a way to set a system-wide default?

~thanks
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kabage · Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 340

But wouldnt it be easier to leave all the configuraton, mail desktop files so you dont have to configure every application
that uses them.

And move the rest of your files to a subdirectory.

But then I'm disorganized so what do I know.
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The solutions are easy. Its finding them that is hard.

falcon_za · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 6:48 am Post subject:

I agree this would be a nice thing to do. but I also don't know. I actualy think it's not perfectly possible, since many applications might not follow the global setting, and just put things in your home, since it is the common practice. too bad.

as far as I am concerned, i'd like to have only the following subdir in my home:
~/settings
~/trash
~/documents
~/desktop

and possibly:
~/download. though it might as well be a subdir of documents
~/applications could be nice for user-installed software. would probably use this on a system where i wouldn't be administrator
~/data could also be nice to put things like emails, bookmarks, game saves, and other kind of application specific stuff that is not a setting or a preference, but actual user data, which does come in the shape of a document.

BlackEdder · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:23 am Post subject:

Well you could set your home directory to /home/user/settings (by editting /etc/passwd). I think that way all setting should be created there. Downside is that ~ and $HOME will also point there, which will make moving around from the commandline a bit more painfull.

Godsmacker777 · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject:

hmmm..

maybe I will edit /etc/password (set my user's home to /home/jason/settings), then I could edit my shell rc file to put me at /home/jason by default. That wouldn't be too bad.

Ideally I would like:

limn · l33t Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 997

This is an interesting idea.
You might want to have your shell rc only reset $HOME for interactive shells.
If you proceed with this, please update this topic with your experience.

Godsmacker777 · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:32 am Post subject:

I will definitely update as I go..

so far I haven't had such great luck.

I changed my user's home in /etc/passwd, then I moved all hidden files/folders into the new "settings" dir: