The XDG Base Directory Specification (XDGBDS) defines four directories in a users $HOME dir that should be used for so called DotFiles.
These directories (with their default locations) are:
- $XDG_DATA_HOME ($HOME/.local/share): data files
- $XDG_CONFIG_HOME ($HOME/.config): configuration files
- $XDG_CACHE_HOME ($HOME/.cache): non-essential data files
- $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR (no default?): non-essential runtime files, other file objects (such as sockets, named pipes, ...)
Please refer to the specification for additional directory definitions and further details.
Tools
Status of Packages
TODO: Which packages do not conform to the XDGBDS and has a bug been filled upstream?
e.g.: ZSH, gimp, ssh, gnupg, mplayer, dbus, libpurple/pidgin,
Links
Modify your application to use XDG folders - Blog post from Lionel Dricot
Fedora initiative to make packages conform to XDGBDS
Gnome Goal to conform to XDGBDS