User directories integration - request for help

[Alexander Larsson]

On Fri, 2007-03-16 at 13:45 +0100, Patrice Dumas wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2007 at 10:05:24AM +0100, Alexander Larsson wrote:
> > 
> > What happens is this:
> > 
> > First time you log in, directories will be created based on the current
> > locale and pointers to them will be created in the file
> > ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs. We also record the locale used in a separate
> > file.
> 
> I really dislikes the idea that directories are created at login time.
> Couldn't it be possible instead to have them created when needed and use
> the names and locales recorded in ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs for the default
> name?

That would limit the use of this to "default fileselector directory" for
applications that have that hardcoded. There are other uses too, like
default bookmarks (in file manager, file selector, etc). 

I'll also say (and I know some people will hate me for this) that I
think a lot of unexperienced users will like having some initial
structure to their homedirectory. Experienced users can set it up how
they want (and do!), but unexperienced users are unlikely to start their
experimenting with a new OS by setting up a homedirectory structure.

> > The second time you log in we will only create directories specified in
> > the defaults file that are not listed in your ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs
> > file. (So, you'll get new default dirs.) Directories specified in your
> > config file that has been removed will be changed in the config file to
> > point to $HOME.
> 
> It seems to me that there is too much magic in this...

Whats magic about it. There isn't really a first-time/second-time
version of the code of course. We just create directories that haven't
been added to the config file yet. 

> > If you log in a second time in a language different than the original
> > one you will get a dialog asking you whether you want to move to the new
> > locale, with a list of what would change if you did. Then you can pick,
> > yes, no, and "never show me this again". 
> 
> I think this is unavoidable, but this should only be done with existing
> directories.

How could you do it with non-existing directories? I'm not sure what you
mean.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
                   alexl at redhat.com    alla at lysator.liu.se 
He's a witless albino cop from a doomed world. She's a ditzy cigar-chomping 
femme fatale with only herself to blame. They fight crime!