William Case wrote: > Thanks Charles; > >> It would not be easy to move all the dot files into a config >> directory. You would have to co-ordinate that across thousands of apps >> and dozens of different Unixes. I think we can depend on $HOME being >> available on most Unixes. Getting $HOME/config adopted would be a >> major effort. >> > I thought it was mainly a traditional component. As someone who has > only come recently to digging into Operating Systems, I am continually > amazed by how much is *not* brand new cutting edge, but rather is > generations old, conservative and traditional. > One thing to keep in mind is that a large percentage of the CLI tools pre-date Linux. There are few CLI programs/script that are Linux specific. Most of the ones that are, tend to be distribution specific as well. (system-config-<something> in Fedora/Redhat, drake<something> and <something>drake in Mandriva, etc.) This does tend to make changing this a bit difficult. Add in all the old-timers that are used to things being that way, and it can be almost impossible. (I include myself in that group.) >> I recommend against putting your own working documents into your home >> directory. Instead make one or more sub-directories for them. I have >> "business" for business related stuff, invoices and the like, >> "projects" and "src", for source code. Each has sub-directories for >> individual projects. I find it helps that when I'm working on a given >> project I only see the files related to that project. >> > > Yes. I do. But as you say, I always seem to end up with a bunch of > cruft in my home directory. > It helps if you set the default directories for different programs to specific sub-directories. Have Firefox put all downloads in downloads, Thunderbird put saved attachments in attachments, all documents in a Documents tree. I have a notes directory for short notes. I added a bin directory to /etc/skel so all users get a bin directory when they are created. Personal programs/scripts end up there, and it is added automatically to the end of their path. It is like anything else - you have to make an effort to organize it, and you have to clean things up periodically. If you are a packrat like me, you have to get in the habit of going through old stuff, and cleaning house. Mikkel -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!
