# Hidden Directories

This appendix describes the hidden directories that the GNOME Desktop adds to the home directories of users.

A hidden directory is a directory that has a name that begins with a period (.). describes the hidden directories that the GNOME Desktop adds to the home directories of users.

## Hidden Directories in User Home Directories

Directory | Description
--- | ---
`.config` | This is the default location for the environment variable `XDG_CONFIG_HOME`, if it is not set. User defined menus can be created at `menus/applications.menu`.
`.fonts` | Contains fonts specific to a particular user. When a user installs a font by dragging it to the `fonts:///` URI in nautilus, it is copied to this location.
`.esd_auth` | Contains the authentication cookie for the GNOME sound daemon. The GNOME sound daemon is the Enlightened Sound Daemon (ESD). NOTE: This is a file, not a directory.
`.gconf` | Contains the GConf configuration source for the user. When the user sets a preference, the new preference information is added to this location.

`.gconfd`

Contains the following GConf daemon details:

- Configuration information.

- Lock information for objects that are referenced by an Interoperable Object Reference (IOR).

- State information for objects that are referenced by an IOR.

`.gnome` | Contains user-specific application data that is not stored in the GConf repository. NOTE: this directory is deprecated and is only used by GNOME 1.x applications.

`.gnome2`

Contains user-specific application data that is not stored in the GConf repository. For example, this directory contains the following:

- Keyboard shortcut information.

- Window location information.

- Desktop entry files for panel launchers.

This directory may also contain sub-directories that store application specific data.

`.gnome2-private` | Ignore this directory. This directory has no function at the time of publication of this guide.
`.local/share` | This is the default location for the environment variable `XDG_DATA_HOME`, if it is not set. User defined desktop entries can be created in the subdirectory `applications`. User defined mime types can be created in `mime/packages/Overrides.xml`.
`.metacity` | Contains session data for the Metacity window manager.

`.nautilus`

Contains file manager data that is specific to the user. For example, this directory can contain the following:

- Metadata for the directories with which the user works.

- Nautilus emblems that the user adds.

- Nautilus desktop images.

`.themes` | Contains controls theme options, window frame theme options, and icons theme options that the user adds. The user can add themes from the Theme preference tool.
`.thumbnails` | Contains image thumbnails for the user. The image thumbnails are used in the file manager. The file manager contains a preference that the user can select to stop generation of thumbnail images.