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Yeah, this is rather controversial and gets voted down immediately by the hardcore Unix guys.
I think that it is a good idea though...
It would make it a lot cleaner, and hide complexity.
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Unfortunately, this could not be changed without a HUGE amount of work, as it would require rewriting the entire UNIX directory structure, and requiring either compatability layers or emulators to run Linux software.
It just can't be done without making Ubuntu a completely different OS.
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Even if it was possible, I don't think it is a great idea.
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With just a little familiarity with the directory structure, it begins to make sense, and you don't much miss the "My Documents" ways of Windows. The short names also make it easier to navigate around on the command line. (Compare `cd /sbin` to `cd /system/executables/admin`.) Changing the directory structure just isn't realistic.
Now, it's true that the directory structure can be confusing to new users. Instead of changing it, why not explain it more clearly? Say, include a guide like http://www.arsgeek.com/?p=520 in a "Finding your way around" section.
Actually, something like this is already in the Gutsy documentation under Introduction to the Desktop 6.6.1: / Working with Files / Managing Your Files and Folders / Directories and File Systems. Should it be more prominent? (It's a little hard to find.) Should it be more fully fleshed out, like the arsgeek guide? These are ideas you might want to suggest if you think it's important.
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katti
wrote on the 2 Apr 08 at 09:46
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Definitely -1. Ubuntu is Linux, and should respect the Linux FHS.
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jespdj
wrote on the 2 Apr 08 at 11:31
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No, this is a bad idea.
Ubuntu / Linux is a Unix-like operating system. The structure of the filesystem on Ubuntu is more or less standard, it's more or less the same on all other Linux distributions and Unix-like operating systems.
It is NOT a good idea to invent your own, totally different filesystem structure. That would make Ubuntu a lot less compatible with other Unix-like operating systems. Most GNU software, for example, expects directories like /usr, /usr/local, /usr/share, /usr/lib etc. to exist, and changing the filesystem structure means a LOT of extra work to make these programs work properly on Ubuntu.
It would also make the system very confusing to people who are used to other Unix-like operating systems.
Note: You are not the first who posts this idea.
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Ah yes, the age old 'change the directory structure' battle, including an obligatory slam on those of us who think the structure is just fine. Rather than re-write my thoughts, I'll just refer you here:
http://www.endperform.org/2007/08/24/more-on-directory-structure/
The summary: Changing the core file structure would break a lot of things, cause a lot of headaches and potentially cost Ubuntu market share.
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quadrox
wrote on the 2 Apr 08 at 19:13
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I know my way around the unix directories pretty well, but I still think that in theory this is a good idea.
Granted, it is going to be painful in some way or other due to everyone being accustomed to the old system. But I think we can all agree that it is not the most intuitive system and could be structured a lot better. I think that eventually we (as in the unix/linux community) need to move along and redesign those things that are pure anachronisms (i.e. historical leftovers) and without any good reason.
It's hardly going to happen now, but eventually we should move on. Just create a second version of the standard and give everyone a couple of years where the old version must be accepted and the new version should, then eventually we can replace the old. If we don't start, we're not going to finish.
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saivann
(Brainstorm moderator)
wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 23:38
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IMO, this is not realistic. The actual FHS is the result of years of evolution and this is now idealistic. We can't keep the advantages of the actual FHS and change the names to be more comprehensive at a first look. Personally, I would not change this very effective standard and cause all Linux programs in the world to have problems, being incompatible with UNIX standards and be less useful for command line only to avoid this first "how does that work" impression.
Also, why the overall person would like to know how these folders work. This is generally the computer task.
Basically, the overall user don't need to know and use these folders, the computer take care of this. Gnome/Kde can show folders in a way that is easy to understand and use. People should not need to modify files in these directories if ubuntu include sufficient tools to do what the user want, I believe that it's enough, always in my opinion of course :)
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ebrahim
wrote on the 11 May 08 at 17:07
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Leave us alone with our dear Unix!
Do you know what does it mean to add some extra characters to almost all path strings?!
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Hey, why not do both? How about we just set up a bunch of symbolic links and hide the stuff we don't want to see with metadata and a nautilus plugin? Forgive me if I don't know what I'm talking about
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Yes, let's break backwards compatibility!
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People, people, we can keep compatibility! We can have our cake and eat it, too! Proof: Gobolinux. Gobolinux uses symbolic links to maintain compatibility, while hiding them from the user with a kernel module that allows for hidden files. They get all the benefits of unix compatibility, without the confusion that comes with the FHS standard.
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dlstyley
wrote on the 23 Aug 08 at 02:14
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As a newbie trying to learn about development on linux, I find it very confusing. I stubled on this thread looking for information about this very topic.
Found this,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard
which is handy as a reference, but the structure doesn't seem very intuitive. On top of that, it seems like some programmers interpret the standards differently from others, which is probably a result of it not being very intuitive.
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Auzy
wrote on the 23 Aug 08 at 04:00
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Everyone knows my opinion on the matter surely by now.
I'll summarise it as:
1) The FHS isn't based on evolution, in fact, its never changed since the beginning really
2) The FHS makes no real sense unless you study it
3) Even when the FHS does make sense, its impossible in some cases to guess where files are located
+1
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Clorox
wrote on the 17 Jun 09 at 02:21
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It's not breaking compatibility. THE DIRECTORIES ARE STILL THERE, THEY ARE JUST SYMLINKED INTO THE "NEW" DIRECTORIES AND HIDDEN.
Now that I've got that out of the way, this is definitely impeding the user-friendliness of most Unix-like operating systems. If we want to move forward, if we want to compete with Microsoft and Apple, we need to do this sooner or later. Maybe in Karmic. Maybe in 10 years. But we can't use this old standard forever (read: we still need to use the FHS, but keep it out of sight Mac- or GoboLinux-style).
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/bin /system/executables
/boot /system/boot
/dev /system/devices
/etc /system/config
/lib /system/libraries
/home /users
/media /storage
/mnt /storage
/proc /system/processes
/root /users/Administrator
/sbin /system/executables/admin
/tmp /system/temporary
/usr /system/applications
I doubt my mom would find your filesystem more user-friendly. In fact I think /system/executables would be just as confusing to her as /bin. You're trying to solve the problem of more or less knowledgeable users that come from the world of windows getting confused the hard way: by changing the underlying filesystem hierarchy. What should be done instead is the user's perception of the filesystem should be changed: instead of thinking "the whole disk is mine to mess with" it should change to "I only have my home directory to mess with - everything else is for the admins".
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