Hidden dot files

girliebob · #1 September 9th, 2005, 02:27 AM

How do I delete the hidden .files that are on my desktop?

ora · #2 September 9th, 2005, 04:57 AM

Before you delete them, check they're not necessary, My desktop has .DS_store and .localized, both of which are normal. Some programs might also leave things there i guess so be cautious.

If they need to be deleted, you can use TinkerTool, from http://www.bresink.de/osx/TinkerTool.html to make hidden files visible, and trash them as per normal.

barhar · #3 September 9th, 2005, 06:28 AM

You should not delete the hidden 'dot' files on your 'Desktop', or elsewhere; you just want to make them invisible (hidden).

Unfortunately, MacOS X is not the System / MacOS of yesterday (1984 - 2001) - and we (and others who receive compressed files from us) now must suffer from such Apple introduced annoyances as the '.DS_Store' files.

The '.DS_Store' file is Apple's, (expletives omitted) poor MacOS X implementation of folder information management. Apple has yet to incorporate the near perfect System 9.2.2 (and earlier) file management system into MacOS X; not a simple task - yet, anything would be better than the ridiculous '.DS_Store' implementation.

Other '.' files exist in each folder, and even more reside at your hard disk drive's root level (double click on your hard disk drive's icon - this is its 'root' level). These '.' files are needed for the feeble MacOS X to exist.
Once Apple learns how to, and actually implements, the System 9.2.2 and earlier file management system into MacOS X - only then perhaps, will life on a Mac be Mac like.

Ok, enough of the rant. Let us get your annoying '.' files invisible once again.

01. Copy ('Command C' or 'Edit, Copy' menu item) the next line of text ,,,

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0; killall Finder

02. Launch 'Terminal' ('/Applications/Utilities/').
03. Do a paste ('Command V' or 'Edit, Paste' menu item).
04. Press the <return> key.
05. Quit 'Terminal'.

All once visible '.' beginning files will now be hidden.

One would think - until those at Apple fixed MacOS X'es file management system, that they would (at least) put a check box in the 'Finder's 'Preferences' 'Advance' panel titled 'Show invisible files.', to allow the user the ability to view or not all files in any 'Finder' volume or folder window. I can do such on my Windoze98 based Intel PC!
But, what does one expect from a company which merely shuffles the Preferences controls locations (of a number of its 'System Preferences' and applications) about and claims them as part of the 200+ new features of the recently selling version of MacOS X?
But then 10.4.3 is rumored to have 400+ MacOS X fixes, while 10.4.2 had its fixes, and 10.4.1 had its fixes, ...

barhar · #4 September 9th, 2005, 06:34 AM

I was going to suggest using ...

find . -name .DS_Store -exec rm {} \;

... in 'Terminal'; but then, ...

find . -name .DS_Store

... does not return all the '.DS_Store' files (at least here, it does not), as does ...

locate .DS_Store

Thus, perhaps it is best to use a MacOS X application, such as TinkerTool (as per ora), Cocktail, DSWipe, or others - if you really want to delete the invisible '.DS_Store' files.