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    What is the Ubuntu Equivalent of the program files and application data folder?

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by lucirz, Jun 7, 2014.

  1. lucirz

    lucirz Notebook Consultant

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    In windows XP, the programs files folder is usually where the main application data is stored after you installed it. and the Application DATA folder or %APPDATA% is sometimes used by application to store files that it needs to load.

    What's the Ubuntu equivalent of these folders? and what is the full path to such folders?
     
    lucirz, Jun 7, 2014
    #1
  2. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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    Programs are generally installed somewhere under /bin or /usr/bin (/sbin and /usr/sbin for admin tools). Most distros won't touch /usr/local so that's where you'd install any programs outside of the package manager.

    For application data:

    ~/.config

    or

    ~/.local/share/

    some apps use their own non-standard location such as skype:

    ~/.Skype

    or Pidgin:

    ~/.purple
     
    ALLurGroceries, Jun 7, 2014
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  3. Ethrem

    Ethrem Notebook Prophet

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    As has been said, you're looking for your home folder (~ acts as a shortcut to home - if you type cd ~/Downloads, for example, it would take you to the Downloads folder in the current user's home directory). In there, turn on show hidden files in order to see the hidden folders that start with a period. *most* applications will store their settings in the home folder.

    System applications will generally have system-wide policies stored in /etc and per user properties installed in the home directory.

    There are exceptions to every rules though. There are some naughty apps that put things where they shouldn't.
     
    Ethrem, Aug 11, 2014
    #3