Can someone explain the desktop to me?

[jduffy]

I've noticed that when you try to save a file to the desktop it doesn't go there but to a folder in your home folder.

What's the thought process behind this, I mean why to do it this way.

So then all the icons on the desktop are actually links to their source files or folders.

It's not too hard to get used to but I do catch myself trying to put items on the desktop when in fact you really can't, at least not in the way one is accustomed to in say other OSes.

[disciple]

For starters, rox has a "pinboard", not a "desktop"
I think this is because: it inherited its design from something that was around before the "desktop" was invented; the rox people belong to the school of thought that says that a "desktop" encourages people to maintain bad filing habits; and no-one who wants it to have a "desktop" has gone to the effort of writing a patch. Various other linux filers do have a "desktop", so you can use them if you really want.

IMNSHO the ~/Desktop folder that is in Puppy is really, really, REALLY bad as it makes people even more confused... but I guess it is there because some (stupid ) programs want it.

[Béèm]

I still have problems to understand why the windows manager (mostly JWM) uses a file manager's (ROX-filer) pinboard even when the ROX-filer isn't (at least visibly) running.

[mikeb]

You can save to wherever you like....you could even make a folder and drag the icon to the desktop , download to it and click on the icon to take you there.

I just use /root since there is already and icon and it is your official 'Home' folder.
Indeed /root used to be the default download folder. I delete the my-documents rubbish as a first move...this is linux not windows and linux uses real folders and not confusing virtual ones.

I believe some of the confusion is partially mimicing a system when the mechanism does not exist.

[duke93535]

Béèm:

ROX-filer isn't (at least visibly) running

.

If you would like to see ROX-Filer running with jwm, you can turn off the top most Compatibility control in the Options of ROX, this show it in the tray and pager, as I did mistakenly one time.

I believe ROX-Filer works the way it does for size considerations and fully agree with "disciple", but, I also have KDE installed which uses the desktop folder for the desktop. Some browsers used the desktop folder as their default download location.

[jduffy]

Cool, thanks for the info and thoughts guys.

Fun learning the reasons behind the choices made.

[disciple]

I still have problems to understand why the windows manager (mostly JWM) uses a file manager's (ROX-filer) pinboard even when the ROX-filer isn't (at least visibly) running.

The window manager isn't using it - Puppy is using it. There isn't any connection between the two.
It makes some sense for the pinboard to be part of the filer, because it means things look the same as in a filer window and mostly behave in the same way. (That is why also why I personally would like a "desktop" that is a folder... but I don't like it enough to change to something else instead of rox )

[mikeb]

Desktop definition : something that is obscured when programs are being run

mike