Folders with icons - addons.videolan.org

Folders with icons

Various KDE 1.-4. Improvements

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net

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Description:

An user ask me why not the directories have a icon to representate its functionality and help to new linux users to know what do every directory.

I made a first version based in .directory files, maybe it could be a good idea to implement this in konqueror code.

I can not change the proc directory (I can't write it) and the tmp directory lose its .directory file every time you reboot.

To install, just run the command "tar
xvfj folders_icon.tar.bz2 -C /" like root

Last changelog:

16 years ago

Now the directories are represented with a folder and an icon to representate its functionality-

29 comments

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msimplay
15 years ago

When i was using Gnome for a brief period i really did like the idea of emblems having folders is good but emblems would mean more custamisability

pivarac
16 years ago

...the thing is, everybody was talking about this like the possibiulities I mentioned didn't exist at all, including you. No disrespect for your work, new folders that you created can be added to .kde/icons/filesystems, and used as I said.

melenas
16 years ago

everybody was talking about this like the possibiulities I mentioned didn't exist at all, including you

Maybe I don't write English very well but in the resume you can read:

I made a first version based in .directory files, maybe it could be a good idea to implement this in konqueror code.

I never try to deceive nobody when I create this little hack, is just a few .directory files plus more icons.

I want to discuss if this will be a hack that can be incorporated in konqueror code, no if this hack may be continue alone. have I explained myself correctly now? :-)

pivarac
16 years ago

WTF are you ppl talking about? You can just right-click a dir, go to properties, click on dir icon, and you will get a wide range - depending on the iconset - of beautiful folder icons, for your music, film, picture and other files... So, I don't see a need to hack anything and worry about reboots and loosing settings (we're not on windoze for Christssake ;) ). Distros could implement this by default, and the problem solved.

melenas
16 years ago

Like I say before, it's just an idea, an example of what can do the KDE hackers for add more usability "by default".

By the way, do you download the file? do you see the NEW icons that I made?. Probably not ;-)

I forget to say that I add too a short description for every directory. You can look in "Detailed view list"

Please report more feedback

r0ttie
16 years ago

Now that you used smaller icons next to folder icons it is indeed much better and it does seem practical now.

It would be useless to do this with all directories but just the root-directories and some special directories (like with fonts) would be great.

I think it will enhance readability with newbies and experienced users alike.

Good job!

Ekardnam
16 years ago

i agree, this is not confusioning. much better!

Yaba
16 years ago

The icon on /usr seems like you think, that usr is an abbreviation for user. The icon represents a person, but this has noting in common with Unix System Resources.

melenas
16 years ago

I made a debian package but I don't know how to upload.

Maybe creating a new entry?

freefred
16 years ago

very simple and good.
It's different by "folders reflect contents"
Nice job, thanks

nns6561
16 years ago

It already exists in KDE 3.2. In konqueror, just go View->Folder Icons Reflect Contents.

openhaus
16 years ago

Very nice feature indeed. It works suprisingly well.

tpig
16 years ago

I think KDE should have this feature inside.

But I think, instead of having .directory file for each directories. Why not save all information in just one file, may be /etc/directories. It can eliminate non permanent and readonly filesystem problems.

melenas
16 years ago

How can do it that? Can you give me any examples? I don't know how to change the icons without the .directory file inside it.

imr
16 years ago

You need to think about the real use of this.
Does it really talk to the user to see:
*books on the lib directory (i would think of docs in there)
*cubes on dev (i would be puzzled)
*a pen on var (must be writable!)
etc etc ...
All this explain nothing to the clueless and nothing to those who know.

Second, you will need to do it for every distro. Yes, every distro put different things in those directories.
Logs in var therefore the pen? ah! Mandrake put html and rpms also in there.
Libs in libs? Ah! Conectiva put kde3 and its bin and stuff there!
And what about /opt that some use some don't. And /usr/local? You do it again for everything in it? What about XFree and its bin and libs and stuff all over the place. And are you ready to start over again when distros will switch to XOrg?

Finally, what is the real use of this?
Do users ever go around their hard drive wondering what is this directory and that? You feel they need to know what is the purpose of each directory? You believe they will find a text only description of all places and whats in them too harsh?
Then do a nice visual tutorial for them.

r0ttie
16 years ago

I must agree with Ybouan. You should be able to see that they are directories.
If it is like in the screenshot it's very confusing. Icons should enhance the clarity and the overview of the content, not complicate it.

Maybe you should take the same approach as they do with the mime-type icons. Create a standard folder-icon and map a smaller image on it that displays the content?

Ekardnam
16 years ago

yes, I agree too. Now it is too confusing, foldericon with a smaller icon would be better...

ybouan
16 years ago

I think it is important to keep the notion of folder in the icon.
So you would need to make a folder icon with a smaller content sensitive icon in the bottom right corner.
Sort of like the picture folder icons we already have...

techniq
16 years ago

I could see this as a good idea (as a default, not something which each user has to do to setup, and its for the new kde users more, which wouldn't know how to change this).

I think this should especially be done to directories which don't hold "true" files, such as /dev, /proc, etc.

linuxdude
16 years ago

I dont understand why you need to do this, you can change the directories icons anyway. All you need to do is be root and change the directory Icons yourself, login the root account or use the super user file manager.

Justace
16 years ago

Yhea,

In the current form, no. In a modified form to have the user desired icon super-imposed on the lower right or something, yes.

Justace

elektroschock
16 years ago

I think a user shall easily get that it is a directory and the icons presented are not very good in the current form. On a broader level I agree with you. Paste the icons on a directory icon.

Superstoned
16 years ago

I think this is great. the icons are not bad, some text maybe nice, but over all this is a wonderfull idea. think it should be implemented in konqi?!?!?

loki
16 years ago

I second that: you definately need a directory icon + something above it, but in terms of useability, you must be able to very quickly see the difference between directories and regular files.

Apart from that, maybe it isn't such a bad idea, as most directories are standardized on the various linux distributions (as reflected by the FHS standard). On the other hand, I'm not sure an icon would always be sufficient to explain what to find in a directory.
If the user needs an icon to help him understand what's in a lib, bin, share, etc directory, then he probably has so few Linux/Unix knowledge that it won't be of any effective help anyway.

How would a rocket icon help him understand that the /boot directory contains the kernel and bootloader files ?

The more helpful part would rather be a directory description text (localized) that the user could read when looking at directories using the "Detailed List view" (1 row = icon + description), but AFAIK that doesn't work in KDE (at this time).
Or you would need to define file types (specializations of "folder") for "usr", "bin", "lib", "etc", ... - and even then, you sometimes need the full path (e.g. /opt/gnome/bin => "GNOME applications", /usr/X11R6/lib => "X-Window libraries", ...) and I'm not sure that's feasible.

melenas
16 years ago

I agree with you in many aspects. The icons will be a directory icon + something about it, but I'm not an artist :-(, I just used the icons from KDE crystal.

I don't pretend to create the super-upper-mega-killer-application, it's just an idea to begin the debate and look for better implementation and I like some of your ideas.

Now it's time to find an artist and a developer to implement all our ideas ;-)

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16 years ago

Now the directories are represented with a folder and an icon to representate its functionality-

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