localized directory name is harmful
Summary: xdg user directory spec is broken, I want to fix it.
One of annoyed things in Linux Desktop environment is localized user's directory (e.g. $HOME/ダウンロード, instead of $HOME/Download). I know it is handled by XDG, my ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs has setting as below (by default).
So XDG utlility program changes it as setting, moves ~/Desktop to ~/デスクトップ. However, it is NOT what users want.
Because if you would play with shell, you should also input localized characters in your terminal. Imagine, sometimes I download files with browser, then use it in terminal - download some tar.xz file and extract it. Well, it is downloaded in ~/ダウンロード directory... it's not convinient - you cannot use tab completion without IME (input method editor), e.g. Anthy or Mozc for Japanese. And if you don't want to install it, what do you do? Use mouse to copy&paste?
Then, some Japanese people create webpages about "How to change localized user directory back to English name" ;)
Windows and OS X has localized Desktop, Download, Document directory, too. But it's not directory itself. In Windows, you can see "デスクトップ" (Desktop) with Windows Explorer but it is seen as just "Desktop" directory with cmd.exe (I don't know how to trick it. Maybe Windows registory magic). And in OS X, same thing with Finder. Those users don't annoy with localized directory name, it's friendly and convinient for cmd/shell users, and also for GUI (Windows' Explorer/OS X's Finder) users.
And also, it seems that localized directory name is good for average users who use File manager (Nautilus, etc). Just labeled with only English is not friendly to non-English native users like my mother ;) (Yes, localization is important!) But it's _better_ for *everyone* to set directory name with English _and_ localized with hardlink (and probably not harm anyone).
So lazyweb, could you tell me where should I go to talk this issue with upstream? It's not big thing, but still annoying. I can change it with xdg-user-dirs-update for my environment but it's just a workaround, not solution for this problem.
One of annoyed things in Linux Desktop environment is localized user's directory (e.g. $HOME/ダウンロード, instead of $HOME/Download). I know it is handled by XDG, my ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs has setting as below (by default).
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/デスクトップ"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/ダウンロード"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/テンプレート"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/公開"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/ドキュメント"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/音楽"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/画像"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/ビデオ"
So XDG utlility program changes it as setting, moves ~/Desktop to ~/デスクトップ. However, it is NOT what users want.
Because if you would play with shell, you should also input localized characters in your terminal. Imagine, sometimes I download files with browser, then use it in terminal - download some tar.xz file and extract it. Well, it is downloaded in ~/ダウンロード directory... it's not convinient - you cannot use tab completion without IME (input method editor), e.g. Anthy or Mozc for Japanese. And if you don't want to install it, what do you do? Use mouse to copy&paste?
Then, some Japanese people create webpages about "How to change localized user directory back to English name" ;)
Windows and OS X has localized Desktop, Download, Document directory, too. But it's not directory itself. In Windows, you can see "デスクトップ" (Desktop) with Windows Explorer but it is seen as just "Desktop" directory with cmd.exe (I don't know how to trick it. Maybe Windows registory magic). And in OS X, same thing with Finder. Those users don't annoy with localized directory name, it's friendly and convinient for cmd/shell users, and also for GUI (Windows' Explorer/OS X's Finder) users.
And also, it seems that localized directory name is good for average users who use File manager (Nautilus, etc). Just labeled with only English is not friendly to non-English native users like my mother ;) (Yes, localization is important!) But it's _better_ for *everyone* to set directory name with English _and_ localized with hardlink (and probably not harm anyone).
So lazyweb, could you tell me where should I go to talk this issue with upstream? It's not big thing, but still annoying. I can change it with xdg-user-dirs-update for my environment but it's just a workaround, not solution for this problem.
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