Add 'Tidy up your PC!' post
Christian Krinitsin mail@krinitsin.com
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:34:03 +0100
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<atom:link href="https://krinitsin.com/blog/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <item> + <title>Tidy up your PC!</title> + <pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 21:10:00 GMT</pubDate> + <guid>https://krinitsin.com/blog/posts/tidy_home.html</guid> + <link>https://krinitsin.com/blog/posts/tidy_home.html</link> + <description> + <p>As in, move your files to the most appropriate location, so + that you can find them after a long time. Put it there, + where you will look first, if you need access to it.</p> + </description> + </item> + <item> <title>Writing a Blog</title> <pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 13:25:00 GMT</pubDate> <guid>https://krinitsin.com/blog/posts/writing_a_blog.html</guid>
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<meta name="generator" content="pandoc" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" /> <meta name="author" content="chris" /> - <title>Blog</title> + <title>blog</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="../style.css" /> </head> <body>@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ <a href=".." class="nav-link">home</a>
• <a href="feed.xml" class="nav-link">RSS</a> <header id="title-block-header"> -<h1 class="title">Blog</h1> +<h1 class="title">blog</h1> </header> <h5 class="year">2026</h5> <ul class="posts"> + <li class="list-item"> + <span class="date">2026-02-01</span> + <a href="./posts/tidy_home.html" class="link">Tidy up your PC!</a> + </li> <li class="list-item"> <span class="date">2026-01-26</span> <a href="./posts/writing_a_blog.html" class="link">Writing a blog</a>
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+--- +title: Tidy up your PC! +author: chris +date: 2026-02-01 +--- + +As in, move your files to the most appropriate location, so that you can find +them after a long time. Put it there, where you will look first, if you need +access to it. + +I get it, it’s really hard to tidy up an over-year-old mess, I am not +just talking about digital data here. And because there are probably more +important things in your life that take up time, you can just skip this +tedious task and use your PC like you used to. Once in a while, you will be +overwhelmed by the sheer mess you created, but fortunately, there are ways to +mitigate the problem, like file searchers. And that is fine. As for many +things, do as you want. + +For me, keeping my PC clean was always an important topic. Here you can see my +*home* directory: + +```bash +[chris@deskpin:~]$ ls ~ +downloads projects uni +``` + +It consists of only three directories, and believe me, the subdirectories are +also very clean! But what do I get from it? First and foremost, I have a good +overview of stuff that is on my PC and especially where it is. Also, I just +have a good feeling when using my PC, because I feel like I understand my +machine. + +From my personal experience, this is very rare. Most people I know undervalue +the tidiness of their data on their PCs. One reason I suspect is the +implication of using the Desktop directory on systems that have it. + +# Desktop directory + +‘In the digital age, the Desktop serves as a central hub for quick access to +files, folders, and shortcuts, making it one of the most frequently used +locations on any computer.’ +([computerknown](https://computerknown.com/where-is-desktop-folder-in-windows-11/)) +I think this is a good description of what most people would (implicitly) +describe the Desktop as. The real-life analogy works well: You throw things at +the top of the desk, so you can access it quickly again. But people tend to +overmess their desks: After some time, so many things are gathered on the +desk that the amount of time and energy it would take to clean it up is just +not manageable anymore. + +And the same goes for the Desktop directory: Temporary text files, downloaded +zip archives and their respective unzipped directories, your photo albums from +the last four trips you went on, all that stuff is lingering around on your +Desktop, and now, you obviously don’t know what to do. Additionally, you don’t +even get the outside pressure to tidy this mess up: While you will be judged +over your mess at home, no one is interested in the (missing) structure of your +files on your PC. + +What I describe here is the scenario I was facing, and I think I’m not alone. +But don’t get me wrong, theoretically you **can** have a tidy Desktop. I just +never met a person who has. + +# Tidying up all the files + +I’ve been using tiling window managers for years now. Starting with i3, I switched to +sway for Wayland, and now I’m trying out niri. And the very first thing I noticed +when messing with i3 was that you cannot create directories on your Desktop. +That got me thinking: All the time after using the Desktop extensively, what +now? And I started to