I just installed SUSE Linux on one of my computers , and I want to make it more user friendly. Here is what I want to do.

1. Instead of using the KDE unzip/tar/rar program , I want to use the (much faster) WinRAR to unzip my files. Unfortunately , I do not know how to set a program that has to run through Wine as the default program for that.

2. Instead of /etc , /dev , /bin /usr , I want to name the directory's like: /Software , /Developement , /BinaryFiles and /Users .

3. Instead of "really" deleting my files and overwriting them (etc.) , I just want the FAT's to be deleted , just like in Windows.

So , how can I do all of this? I am completely new to the Linux scene , so any help would be apreciated.

Thanks in advance!

T.E.

Well lets tackle this one.

1. You dont have to use WinRar for extracting files, there is a Rar version for Linux (at rarlab.com I think) though is mainly command line only.
2. Don't you ever dare change the name of the directories. It can be done, but its looking for problems. For a succesful renaming of the dirs you'd have to make your very own flavor of Linux (from scratch) to ensure that everything would work. With something already stablished its not a good idea (one would think this is obvious). Then again I like playin it safe, if you want some mayhem in your box, well, its up to you.
3. Hrmm... so you want your files to go to the Trash can? Or what? Maybe Im not following this one.

Why are you using Linux then? Trying to make Linux to look more like Windows is like trying to make tea taste more like coffee (tm). It's a totally different architecture and you already know what every path does anyway, so why the change?.

You could alternatively create symlinks for the paths, like:

ln -s /usr/local/share /Program\ Files/

Doing so would turn your system in a big joke though. I'd stick with Windows if I was you, since you want Windows paths and run Windows applications through wine. Use the right tool for the right job... reinstall Windows

P.S: the title of this thread is: "Making Linux faster?". Could you tell me how "C:\Documents and Settings\user" is "faster" then "/home/user"?

I'm also new to linux, but I do know a bit. You should type the following into a terminal. In KDE you can start a terminal this way: Start > Systeemgereedschappen > Terminal.
-----POINT 1------
I strongly recommend to not do that, because if you do that, it will go very slow. This is because all programs run slower through wine.

-----POINT 2------
I suggest leaving those names the same. If you change them, that will cause a lot of trouble, because the references to those directories aren't correct anymore. You could, however, make a symbolic link to those folders. read the manual pages about ln if you want to know what symbolic links are.

Make a sym. link from /users to /usr
> ln -s /usr /users

-----POINT 3-------
Switch to root user:
> su
password: *****

rename the rm command to rm.backup:
> mv /bin/rm /bin/rm.backup

place a shellscript on the place of the rm command:
> emacs /bin/rm
Emacs starts up and here you should write a shellscript that moves your file too your trash-folder. This is what I can't.

Then you're ready with point 3.

I strongly recommand to read a simple thin book about linux to understand the basics. If you don't want to spend money one a linux-book: go to a libary!

Thank you. And I dont want Linux to be more like Windows , i just want it to be BETTER then Windows , and more user friendly , and thanks for the symbolic link advice

Well, if indeed you don't want to make Linux like Windows, then you have to invest some time in learning why Linux is the way it is instead of trying to change stuff and making it behave like windows. You should also learn more about the native apps that are available to you before rushing to use wine, when the native apps do the same job as the ones you are running through an emulator.

It's already better than windows.

I try'd some native apps , both command line and gui , but they are all slow(er) then when I use WinRar on Windows on the same archive. I didnt expected it to be faster , but it would be nice.

oh my gawd!!!
no offence plzzz, but you're not ready for linux yet!!! you simply don't understand the difference.
stay with window$
and oh, wish u lot of bsods

I use Windows XP on a second partition , I do not get Blue Screens Of Death.

Not true. Wine is an implementation of the Windows APIs therefore, it shouldn't be any slower, sometimes even faster if Linux runs faster on your computer.

Oh and to answer the query about changing directories, I think you would love Gobo Linux

Thank you , I will check that out. And I also think it is true that Wine sometimes runs faster , for it is not completely an emulator (Wine Is Not An Emulator :P ) , and it doesnt have all thos eunnecesey Windows Background aplications.

Linux is better than windows and is faster than windows.
Tar,untar,rar are all faster under linux already.
Thats the most rediculous thing I ever heard


You want to learn Linux?
Get rid of windows or make another pc soley dedicated to Linux and use it only.Try and mimic every task you did in windows under linux now.Doing so one task at a time without giveing up until you completed,learned and can do it without reading a tutorial.
Get familiar with everything and understand the directory structure and why it IS the way it is.
Wine?
I dont have a need for wine....theres always something similar in the nix* varient.
The dual boot thing? Why do people dual boot?Is this because they only have one pc?
I never understood the use of it.

. . . and I suppose you were never a newbie? It is users like you who give *nix a bad name.

TempEcho

You really, really, REALLY don't want to rename the directories. Seriously. In order to accomplish that you would have to recompile nearly every package, rewrite nearly every .rc file, and of course the init scripts and boot loaders (e.g., lilo, grub).

You installed, Suse, right? Suse comes with excellent and thorough documentation which you can access via the Suse Help Center (that little life ring icon in your KDE dock at the bottom of the screen). If you really want to run Linux I suggest you start reading the various docs in that application, beginning with the FAQs and the Linux Administration guide. The *nix filesystem is actually very logical and much more organized than that of Windows.

Also I noticed you referenced:

/BinaryFiles
/Development
/Software

There are not direct analogies in *nix. Some standalone applications might be installed under /opt (depending on variant and distribution), some applications are installed under /usr/bin, and some are installed under /usr/X11/bin, and so forth. Where each gets installed depends on a huge number of factors. Also, not all files under /usr are actually program or even binary files. Some are shell scripts, some are configuration files, and still others may be library headers or even source. Some don't have anything to do directly with program execution but are GUI resources, such as graphics for icons and toolbar buttons and whatnot.

Likewise, when you refer to /development I assume you are referring to /dev ? First of all, /dev is not for development, but are pointers to your hardware devices. In UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems such as Linux, you have an object-concept metaphor using files. So, in *nix, everything is represented by a file: your hard drives are represented by files like /dev/hda or dev/sd0, your sound card is /dev/dsp or /dev/audio, your dvd drive is /dev/dvd, and so forth.

Don't take losers comments saying "go back to Windows" seriously. Those dateless pimple-faced 14-year-olds have nothing better to do than to play "1337 h4xx0r" harassing newbies on boards like this. Don't give up - just Read The "Fine" Manual, hang in there, and take ironwalker's advice.

Yes, there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the directories are - so makes it hard to rename them if you don't even know what they are

like /usr is a broad area for 'unix system resources' and includes all sorts of binaries and scripts and libraries...

and /dev being devices as said above - not developement...

The better thing would be to learn how the linux filesystem is set up. Once you do you will realize it is actually a lot better as it was fashioned after a well established large scale OS. The windows filesystem, on the other hand, has grown from a floppy based OS and has just had bits added on over the years... It's still uses c: and d: drives... hideous stuff...

The linux filesystem is much more consistant. Your data will always be in /home/user no matter where that drive happens to be - it could even be on another drive, computer, network, whatever...

One of the hardest changes going to linux is getting your head arround the filesystem and such.... But be warned... Once you make the change and understand the linux filesystem, you will never be happy with the windows system ever again...