[Solved] Desktop folder incorrectly mapped?

[carlkhabbaz]

Hi,

I tried a different distro (Crunchbang, for a few hours), then installed Linux Mint 8 over it.
My partitions are as follows:
ext4 /
ext3 /home
swap

so naturally I installed Mint over / , and kept my "/home" folder (I did not format it nor deleted the hidden files or anything).
When the installation was done and I rebooted, I had all my "/home/carl" folder contents displayed on the desktop. Not just "Computer" and "Home", but all of the subfolder (and files) at /home/carl

Moreover, clicking the "Desktop" bookmark in nautilus takes me to "/home/carl"

So now my desktop is cluttered with all the contents of "/home/carl", and hiding the Desktop icons (in gconf-editor -> apps -> nautilus -> ...) is the only way to hide the icons (but I can't use my desktop as a space for files anymore, I have to go to /home/carl/Desktop)

Any idea how to correctly map my desktop to /home/carl/Desktop?

Thanks.

[remoulder]

Press Alt+F2, then type gconf-editor and click Run. In the configuration editor, navigate to apps > nautilus > preferences, untick desktop_is_home_dir

[carlkhabbaz]

Hi remoulder,

I tried it yesterday (I'm at work now with no access to my laptop) and rebooted but it didn't work.

Now as I remember, right after installing Mint and rebooting, I was presented with a dialog box asking me if I accept to rename the home subfolders so that they become compatible with.. whatever! and I hastily clicked "No"

Do you think it has something to do with it?

[remoulder]

I was presented with a dialog box asking me if I accept to rename the home subfolders so that they become compatible with.. whatever! and I hastily clicked "No" Do you think it has something to do with it?

Possibly, but I don't recall the exact wording of that dialog so not sure.

Try this - gedit ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs and check the XDG_DESKTOP_DIR= line. On my system this file has the following contents

XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_PROJECTS_DIR="$HOME/Projects"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"

[carlkhabbaz]

ok, I'll try it when I get back home and reply.
Thanks again.

[carlkhabbaz]

Well, it worked! Thanks a million!