8 ms·
This isn't just a Linux problem. In Windows, the users /documents folder is polluted in exactly the same way these days.
by Jaruzel 8y ago
This isn't just a Linux problem. In Windows, the users /documents folder is polluted in exactly the same way these days.
- s3m4j 8y agoIt's often worse on Windows, since dotfiles aren't hidden and meny dev tools assume they'll be running on *nix even when they support Windows. https://imgur.com/a/Im6G20B https://imgur.com/a/Im6G20B capture from my windows box of my $HOME.
- Novashi 8y agoPlus if you try to rename a dotfile through explorer, it won't let you Then if you try to make a dotfile through powershell, it has a different text encoding than *nix, which some programs (git) rely on
- stinos 8y agoPlus if you try to rename a dotfile through explorer, it won't let you It does, rename it .dotfile. so with an extra . at the end. it has a different text encoding than nix,* You don't specify how you do this, but most text output commands out there have an -Encoding parameter. Or else set it globally to what you want, good read here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40098771/changing-powershells-default-output-encoding-to-utf-8 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40098771/changing-powers...
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- fireattack 8y agoAt least "My documents" is separate (as a subfolder) from %HOME isn't it? (I never used MacOS, but from the article it seems not the case for MacOS?)
- gumby 8y agoIt's just ~/Documents, which I symlink to ~/Desktop so that if any asshole developer dumps a file into it I'll be able to see it and remove it immediatelty.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- franky47 8y agoAlso on macOS, where [~]/Library/ApplicationSupport is the designed and recommended place to store config files, logs, preferences and all kinds of persistent data, the home directory still gets cluttered. It's a laziness issue, it won't be solved solely by making is easier to access the right locations on each system/platform, but that would be a step in the right direction.
- afiori 8y agoI would honestly like to blacklist my home folder. Do you want to create a new file/folder? I am notified with a popup and if you ask to often I am gonna stop using that. Not really workable but one can still dream...
- gh02t 8y agoThis is actually possible (on Linux, at least, probably Mac/Windows too) with something like selinux. It ends up being a huge headache though, both because selinux is kinda hard to configure, and because you will get a constant barrage of requests.
- giornogiovanna 8y agoThat sounds pretty funny, it reminds me of [UAP](https://blog.codinghorror.com/windows-vista-security-through-endless-warning-dialogs/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/windows-vista-security-through...).
- kalleboo 8y agoThat's how sandboxed apps (=app store apps) on macOS work. They can only access files and directories that the user has explicitly selected (through the system file dialogs or drag and drop)
- amaccuish 8y agoI have no idea how macOS organises its stuff. There's like 10 levels in my Library Folder, and some of them just repeat higher levels.
- fxfan 8y agoThe post isn't about the problem of cluttering- it's about the problem of programs not caring to adopt a super simple solution
- avip 8y agoRespectful Windows apps should drop their leftovers under %UserProfile%\Application Data or %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data.
- davidjade 8y agoThis x1000 but even Microsoft products are creating dotfiles in the users profile directory now and not in AppData where they should be.
- int_19h 8y agoRespectful Windows apps should call SHGetKnownFolderPath() with FOLDERID_LocalAppData or FOLDERID_RoamingAppData. Hardcoding paths is a bad idea, since they can change - indeed, they have already changed once in Vista, and the paths that you suggest are obsolete on Vista and above - it's %UserProfile%\AppData now (although it still provides symlinks for compatibility).
- starik36 8y agoIn addition, the home directory on Windows is now populated with every kind of config file from linters to .gitconfig to .bash_history, etc...