UNIX/LINUX is a bit different then Microsoft Windows in this respect.

What you are currently seeing is the contents of your home directory. Linux partitions things in its tree structure like so:

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yes, by default is it your home directory, you need to navigate... Press F9 to open left pane.

Use a terminal, type in
to see what folders you have, then
to see the contents of <foldername>

If you want everthing at once, try
(it will keep on scrolling)
To make a file of it, try
then type
to look at it in a pager.

Your windows background is not helping you here. There is no program files, temp or systems folder in your home directory.
program and system files are largely located at /usr/bin, temp is located at /tmp. Linux is not Windows

The contents of all drives is located at /
The contents of your home directory (which I already described) is located at /home/$USER or ~/

how the hell do i "navigate an internal hard disk drive" using the Operating System Linux Unity interface? is that vernacular acceptable to the gurus?

You seem to be perceiving hostility & elitism when we're trying to help.

You stated yourself that you can access /home/$USER by mentioning the video, picture, etc folders. A varied amount of useful information has been given to you that is relevant to your problem. It will require getting a basic understanding of the linux filesystem, some of which has already been posted.
However, you are implementing windows hierarchy into linux and I have no doubt this is adding to your frustration.

As am I (cinnamon is amazing - you might actually find it more easy to transfer to) but don't discount entering commands in a terminal as archaic, difficult and obsolete. The linux terminal is incredibly efficent & powerful as opposed to DOS and is a primary reason why I use linux.

In any case -
Take a moment, spend some time reading through the posts and provided links throughly and give it a neutral shot.

Sounds like a simple question, huh? In Windows you just click on "Computer" which is on the desktop you get a window which shows the disks; "System (C: )", "DVD RW (D: )", "Removable Disk (E: ), etc. Click on "System (C: )" and there you go, all the files on your C: disk.

Linux doesn't work that way. You'd navigate the filesystem, not a disk. There is no "Disk C": in Linux. Looking at a particular disk in Linux doesn't actually have the same meaning as in Windows as the Linux filesystem can be spread across several disks.

/dev/random's filesystem listing in post #16 above is pretty good - but you don't need to know this to use Linux just like you don't need to know the Windows filesystem to this depth to use Windows.

In Windows, all your stuff is usually kept in C:\User\<Your Username>, in Linux it's in /home/<Your Username>, notice, no disk.

It's been mentioned at least a couple of times in previous posts in this thread but I think you really should read the article Linux is NOT Windows to get an idea of the different concepts. (Check the link)

One of your problems is the Unity desktop environment in Ubuntu which quite a lot of Linux people aren't keen on, me included. Nope! I couldn't tell you how to find out whats on a disk with it either. I'd advise trying Linux Mint 17 instead of Ubuntu, the Cinnamon Desktop may be close enough to Windows Explorer (It has a start menu!) to ease you into Linux.

Your frustrations are because you're speaking a different language; "Windows", where the answer you're getting back is "Linux" which is giving rise to the "Shout loudly and wave your arms about" responses.

Check out "Linux is NOT Windows" and try Mint instead of Ubuntu. We'll help where we can.

Play Bonny!

That's what I explained. Have you tried that already? (see post #17)

Well Rick, I at least sympathise with you! As I said in my last post, however useful the command line may be, you don't need to rush into using it.

You've found your home directory, with all your personal data. If you use the option to show hidden items in the file manager, you'll see it also has a lot of files and folders whose names begin with a dot: those contain the configuration data for your programs. They are hidden to keep them out of your way, as you will normally modify them from the programs they serve. In other words, all the personal material is in /home.

The other stuff you wouldn't normally need to access directly, either. You run the programs from the menu (or by setting up keyboard shortcuts), install new programs with a package manager, configure hardware (networking, clock, removable devices) with the tools provided. You only need to rummage around in the hard drive on vary rare occasions. It certainly won't show you what software you have — it doesn't all live in a Program Files directory. But the menu will show you. Personally I found the Unity menu clunky, which is why I thought you might prefer something different.

To sum up, stop thinking "how to I get at the files" and start thinking "what in the menu does the job I want to do". There's plenty of documentation on offer, if you really like Ubuntu:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Co...rDocumentation

If you have a specific problem, rather than "how do I access my hard drive", post that problem, and you'll get an answer. Probably not from me though, as the latest versions of Ubuntu won't even install on this computer and I'm forgetting the older ones!

Ok, thank you all for your help..I mean that sincerely! But everyone is suggesting i use a "terminal". Awesome!! Where the f@*k is it??!! I do notttt have a command line on the unity page!!! There is no, repeat, no place for me to enter any commands!! F9 does nothing. Everyone talks about a "terminal" great where is it? There is no option to see any hidden files in the "files" folder. Ok i get Linux uses a files system dir and not a disk dir... How do I access it without a command line? Probably going to switch to another distribution, is that the correct usage? I really hate to offend anyone with my ignorance! But until I can understand the basics, switch might not help me much.
Again I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to try and educate this old goat in trying to teach myself a new trick! And to everyone have a Wonderful Christmas!! And if you have another faith the same wishes apply!

A terminal is just another application that you can start the same way you do everything else in Unity.
I'm not really familiar with it but the docs linked previously should explain it in easy terms.
The file manager (dolphin) that shows you your home directory contents is also the thing that shows you any files in the system.
Check it's options for getting a different view or extra tree view on the left to make it look a bit more familiar.
There should be a "Root" shortcut in the default left pane that will show the root of the filesystem, along with links to mounted filesystems ("drives") so I'm really not sure where your problem lies - I think you are overthinking things and making it harder for yourself than it needs to be, it's really not.
Just don't try to apply your windows experience and don't be afraid to RTFM.

Unity (really meant for tablets and phones) shortcut for terminal on unity is, ctrl+alt+T.(no fullstop)

If you go to 'computer' on win7 it will take you to windoze explorer. a gui interpreter, and you go through the levels, such as they are.

On the gnome desktop in debian (gnome classic) you go to 'places' 'computer' 'filesystem' you will see the linux file system as interpreted by the gnome gui. See hidden files under the view menu, or select just those in your home/me dir with 'echo .*' no quotes from a terminal.

It's not rocket science but helps if you have not come from assumptions gained with windows, perhaps the confusion comes from the fact that "linux" is a multiuser distro and win pc is primarily not?

Fred.

ok, i have some good news. since Unity doesn't come with a "terminal" button, a friend suggested I do a search for 1 in the dash thing. Which I did. And guess what...wait for it..I found a TERMINAL!!!! woohooo! I was wrong to assume that a flock, herd, murder..(not sure the correct nomenclature here, forgive me!) group of distributions of similar design, that manly caters to the very tech oriented crowd would supply a way to interface with the system right on it's GUI. Man was I wrong to assume that!!
I have to now assume that any function I need to actually use I need to do a search for them. Well at least I have a starting point! I can now type in all those wonderful suggestions you fine gentlemen have so graciously given me!! Thank you all once again!

cool thanks fred that helps a lot. where u born with that ctr+alt+T in your head? did it come with the paphlet u downloaded when u installed your first linux system? if not please tell me how you came buy thet knowledge. like i said in my header I AM A COMPLETE NEWBIE!! How am I supposed to know that ctl+alt+T would bring up a terminal shell??!! I have been asking for 2 days for someone to tell me just how to bring up a command line/terminal because, like I have said many times UNITY DOES NOT HAVE A TERMINAL on its desktop!

not rocket science, no it isn't, but at lease most rocket scientists aren't given the parts to a rocket and told to make one without going to college first. also like i said before, at least legos come with a booklet to help you put together that toy car