70 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.comTUTORIALS Control config files
not remove your settings from your home directory.
This is great if you want to try a beta version or just have
a fault you want to handle by re-installing. Many times,
you can also use the files to tweak behaviour and look.
It is not always possible to tweak using built-in tools.
For the programmer and tester, you need to know
how to find what you have added during testing so you
can manage the files. With the correct tools, you can
make this quick and easy. After you have read and
followed this tutorial, you will be able to handle your
system configuration, making sure you use your
machine to its fullest. You will find that the focus is on a
set number of applications. The applications are:
Bash Zsh Vi Emacs Gnome Firefox
Chrome GIMP Blender LibreOffice
The parts of your configuration files are not big, but
they can have a big impact on your computer. Also, your
home directories contain other files that are set by your
configuration files. These files seem to be configuration
files but are in fact caches and can be removed at any
time to save space. If you want to move to a new
computer or have your smartphone react the same way
as your current system, you need to move the correct
files. Make sure you don’t waste time transferring
unnecessary files.
You need to have your favourite editor ready and take
notes. When running this tutorial, you will use a number
of applications. The safest way to clear out unwanted
files is to use the built-in functions of the applications.
There is one problem though, they do not always
help you clear things out. To see what the situation is,ave you ever checked your home directories
for space and wondered, “What the...?” This is
one of the questions you should have a better
grasp of at the end of this adventure.
Why would you want to know this, you ask? OK, most
Linux Format readers are probably not asking this
question, but it is a valid one. Checking this manually
takes time and can make things slow the next time you
open the application. This is especially true for web
browsers since they use any local storage to save your
downloads.
If you take away the wrong things you can also have
a non-responsive application, though this is rare.
Developers of most applications test what happens
when configuration files are empty or missing. They do
this repeatedly, so you can gracefully restore your
preferences and cache.
We consider Linux very secure, but there is a virtue in
being vigilant about what is on your disk. If you want to
share your configuration with others, you must make
sure you keep security-related files to yourself. If you
have a Bitcoin client or any other digital currency, you
may have a long block-chain in your home directory. It
is good to know how to find those and remove or move
them according to your needs.
Therefore, you’ll want to read this tutorial for the
following reasons;
To help minimise the load
To make sure you are secure
To bring your configuration with you
Some other use cases are when you are testing
packages and need to clean up, as most packages doWhen your desktop environment gets a request to execute a web link,
the apturl package handles it according to the browser specifications.Find and clean up
your config files
It’s time to help you check your configuration files, remove unnecessary
clutter and save vital disk space – all in a day’s work for Mats Tage Axelsson.
Mats Tage
Axelsson
is here to show
you how to make
your life and work
using the Linux
operating system
a better and
more pleasant
experience.H
DOTFILES
OUR
EXPERTIf you want
to share your
dotfiles, go to
GitHub and look
for automatic
systems. A good
one is autodot
(https://
github.com/
ajmalsiddiqui/
autodot). It
requires npm
though, so if you
do not use that
look elsewhere.Under the .local/
share/applications
directory, find
desktop files that
help Gnome find
what to do with
your applications.70 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.com
TUTORIALS Control config files
notremoveyoursettingsfromyourhomedirectory.
Thisisgreatif youwanttotrya betaversionorjusthave
a faultyouwanttohandlebyre-installing.Manytimes,
youcanalsousethefilestotweakbehaviourandlook.
It isnotalwayspossibletotweakusingbuilt-intools.
Fortheprogrammerandtester,youneedtoknow
howtofindwhatyouhaveaddedduringtestingsoyou
canmanagethefiles.Withthecorrecttools,youcan
makethisquickandeasy.Afteryouhavereadand
followedthistutorial,youwillbeabletohandleyour
systemconfiguration,makingsureyouuseyour
machinetoitsfullest.Youwillfindthatthefocusisona
setnumberofapplications.Theapplicationsare:
Bash Zsh Vi Emacs Gnome Firefox
Chrome GIMP Blender LibreOffice
The parts of your configuration files are not big, but
they can have a big impact on your computer. Also, your
home directories contain other files that are set by your
configuration files. These files seem to be configuration
files but are in fact caches and can be removed at any
time to save space. If you want to move to a new
computer or have your smartphone react the same way
as your current system, you need to move the correct
files. Make sure you don’t waste time transferring
unnecessary files.
You need to have your favourite editor ready and take
notes. When running this tutorial, you will use a number
of applications. The safest way to clear out unwanted
files is to use the built-in functions of the applications.
There is one problem though, they do not always
help you clear things out. To see what the situation is,aveyouevercheckedyourhomedirectories
forspaceandwondered,“Whatthe...?”Thisis
oneofthequestionsyoushouldhavea better
graspofattheendofthisadventure.
Whywouldyouwanttoknowthis,youask?OK,most
LinuxFormatreadersareprobablynotaskingthis
question,butit isa validone.Checkingthismanually
takestimeandcanmakethingsslowthenexttimeyou
opentheapplication.Thisisespeciallytrueforweb
browserssincetheyuseanylocalstoragetosaveyour
downloads.
If youtakeawaythewrongthingsyoucanalsohave
a non-responsiveapplication,thoughthisisrare.
Developersofmostapplicationstestwhathappens
whenconfigurationfilesareemptyormissing.Theydo
thisrepeatedly,soyoucangracefullyrestoreyour
preferencesandcache.
WeconsiderLinuxverysecure,butthereisa virtuein
beingvigilantaboutwhatisonyourdisk.If youwantto
shareyourconfigurationwithothers,youmustmake
sure you keep security-related files to yourself. If you
have a Bitcoin client or any other digital currency, you
may have a long block-chain in your home directory. It
is good to know how to find those and remove or move
them according to your needs.
Therefore,you’llwanttoread this tutorial for the
followingreasons;
Tohelpminimisetheload
Tomakesureyouaresecure
To bring your configuration with you
Some other use cases are when you are testing
packages and need to clean up, as most packages doWhenyourdesktopenvironmentgetsa requesttoexecutea weblink,
theapturlpackagehandlesit accordingtothebrowserspecifications.Find and clean up
your config files
It’stimetohelpyou check your configuration files, remove unnecessary
clutterandsavevital disk space – all in a day’s work for Mats Tage Axelsson.
MatsTage
Axelsson
is here to show
you how to make
your life and work
using the Linux
operating system
a better and
more pleasant
experience.
H
DOTFILES
OUR
EXPERTIf youwant
toshareyour
dotfiles,goto
GitHubandlook
forautomatic
systems.A good
oneisautodot
(https://
github.com/
ajmalsiddiqui/
autodot).It
requiresnpm
though,soif you
donotusethat
lookelsewhere.Under the .local/
share/applications
directory, find
desktop files that
help Gnome find
what to do with
your applications.