Hi.Totally newbie.I have lost access to my Downloads folder which should have 3 downloads in it.All I get is Unhandled error message: Error when getting information for file '/home/john/Music/Tom Waits 7CD mp3': No such file or directory.I did have access to this in Music,but deleted it,and now have no access.I have not renamed anything or gone into any depth into anything.What has happened is a mystery to me.Thanks in advance.

Hi, hillhater, and welcome to LQ.

Please paste the output from the following command (redact anything personal if you wish):

That will allow us to see what permissions are set up for Downloads, Music and other directories.

1 members found this post helpful.

It sounds like you're trying to access a deleted file.

1 members found this post helpful.

Props for listening to Tom Waits.

Everyone's a winner, bargains galore.

Hi.This is what I get.Don't seem to have a Downloads Folder any more.Have normal access to all Music,photos,and docs.At moment I got all downloads to ask where to put them,short term fix only,as some might go to Downloads anyway.Only thing out of ordinary is I downloaded some high-res music from a reputable site.
drwxrwxr-x 7 john john 4096 Aug 1 20:24 Calibre Library
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1338105 Jun 30 17:26 CD6006_EU_EN.pdf

drwxr-xr-x 3 john john 4096 Aug 5 18:29 Desktop
drwxr-xr-x 4 john john 4096 Aug 4 18:58 Documents

drwxrwxr-x 4 john john 4096 Apr 25 19:36 etc
-rw-r--r-- 1 john john 8980 Apr 4 2016 examples.desktop
-
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2176897 Nov 12 2016 IMAG0242.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2034365 Jul 12 14:01 IMAG0251.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2248109 Jul 14 20:12 IMAG0252.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 3343343 Aug 4 17:24 IMAG0253.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 3714446 Aug 4 17:24 IMAG0254.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2442759 Aug 4 17:24 IMAG0255.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2351756 Aug 4 17:24 IMAG0256.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1872353 Feb 28 11:04 IMG_20170228_103219.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1780730 Feb 28 11:04 IMG_20170228_103242.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1886613 Feb 28 11:09 IMG_20170228_103346.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1654401 Feb 28 11:04 IMG_20170228_103825.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1463236 Mar 30 12:58 IMG_20170330_125642.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2068606 Apr 27 19:01 IMG_20170427_180533.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 8732485 Jul 8 11:22 IMG_20170708_110957.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 7751928 Jul 8 11:22 IMG_20170708_111821.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 6847480 Jul 8 14:53 IMG_20170708_121710.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 2787591 Jul 8 14:54 IMG_20170708_121900.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 4579598 Jul 8 14:54 IMG_20170708_121925.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 62796712 Jan 15 2017 InstallMyDriveConnect(1).exe
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 62764664 Feb 4 2017 InstallMyDriveConnect(2).exe
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 62764664 Feb 4 2017 InstallMyDriveConnect(3).exe
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 62796712 Jan 15 2017 InstallMyDriveConnect.exe
drwxr-xr-x 5 john john 4096 Sep 29 2015 iscan-cx4400-bundle-1.0.0.x64.deb
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 543031 Jun 28 19:52 iscan-cx4400-bundle-1.0.0.x64.deb.tar.gz


-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1445348 Jul 18 2016 lame-3.99.5.tar.gz

drwxrwxr-x 55 john john 16384 Aug 1 22:12 mp3 music
drwxr-xr-x 96 john john 12288 Aug 5 20:40 Music


drwxr-xr-x 17 john john 4096 Aug 4 17:50 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x 2 john john 4096 Apr 4 2016 Public

-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 1587200 Mar 4 18:36 soundconverter-2.1.6.tar(1)
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 195864 Mar 4 18:35 soundconverter-2.1.6.tar(1).xz
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 195864 Mar 4 18:38 soundconverter-2.1.6.tar(2).xz
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 195864 Mar 4 18:18 soundconverter-2.1.6.tar.xz
drwxr-xr-x 2 john john 4096 Apr 4 2016 Templates
-rw-rw-r-- 1 john john 21309 Jun 23 09:52 Untitled 1.odt
drwxr-xr-x 2 john john 4096 Apr 4 2016 Videos
john@johnslaptop:~$

It looks like you just need to recreate the Downloads folder.

1 members found this post helpful.

Well it seems to be downloading to your home directory. Perhaps it is doing that because Downloads doesn't exist?

You should recreate Downloads:

Also, to check where your default directories are situated, please paste the output from:

Once we get this sorted out, I'd advise you (if you agree it would be beneficial in your case), to move any files/directories in your home directory that aren't Calibre Library, Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, Public, Templates, Videos (and possibly also mp3 music) to other locations e.g. into the aforementioned directories, purely to tidy up your home directory and make it easier to organise. I've no idea why you have an etc directory there - that's up for you to determine and decide if you want to keep that arrangement.

1 members found this post helpful.

john@johnslaptop:~$
john@johnslaptop:~$
john@johnslaptop:~$ cat $HOME/.config/user-dirs.dirs
# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$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="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"
john@johnslaptop:~$

I assume from this that my Downloads Folder is now in Home and if I try to download something it should go there and I can move it to music ,docs or where ever.I will try it tomorrow.Thanks to you all.

Yup, but you could always edit that file to change it back to $HOME/Downloads (once you've recreated the Downloads directory).

Personally, I always set my browsers to download to Desktop. That way I use my desktop as my intray, a reminder of what I still have to work on, and a way of encouraging myself to tidy it up on a regular basis. But that's just me - each to their own.

1 members found this post helpful.

Unlike hydrurga, I always download to the Downloads folder. About every six months, after it's impossible to ignore any longer, I have a huge mess to sort out. So, I think I might take that advice to download to Desktop instead.

Hydrurga, makes sense to download to desktop. I think I will do that also. It's like you force yourself to be annoyed by the cluttering folder on the Desktop. Then of course, force yourself to clean-up the mess.

Good technique.

@hillhater, you could have search recursively in /home like:

cd /home
$home/find . -print *.mp3

Patent application now submitted.

Thanks to everybody for you help.I will try this.

Please don't make it Open Source.