Linux Format - UK (2020-03)

http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux March 2020 LXF260 73

Control config files TUTORIALS

Firefox

File Function

pref/apturl.js

Sets preferences for how to handle

apt requests

syspref.jsHandles system preferences

Your private files are in ~/.mozilla/firefox/. This is

where your profile is stored. Under the same directory,

you have Crash Reports, your profile and Pending Pings’

That last one stores the last thing Firefox used before

crashing. For space issues, you can look through your

profile. In it, there’s data stored from websites and add-

ons. The safest way to remove this is to use the browser

itself. The reason is that the data is also indexed, so you

may end up with mismatches. A normal profile can be a

few hundred megabytes and should not be shared –

they show your browsing habits.

Firefox private files

File / Directory Function

browser-

extension-data

Keeps data that you collect when

using extensions

crashesStores and prepares crash data

extensions Contains^ the^ extensions^

themselves (*.xpi)

minidumps Crash report data

storage Stores data from websites, cookies

and more

To check which files you need, compare them to

what the documentation says about the files for that

particular application. If you so choose, you can install

Snap instead of your regular package manager. This is a

great option if you want to use it very little or just want

to keep the configuration out of your main machine.

Private settings are set by Snap installed under the

~/snap/ directory, but be careful. Some applications

look for personal settings under your home directory.

You can use this to run a new version with your own

settings or use the new version settings. If you are

developing, you end up with a lot of information to

support your development environments. This goes for

all development, but the most common are Python and

JavaScript. You can put these files wherever you like. If

you don’t take care though, they will end up in your

home directory. For you to stay in control, make sure

you know where they go.

The systems that place these environments vary. For

JavaScript, npm and yarn will be common. The

collections are stored under the node_modules

directory in your project, so make sure you have space

for one of those per project, or set a dedicated space for

a common environment. For Python it works the same

as with other names for the directories. Those names

depend on the system you use for creating them.

Gits in control

Once you start maintaining your settings, you want to

start using version control for your files. To do this, one

solution is git. There are others, but this one tends to

dominate nowadays.

You don’t want a git tree in your home directory so

you need to copy them back and forth or use a bare git

repository. A bare repository doesn’t contain the files

you want to keep under control, instead you need to add

them with special parameters. First, create a directory

for the repository:

$ mkdir ~/dotfiles

Next, initialise the bare repository:

$ git init --bare $HOME/dotfiles

In the directory, you have only the files that control the

repository. To update the repository, you need to state

two parameters; --git-dir and --work-tree. To make it

easy to handle this situation, create an alias:

$ alias config=’/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/dotfiles

--work-tree=$HOME’

You can use the alias to handle this particular repository

easily enough. Adding a config file, your vim file is a

good place to start:

$ config add ~/.vim/

$ config add ~/.vimrc

Commit the changes to your local repository:

$ config commit

Create a repository on GitHub using the website, and

then set it as the remote:

$ config remote add cfg https://github.

com/<yourusername>/config

Now you need to pull down your README and then

push it to GitHub:

$ config pull cfg

$ config push cfg -f

You now have the parts of the home directory on

GitHub. Repeat the add command with each package

you want to back up. When you have the data on the

service, you can pull it down for your next system.

Once you have mastered your configuration files, you

will be proud to show them around. You can run your

entire computer the way you installed it and never

consider how you can make things better. The truth is

that you can make many things faster and easier when

you put in a little work to tweak your environment.

Space on the disk is one minor detail that you want to

keep under control. The rest are looks and binding

applications together for a workflow that suites you.

CONFIGURE US TO ARRIVE BY... Subscribing now at http://bit.ly/LinuxFormat

It is always safer to erase the bin with your file manager. Other tools are available, like the

autotrash program mentioned in the boxout.

With every

dotfile

collection, you

are bound to

need new fonts.

GitHub is your

saviour again.

Nerd-fonts is a

great collection

of fonts, the

problem is how

addictive it is to

keep looking for

fonts. (https://

github.com/

ryanoasis/nerd-

fonts#patched-

fonts).

