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qbi
Asked: 2012-03-27 14:32:28 +0800 CST

How to set the desktop to $HOME/Desktop?

  • 772

Recently I deleted the folder Desktop from my $HOME directory. When I logged in again all files and directories in $HOME were shown on the desktop. So I wanted to get the folder back. What is the recommended way to achieve this? I edited ~/.config/xdg-user-dirs.dir and added the correct variable. But I guess there must be some other (more easy?) way.

gnome

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    1. Create a new folder that you want to use as your folder.

      For example, type mkdir ~/Desktop in a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T to open one) to create a folder named Desktop in your home directory.

    2. Edit your configuration.

      Edit the file ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs. You can do this by opening a terminal, then enter:

      gedit ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

      Change the entry for XDG_DESKTOP_DIR to your new desktop folder, or add it, if the entry does not exist. After your edit, the file should look like this: 

      XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"  
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Download"  
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"  
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"  
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"  
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"  
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"  
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

    3. Log out and then log in again and your desktop should show the specified folder.

    • 37

  2. You can use xdg-user-dirs-update command to set Desktop.

     xdg-user-dirs-update --set DESKTOP $HOME/NewDesktop

    But at first check out your locale names

     cat  ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

    For English locale they are:

     XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
 XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
 XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads"
 XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
 XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
 XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
 XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
 XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

    You can set any of the above 

     xdg-user-dirs-update --set DOWNLOAD ~/Internet

    in order for the changes to take effect nautilus -q.

    For more info check out https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_user_directories

    • 2

  3. Just create an new folder with the name Desktop.

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