Ubuntu
xdg-user-dirs package

  1. Bug #204567
  2. Comment #12

Comment 12 for bug 204567

Revision history for this message
Conn O Griofa (psyke83) wrote : Re: downloads should go to $HOME/Downloads : XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR should be set to "$HOME/Downloads"

roffik,

I understand your concern, but the truth is that the Desktop becomes very cluttered and ugly when used as a download folder. When you mount and dismount drives regularly, you will see that the placement of new downloads becomes fragmented, and when you reach the limit, the icons overlap. This is a case where I think that we should follow the specification, because *it makes sense*.

Note: aside from other Linux-based distributions that follow this specification, Windows Vista and 7 uses a $User/Downloads folder by default, which is used by Internet Explorer, but not Firefox 3. However, Firefox 3.5 on Windows will save downloads to $User/Downloads *even on Windows XP* (which does not create a Downloads folder by default). It really is Ubuntu lagging behind everybody else on this issue.

I would also suggest that we make proper use of the default user folders in Ubuntu (for example, F-Spot tries to import into a non-existent ~/Pictures folder by default, when we already have a ~/Photos folder available. This is a matter for another bug report, though, and maybe it's reported already).