Ubuntu

Changing the desktop directory/name

Asked by Daniel Carr

I was fiddling with my desktop language, and I changed it to a language that uses a different character set. When I changed back to English, the Desktop was still named incorrectly (and the folder named "Desktop" was still in my home folder, with all the files and folders that were previously on my desktop).
Then I tried various things to change it back, and long story short, my home folder is now my 'Desktop' (but my real Desktop folder is still there).
How can I change that?

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Daniel Carr
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Gord Allott (gordallott) said : 		#1

try running the command:
gconftool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/desktop_is_home_dir --type bool "true"

and then logging out and logging back in again (might not need to but you never know)

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Gord Allott (gordallott) said : 		#2

sorry that should be:
gconftool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/desktop_is_home_dir --type bool "false"

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Daniel Carr (danielcarr) said : 		#3

Thank you, but unfortunately that didn't help.
I opened the graphical conf-editor as well, and looked there (although I had done it already). I found some interesting options, but none that helped. Is there perhaps a similar setting, but instead of a boolean, it just sets the directory of the desktop? (eg desktop_folder_is --type string "/home/daniel/Desktop")?

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Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#4

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

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Daniel Carr (danielcarr) said : 		#5

Well, I'd really love it if this question got an answer, but it expired, so I am just un-expiring (inspiring?) it.

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Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#6

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

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Daniel Carr (danielcarr) said : 		#7

I have to unexpire this again...

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Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#8

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

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Daniel Carr (danielcarr) said : 		#9

Now I have to unexpire the question to answer it...

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Daniel Carr (danielcarr) said : 		#10

I eventually found the solution on Launchpad a few weeks ago. It's as simple as editing the line: XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="" in the file: ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs by putting my Desktop directory between the quotation marks. ie. XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop".