Re: (clug-talk) Should the unix fs be hidden from desktop users?

[Richi Plana]

Jesse Kline wrote:

One of the first things I noticed when I first tried MacOS X was that you would
never know that it was a Unix system unless you opened a terminal and hit cd /;ls
I think that Apple has achieved a good balance between keeping the layout easy
to understand for users of their classic system, while still retaining the
traditional Unix infrastructure of the system.
I just finnished reading a paper at
http://evolvedoo.sourceforge.net/abstract/index.html which argues that the same
thing should be done with the Linux desktop. I understand that the Linux file
hierarchy can be confusing to users of MacOS classic and Windows, but I think
that if it is explained correctly it is not too hard to understand at least the
basics (ie. your files go in you $HOME dir, removable media can be accessed
under /mnt, etc.). I was wondering what people on the list think. Do we need to
hide the basics of the OS in order to make it more user friendly?

The thing with the Unix $HOME dir is that it's a catch-all entity for storing files and directories. In graphical shells like Nautilus, there is the concept of a Desktop which is supposed to contain working files like documents, music and video files. Obviously, the $HOME dir may contain things that a "Desktop" normally wouldn't, but it is safe to say that a Desktop directory is a "subset" of the $HOME dir. It's seems only naturaly, then, to use $HOME/Desktop (or another time) as the user's Desktop directory have other directories in $HOME for things outside the use of the Desktop.

It really isn't a matter of hiding non-Desktop entities but bringing the most likely candidates to the fore. This means that a fileselector dialog for a Music program should have shortcuts to possibly $HOME/Desktop/Music/ as well as ${datadir}/music/ or /opt/MusicPro/samples/. It shouldn't be too difficult for desktop systems to have a registry of directories where installed programs can add their directories of files for a given data type (ie. MIDI, AVI, etc.). That way, a file is MOST LIKELY a click or two away, but if the user wants something in an unusual directory, it'll still be possible.

With a well-designed desktop environment, a first-time user using it for a few weeks won't even be aware that there is such as a thing as a $HOME dir.

My Can$0.02
--

*Richard Plana, B.Sc., CCNA*
Secretary
Calgary Linux Users' Group