# Change Home Folder Location

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/change-home-folder-location/3369>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [April 18, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/change-home-folder-location/3369 "2020-04-18T20:55:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 7

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**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/change-home-folder-location/3369/7 "2020-04-21T17:59:23Z")

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[**important** : in case you have budgie-trash-applet installed, stop using it from now on, see [Trash applet [!] when emptying, follow links?](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/trash-applet-when-emptying-follow-links/3330) **fix pending** ]

3⋅ **replacing folders in /home/$USER on SSD by links to matching folders on HDD**

This is very easy for all the generic folders ( Documents, Pictures, Download… ) there’s a trick though for Desktop.

**a⋅** In your personal folder, simply delete the folders - after checking they’re empty, of course. You won’t be able to delete Desktop folder ( since it’s handled by Nemo to display its content on desktop screen, I guess that’s why it can’t be deleted as long as the graphical session is on ) so we will take care of it later.

Using one of the previously mentioned methods, browse to `/media/DATA/user/` and create your links.  
Put these links in `/home/user` with the exact same names as the deleted folders. And voilà.

**b⋅** Desktop folder. There may be other methods but here is how I deal with it. Login to your usual session. Create a new user, with administrative role. Log out from your session. Login to the newly created user. Open a terminal :

```auto
new_user@computer:~$ sudo rmdir /home/usual_user/Desktop
new_user@computer:~$ sudo ln -s /media/DATA/usual_user/Desktop /home/usual_user/Desktop
new_user@computer:~$ sudo chown -h usual_user:usual_user /home/usual_user/Desktop

```

Desktop might be replaced by the localized name ( in french, Bureau ).  
Log out. Login to your usual session. Voilà.

**c⋅** Last check for perfection. In your usual session, have an eye on `~/.config/user-dirs.dirs`  
It should read something like this :

```auto
django@ASGARD:~$ cat .config/user-dirs.dirs 
# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run.
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
# 
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Bureau"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Téléchargements"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Modèles"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Musique"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Images"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Vidéos"
django@ASGARD:~$ 

```

…of course, in your language.  
If some path look empty like this `…="$HOME/"` just add the missing part and save.  
This file is used by many programs for them to know where are the « generic » expected user’s folders.  
Nemo uses it for some of its bookmarks in left pane and to theme accordingly folders icons.

**→ So now everything, hidden or not, under `/home/user` sits on SSD except for the links, which sources always sit on HDD.**  
**If you delete a link, you don’t delete its source.**  
Links automatically endorse sources’ permissions and rights. May you have any permission issue, these should be fixed on source files/folders.

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