categorise my data and to create a hierarchical structure +for my files. + +:::note +I think this is not the natural implication of not having a Desktop. I have +seen plenty of people who use their *home* directory the exact same way I +described before in terminal heavy systems like tiling window managers. +::: + +This process can get tedious because every time you have a new file, you have +to actively decide on a place for it. I often found myself stacking up a mess +in my *downloads* or my *home* directory. But before it got too bad, I was +able to tidy up that mess again. + +While this sounds hard, I think this process is super rewarding, at least for +me. Especially if you are using your PC daily and have important and personal +data. + +**Doesn’t it take an eternity to access a specific file, which may be in an +appropriate, but not quickly accessible, directory?** That’s a valid concern, +which I also had in the beginning. Over time, I tried out various tools for +that purpose, here are my most used ones: + +- I use the cd alternative [zoxide](https://github.com/ajeetdsouza/zoxide), + which allows me to change to any directory on my system in bash, based on a + ranking system that remembers used directories. This can single-handedly + solve this problem in the scope of the terminal. +- Additionally, I use a simple + [script](https://git.krinitsin.com/dotfiles.git/blob/main/bin/zathura-fzf) + that lets me fuzzyfind all my PDFs on my PC and opens the selected one in my + PDF-viewer. That sets the following mental model in my head: I store the PDFs + in the thematically best location (for instance + ~/university/course/week/task/task1.pdf) and only have to know some of the + context. It doesn’t matter anymore where the file exists. + +**Look, you only have three directories in your *home*, so you don’t even have +any data to create a mess with! What’s with photos, job applications, or my +~~il~~legally downloaded video games?** Stuff that doesn’t need to be on my PC +gets moved onto my archive SSD, which is structured the same way. If you don’t +have one, then those directories should also be in your *home*. + +**What should I do if I don’t work with the terminal primarily, or don’t use +Linux at all?** Well, the main reason I love Linux so much is its flexibility, +so I don’t have a concrete answer for that. But if I had to use a Windows +system again, I would strictly prohibit myself from putting any data on the +Desktop. Instead, I would structure my files the same way I do now and put +shortcuts for important directories on my Desktop. This reflects the way I use +my PC right now. + +A disclaimer in the end: I don’t know why, but the whole process around it is +fun for me. That’s why I’m fine with spending time on this. I know that there +are people who don’t have the time or motivation to do this - or simply don’t +think my reasons are valid for them - and that is obviously fine. + +So - Tidy up your PC! But only if you feel the need to. + +:::note +*AI-Note: Grammarly was used to fix grammar mistakes.* +:::
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blog/posts/tidy_home.html
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Put it there, where you will look +first, if you need access to it.</p> +<p>I get it, it’s really hard to tidy up an over-year-old mess, I am not +just talking about digital data here. And because there are probably +more important things in your life that take up time, you can just skip +this tedious task and use your PC like you used to. Once in a while, you +will be overwhelmed by the sheer mess you created, but fortunately, +there are ways to mitigate the problem, like file searchers. And that is +fine. As for many things, do as you want.</p> +<p>For me, keeping my PC clean was always an important topic. Here you +can see my <em>home</em> directory:</p> +<div class="sourceCode" id="cb1"><pre +class="sourceCode bash"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb1-1"><a href="#cb1-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="ex">[chris@deskpin:~]$</span> ls ~</span> +<span id="cb1-2"><a href="#cb1-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="ex">downloads</span> projects uni</span></code></pre></div> +<p>It consists of only three directories, and believe me, the +subdirectories are also very clean! But what do I get from it? First and +foremost, I have a good overview of stuff that is on my PC and +especially where it is. Also, I just have a good feeling when using my +PC, because I feel like I understand my machine.</p> +<p>From my personal experience, this is very rare. Most people I know +undervalue the tidiness of their data on their PCs. One reason I suspect +is the implication of using the Desktop directory on systems that have +it.</p> +<h1 id="desktop-directory">Desktop directory</h1> +<p>‘In the digital age, the Desktop serves as a central hub for quick +access to files, folders, and shortcuts, making it one of the most +frequently used locations on any computer.’ (<a +href="https://computerknown.com/where-is-desktop-folder-in-windows-11/">computerknown</a>) +I think this is a good description of what most people would +(implicitly) describe the Desktop as. The real-life analogy works well: +You throw things at the top of the desk, so you can access it quickly +again. But people tend to overmess their desks: After some time, so many +things are gathered on the desk that the amount of time and energy it +would take to clean it up is just not manageable anymore.</p> +<p>And the same goes for the Desktop directory: Temporary text files, +downloaded zip archives and their respective unzipped directories, your +photo albums from the last four trips you went on, all that stuff is +lingering around on your Desktop, and now, you obviously don’t know what +to do. Additionally, you don’t even get the outside pressure to tidy +this mess up: While you will be judged over your mess at home, no one is +interested in the (missing) structure of your files on your PC.</p> +<p>What I describe here is the scenario I was facing, and I think I’m +not alone. But don’t get me wrong, theoretically you +<strong>can</strong> have a tidy Desktop. I just never met a person who +has.</p> +<h1 id="tidying-up-all-the-files">Tidying up all the files</h1> +<p>I’ve been using tiling window managers for years now. Starting with +i3, I switched to sway for Wayland, and now I’m trying out niri. And the +very first thing I noticed when messing with i3 was that you cannot +create directories on your Desktop. That got me thinking: All the time +after using the Desktop extensively, what now? And I started to +categorise my data and to create a hierarchical structure for my +files.</p> +<div class="note"> +<p>I think this is not the natural implication of not having a Desktop. +I have seen plenty of people who use their <em>home</em> directory the +exact same way I described before in terminal heavy systems like tiling +window managers.</p> +</div> +<p>This process can get tedious because every time you have a new file, +you have to actively decide on a place for it. I often found myself +stacking up a mess in my <em>downloads</em> or my <em>home</em> +directory. But before it got too bad, I was able to tidy up that mess +again.</p> +<p>While this sounds hard, I think this process is super rewarding, at +least for me. Especially if you are using your PC daily and have +important and personal data.</p> +<p><strong>Doesn’t it take an eternity to access a specific file, which +may be in an appropriate, but not quickly accessible, +directory?</strong> That’s a valid concern, which I also had in the +beginning. Over time, I tried out various tools for that purpose, here +are my most used ones:</p> +<ul> +<li>I use the cd alternative <a +href="https://github.com/ajeetdsouza/zoxide">zoxide</a>, which allows me +to change to any directory on my system in bash, based on a ranking +system that remembers used directories. This can single-handedly solve +this problem in the scope of the terminal.</li> +<li>Additionally, I use a simple <a +href="https://git.krinitsin.com/dotfiles.git/blob/main/bin/zathura-fzf">script</a> +that lets me fuzzyfind all my PDFs on my PC and opens the selected one +in my PDF-viewer. That sets the following mental model in my head: I +store the PDFs in the thematically best location (for instance +~/university/course/week/task/task1.pdf) and only have to know some of +the context. It doesn’t matter anymore where the file exists.</li> +</ul> +<p><strong>Look, you only have three directories in your <em>home</em>, +so you don’t even have any data to create a mess with! What’s with +photos, job applications, or my <del>il</del>legally downloaded video +games?</strong> Stuff that doesn’t need to be on my PC gets moved onto +my archive SSD, which is structured the same way. If you don’t have one, +then those directories should also be in your <em>home</em>.</p> +<p><strong>What should I do if I don’t work with the terminal primarily, +or don’t use Linux at all?</strong> Well, the main reason I love Linux +so much is its flexibility, so I don’t have a concrete answer for that. +But if I had to use a Windows system again, I would strictly prohibit +myself from putting any data on the Desktop. Instead, I would structure +my files the same way I do now and put shortcuts for important +directories on my Desktop. This reflects the way I use my PC right +now.</p> +<p>A disclaimer in the end: I don’t know why, but the whole process +around it is fun for me. That’s why I’m fine with spending time on this. +I know that there are people who don’t have the time or motivation to do +this - or simply don’t think my reasons are valid for them - and that is +obviously fine.</p> +<p>So - Tidy up your PC! But only if you feel the need to.</p> +<div class="note"> +<p><em>AI-Note: Grammarly was used to fix grammar mistakes.</em></p> +</div> +<footer class="site-footer"> + <p> + © 2026 chris • + <a href="mailto:contact@krinitsin.com">contact@krinitsin.com</a> + </p> +</footer> +</body> +</html>