This page is about modifying and simplifying how KDE handles and exposes the file system heirachy, storage devices and removable media to the user.

This wiki page is a continuation of the work started here http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2231

This is a work in progress and not final. If at all possible, it would be nice to have this in Edgy.

Features

The patch implements the following features:

• Only the /home and /media directories are shown in the file system root. These are the only two directories in the root that a typical user really needs to deal with. The other standard directories are hidden.
• The URL in the location bar is the standard unix path and most importantly, the paths here will be understood by any program on the system.
• My home directory automatically has a house icon, and the home directories of any other users on the system are hidden.
• Hard disks and removable media also have the correct icons just like in the standard media kio-slave. The icons have the same functionality as the icons in media:/. The context menu for these icons show the expected "Safely Remove", "Unmount" etc options.

Known issues

• HAL doesn't send the mount point info for unmounted partitions. This stops unmounted mount points from being matched with their meta-data. (Patch/fix HAL?)
• Automatically generated mount point names need to be more friendly. (like what media:/ does now).
• Sometimes /media doesn't appear to refresh properly after a mount/unmount.
• The audiocd:/ and its friends need to be accessible in some way. (Solution: Context menu entry perhaps?)
• The "media inserted" notification dialog must open directories in /media instead of system:/.
• Numerous changes to the default file management view in Konqueror. Removing unneeded sidebar tabs etc.
• The "important system places" menu on the panel needs to open directories in /media, instead of system:/.

• Hiding other users' home directories might not be such a good idea. See http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2231#comment-5266

Simon Edwards (13-8-2006)