4 ms·

IMO the other really big deal here is that ~/Library is a hidden folder by default. For most users Dropbox will only be exposed under the "Locations" section in

IMO the other really big deal here is that ~/Library is a hidden folder by default. For most users Dropbox will only be exposed under the "Locations" section in finder sidebars. That feels like a huge regression to me — the whole idea of Dropbox was "a folder, that syncs." An invisible folder that syncs is much worse!

pancrufty 4y ago
Clearly it’s not invisible. While you can’t target it by typing ~/Dropbox, people using the Finder won’t notice a difference.
- knaik94 4y ago
  If a user can't open or target a folder by typing in the location, it's useless for any meaningful file management. This feels like macOS is becoming more like iOS instead of the other way around. There is a setting to re-enable it, but it shouldn't need a setting.
  - threeseed 4y ago
    Finder -> Go -> Go to Folder .. And being able to open a file by its path is not a requirement for meaningful file management. It's something only power users would do and for them the Terminal is always going to be a far better choice.
    - knaik94 4y ago
      That's a very low bar to set for "power user". By that standard even users wanting to install Dropbox and managing files themselves would be enough to count as a "power user". Recommending the use of a terminal is even more of a regression. It's not a far better choice, it's not even a good choice for file management. Basically everything is slower through a terminal interface.
      - arthurcolle 4y ago
        I feel like if you're a power user you're generally going to reach for the terminal. Although I do like the "Go To Server" thing in the menu bar when you're in Finder. Easier than remembering the ftp command to do whatever. Plus I can look at FTP directories as if they were just files on my local drive. But other than that... I can't think of 1 single other thing that I would rather do in Finder vs. a terminal of whatever flavor I'm feeling that moment (Alacritty, iTerm, VS Code builtin terminal*) * yucky!
        knaik94 4y ago
        Mixed files and situations where I have to order by date or more complex filtering makes me hate dealing with terminals. If I want to pick and choose, let's say, the first, third, and sixth files orderd by size descending, it's unnecessarily annoying with just a terminal. I don't think that's a "power user" situation. I admit that I am a power user, I use QTtabbar which gives me tabs in windows explorer, the same functionality is built in macOS finder. I also have keyboard shortcuts for, delete folder and move all contained files to parent folder, delete empty folders, and edit specific metadata, among other things. The single most useful "power user" shortcut that QTtabbar gives me is double click empty space to move view up to parent directory, macOS finder has a keyboard shortcut for that. Android is great for this kind of stuff too, but I have rooted my phone so no folders are hidden. I have termux set up too, the android terminal emulator, so I have grep and sed if I wanted to. I will absolutely everything I can to avoid having to do file management on iOS. I don't know sure when the accepted definition of "power user" changed from the keyboard shortcut functions I'm describing to navigating view based on path. Knowing and navigating by path feels too basic, to me, to be a qualification for "power user".
      - threeseed 4y ago
        Maybe you didn't understand my comment. I was talking about dealing in path strings which most ordinary people are not normally exposed to. And in that situation Apple provides an easy and obvious method to navigate to it. And would be very much disagree that everything is slower with a Terminal. In fact most things I do can't even done in the Finder UI.
- figomore 4y ago
  In the update process Dropbox moves the folder to the new location and creates ~/Dropbox as a symbolic link to the new location. So you cd ~/Dropbox
  - jongala 4y ago
    OK nice. A symlink will go a long way for the average user. The way I read the article it seemed like they would rely solely on the Locations list in finder sidebars.
tempodox 4y ago
> ~/Library is a hidden folder by default. You can do $ chflags nohidden ~/Library in the terminal, but most users won't know this.
- re 4y ago
  No need to open the Terminal. Hit Command-J in your Home folder to open the View Options window and choose "Show Library Folder". https://www.lifewire.com/os-x-is-hiding-your-library-folder-2260833 https://www.lifewire.com/os-x-is-hiding-your-library-folder-...
  - tempodox 4y ago
    Indeed. I haven't hit ⌘J in my home folder in years :)

pancrufty 4y ago

Clearly it’s not invisible. While you can’t target it by typing ~/Dropbox, people using the Finder won’t notice a difference.

knaik94 4y ago
If a user can't open or target a folder by typing in the location, it's useless for any meaningful file management. This feels like macOS is becoming more like iOS instead of the other way around. There is a setting to re-enable it, but it shouldn't need a setting.
- threeseed 4y ago
  Finder -> Go -> Go to Folder .. And being able to open a file by its path is not a requirement for meaningful file management. It's something only power users would do and for them the Terminal is always going to be a far better choice.
  - knaik94 4y ago
    That's a very low bar to set for "power user". By that standard even users wanting to install Dropbox and managing files themselves would be enough to count as a "power user". Recommending the use of a terminal is even more of a regression. It's not a far better choice, it's not even a good choice for file management. Basically everything is slower through a terminal interface.
    - arthurcolle 4y ago
      I feel like if you're a power user you're generally going to reach for the terminal. Although I do like the "Go To Server" thing in the menu bar when you're in Finder. Easier than remembering the ftp command to do whatever. Plus I can look at FTP directories as if they were just files on my local drive. But other than that... I can't think of 1 single other thing that I would rather do in Finder vs. a terminal of whatever flavor I'm feeling that moment (Alacritty, iTerm, VS Code builtin terminal*) * yucky!
      - knaik94 4y ago
        Mixed files and situations where I have to order by date or more complex filtering makes me hate dealing with terminals. If I want to pick and choose, let's say, the first, third, and sixth files orderd by size descending, it's unnecessarily annoying with just a terminal. I don't think that's a "power user" situation. I admit that I am a power user, I use QTtabbar which gives me tabs in windows explorer, the same functionality is built in macOS finder. I also have keyboard shortcuts for, delete folder and move all contained files to parent folder, delete empty folders, and edit specific metadata, among other things. The single most useful "power user" shortcut that QTtabbar gives me is double click empty space to move view up to parent directory, macOS finder has a keyboard shortcut for that. Android is great for this kind of stuff too, but I have rooted my phone so no folders are hidden. I have termux set up too, the android terminal emulator, so I have grep and sed if I wanted to. I will absolutely everything I can to avoid having to do file management on iOS. I don't know sure when the accepted definition of "power user" changed from the keyboard shortcut functions I'm describing to navigating view based on path. Knowing and navigating by path feels too basic, to me, to be a qualification for "power user".
    - threeseed 4y ago
      Maybe you didn't understand my comment. I was talking about dealing in path strings which most ordinary people are not normally exposed to. And in that situation Apple provides an easy and obvious method to navigate to it. And would be very much disagree that everything is slower with a Terminal. In fact most things I do can't even done in the Finder UI.
figomore 4y ago
In the update process Dropbox moves the folder to the new location and creates ~/Dropbox as a symbolic link to the new location. So you cd ~/Dropbox
- jongala 4y ago
  OK nice. A symlink will go a long way for the average user. The way I read the article it seemed like they would rely solely on the Locations list in finder sidebars.

tempodox 4y ago

> ~/Library is a hidden folder by default. You can do $ chflags nohidden ~/Library in the terminal, but most users won't know this.

re 4y ago
No need to open the Terminal. Hit Command-J in your Home folder to open the View Options window and choose "Show Library Folder". https://www.lifewire.com/os-x-is-hiding-your-library-folder-2260833 https://www.lifewire.com/os-x-is-hiding-your-library-folder-...
- tempodox 4y ago
  Indeed. I haven't hit ⌘J in my home folder in years :)