http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6557/
You can't even delete them without being sure because it might contain important data.

Freedesktop has issued a recommandation to solve this problem :
http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/latest/ar01s03.html

Implementing this would allow to easily reset your configuration to the default one without loosing any data. For Ubuntu beta testers or people that care about having the default config, it would be a big advantage. It would also solve a lot of upgrade problems that some people have and that cannot be reproduced because it's a particular preference migration bug.

The problem and its solution is described here for the GNOME desktop but it applies for any application : http://ploum.frimouvy.org/?184-cleaning-user-preferences-keeping-user-data


My suggestion is to make the FD.o recommandation an official Ubuntu recommandation, trying to lobby so applications in Ubuntu follow this spec, at least the one in main.

A suggestion for the GNOME desktop has also been issued :
http://live.gnome.org/GnomeGoals/XDGConfigFolders

[374 votes] Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #6557


]]> en-us Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:03:19 +0000 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:02:15 +0000 QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6557/ Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:16:21 +0000
Anyway, I don't see this being a priority for the development team, although I think it is a good idea. :)]]> Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:47:10 +0000 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:48:18 +0000
(it won't let me post it because it was already posted to my other idea which was incorrectly marked as duplicate. Admins, if you see this please fix. )]]> Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:52:37 +0000 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:40:41 +0000
Reading your idea, I believe that it stands for the same improvement than idea 1210 but if there are some parts of your idea that should in your opinion be separate from idea 1210, please open a idea which describes specifically what improvement you suggest and include a note at the beginning or at the end of your idea telling that this idea is not a duplicate (maybe with a brief reason), this way it won't be accidentally set as duplicate even if it really looks like one.

Again if I made a mistake, I apologize!]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:54:20 +0000
Window$ does this with with "C:\Documents and Settings\$USER\Local Settings" and "C:\Documents and Settings\$USER\Application Data" !]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:49:13 +0000 I believe that this idea is not a duplicate because it's not about cleaning $HOME (which would be a consequence), it's about separate preferences and user data.]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:48:57 +0000 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:15:01 +0000 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:35:54 +0000
The idea it was marked as a duplicate of was the 1210 which specifies a different (and non standard) directory tree, whereas my idea specifically was about the freedesktop.org specification and implementation strategy. So simlar end goals, but my idea 5979 is actually very close to this current idea and not very close to the 1210 idea.

Thanks again for responding!]]> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:37:15 +0000
BTW, your idea is excellent!]]> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:54:14 +0000 http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-0.6.html]]> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:25:24 +0000 http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/pyxdg]]> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:26:06 +0000
]]> Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:57:15 +0000
But I'm voting this one down anyway.

Because the way you have presented this idea is horrible:

- The presentation doesn't attack the basic problem.
- The proposed fix just moves the 'clutter' around.
- I think your presentation misreads the intent of XDG Base Directory Specification and misapplies that spec.
- The proposed solution pollutes the filesystem namespace used by freedesktop.org specifications.

As I understand the XDG BDS, it reserves a portion of the filesystem namespace for use by other freedesktop.org specs. Having a reserved namespace is an essential first step in having agreed names common between various desktop environments: Gnome, KDE, XFCE.

Once that namespace becomes polluted --especially by distributions-- it becomes very difficult to extend the specifications in ways that don't break things.

In short, imho, the XDG base directories SHOULD only be used in conformance with (other) freedesktop.org specifications. That is, particular subdirectories and filenames or filename-patterns should only be put into that namespace by agreement.
]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:29:40 +0000
1. Complete System Restore (to completely wipe and restore the partition from backup image(s) on another partition/CD/DVD

2. Restore System Settings: If the menu has an option for you to Save System Settings and give the file a name (1 month after install, for example) then this option can allow you to go back to any restore point which you stored. With XP, the idea of the system is great (although it doesn't work too well).

3. Simple 'Go Back'. This should be allowed to exclude only files (which I learned in Windows to keep on a separate partition) such as your movies/pictures/documents.


As part of a 'cleaning up excercise', the menu's should be cleaned up a little more (put gnome-control-centre at the top of the preferences menu, it precedes logically and functionally the 'advanced desktop settings' and the 'appearance' settings, and contains both, yet is not readily available).

Ubuntu has improved more in the last 6 months than Windows did in 6 years - however, Windows will forge ahead. Given the current situation, ubuntu should overtake Windows easily, but I hope it will never be more popular because I like to be in a minority. 10% share would be fine.]]> Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:21:02 +0000 Dupe of

Idea #1210: Standardise the Configuration directories.

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/1210/]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:50:40 +0000 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:02:15 +0000