7770March 2 h0rIt’shI’imeol March 2020 LXF260 73

Control config files TUTORIALS

Firefox

File Function

pref/apturl.js

Setspreferencesforhowtohandle

aptrequests

syspref.jsHandlessystempreferences

Your private files are in ~/.mozilla/firefox/. This is
where your profile is stored. Under the same directory,
you have Crash Reports, your profile and Pending Pings’
That last one stores the last thing Firefox used before
crashing. For space issues, you can look through your
profile. In it, there’s data stored from websites and add-
ons. The safest way to remove this is to use the browser
itself. The reason is that the data is also indexed, so you
may end up with mismatches. A normal profile can be a
few hundred megabytes and should not be shared –
they show your browsing habits.

Firefox private files

File / Directory Function

browser-

extension-data

Keepsdatathatyoucollectwhen

usingextensions

crashesStoresandpreparescrashdata

extensions Containstheextensions

themselves(*.xpi)

minidumps Crashreportdata

storage Storesdatafromwebsites,cookies

andmore

To check which files you need, compare them to
what the documentation says about the files for that
particular application. If you so choose, you can install
Snap instead of your regular package manager. This is a
great option if you want to use it very little or just want
to keep the configuration out of your main machine.
Private settings are set by Snap installed under the
~/snap/ directory, but be careful. Some applications
look for personal settings under your home directory.
You can use this to run a new version with your own
settings or use the new version settings. If you are
developing, you end up with a lot of information to
support your development environments. This goes for
all development, but the most common are Python and
JavaScript. You can put these files wherever you like. If
you don’t take care though, they will end up in your
home directory. For you to stay in control, make sure
you know where they go.
The systems that place these environments vary. For
JavaScript, npm and yarn will be common. The
collections are stored under the node_modules
directory in your project, so make sure you have space
for one of those per project, or set a dedicated space for
a common environment. For Python it works the same
as with other names for the directories. Those names
depend on the system you use for creating them.

Gits in control
Once you start maintaining your settings, you want to
start using version control for your files. To do this, one

solution is git. There are others, but this one tends to

dominate nowadays.

You don’t want a git tree in your home directory so

you need to copy them back and forth or use a bare git

repository. A bare repository doesn’t contain the files

you want to keep under control, instead you need to add

them with special parameters. First, create a directory

for the repository:

$ mkdir ~/dotfiles

Next, initialise the bare repository:

$ git init --bare $HOME/dotfiles

In the directory, you have only the files that control the

repository. To update the repository, you need to state

two parameters; --git-dir and --work-tree. To make it

easy to handle this situation, create an alias:

$ alias config=’/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/dotfiles

--work-tree=$HOME’

You can use the alias to handle this particular repository

easily enough. Adding a config file, your vim file is a

good place to start:

$ config add ~/.vim/

$ config add ~/.vimrc

Commit the changes to your local repository:

$ config commit

Create a repository on GitHub using the website, and

then set it as the remote:

$ config remote add cfg https://github.

com/<yourusername>/config

Now you need to pull down your README and then

push it to GitHub:

$ config pull cfg

$ config push cfg -f

You now have the parts of the home directory on

GitHub. Repeat the add command with each package

you want to back up. When you have the data on the

service, you can pull it down for your next system.

Once you have mastered your configuration files, you

will be proud to show them around. You can run your

entire computer the way you installed it and never

consider how you can make things better. The truth is

that you can make many things faster and easier when

you put in a little work to tweak your environment.

Space on the disk is one minor detail that you want to

keep under control. The rest are looks and binding

applications together for a workflow that suites you.

CONFIGURE US TO ARRIVE BY... Subscribing now at http://bit.ly/LinuxFormat

It is always safer to erase the bin with your file manager. Other tools are available, like the

autotrash program mentioned in the boxout.

Withevery

dotfile

collection,you

areboundto

neednewfonts.

GitHubisyour

saviouragain.

Nerd-fontsisa

greatcollection

offonts,the

problemishow

addictiveit isto

keeplookingfor

fonts.(https://

github.com/

ryanoasis/nerd-

fonts#patched-

fonts).