Chapter 4. Places Menu

Table of Contents

Home Folder
Desktop
Computer
Audio Disc
Network Servers
Connect to Server
Search for Files
Recent Documents

The Places menu provides quick access to frequently used folders and devices on your computer. It also provides tools for connecting to resources shared by other computers when your computer is connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet. For convenience, the Places menu also provides a facility to search your hard drive for files and folders and keeps track of the most recent documents or files you have opened with the various applications you have installed.

Home Folder

Home Folder Main Window

On Ubuntu each user has their own 'Home Folder.' All users' home folders reside in /home, one subfolder for each each user account. The user account to which the home folder belongs has full control over all the files and folders it contains. Users have no control over other user's folders, so each user's data is secure.

In addition to storing your files and folders, your home folder is also the place where user preferences are stored in hidden folders. The folders are hidden for two reasons. First, so as not to clutter the home folder and second to reduce the chances of accidental deletion while working. It is possible to view all hidden folders by selecting View->Show Hidden Files. Caution should be exercised while working in a hidden folder. It is a good idea to make a backup copy of a file before making changes to it. Doing so will ensure that all 'known to work' settings, preceding any changes, can be easily restored by copying the backup over the modified file.

With all of your important data and information stored in a single place it is easy to create backups of the entire folder or a single directory and its contents by using the Archive Manager.

[Tip]

When creating backups of a home folder ensure that the hidden folders are also backed up. This way, in the event of a problem, all of your data and preference settings can be easily restored.