I deleted a built-in folder in my home folder. How do I get it back?

Question

I delete the Downloads folder from my home folder. When I create a new folder there called "Downloads", it doesn't have the proper icon, and it doesn't show up in the places sidebar.

I tried adding Downloads to ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs (specifically, adding the line XDG_DOWNLOADS_DIR="$HOME/Downloads/"), but this didn't do anything it seems.

How can I get my regular Downloads folder back?

Related (note: no answer here as far as I can tell): http://askubuntu.com/questions/5203/what-happens-if-i-delete-the-default-folders-in-my-home-folder — Knowledge Cube, Nov 17 '11 at 00:04
Try XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads", nor XDG_DOWNLOADS.... The folder should get recreated on logout/login. — mikewhatever, Nov 17 '11 at 00:18
@mikewhatever This did it. It seems to have take effect immediately. I don't know why it's the only one that's not plural. Please make your comment an answer and I'll accept it. — Kris Harper, Nov 17 '11 at 00:39
This is probably the straightforward answer you've been looking for: https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/606950/19643 — Stéphane Gourichon, Aug 29 '20 at 14:30

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 17 '11 at 00:51

4

The entry in ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs should be XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads", not XDG_DOWNLOADS.... The folder should get recreated on logout/login.

answered Nov 17 '11 at 00:51

mikewhatever

32,638

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24

0

Take a look at the answers of this question: Change the default Downloads directory of which I reproduce here my own answer in the hope that you wish to check this and inform if it did the trick for you. I am not sure if this will work as I have never done what you did but it's worth to try.

Ubuntu Tweak can be useful for you this time, but includes the install of the Ubuntu Tweak software, whose intuitive GUI will guide you on this and some other useful processes.

When installed, simply choose Ubuntu Tweak from within the System Tools sub-menu in the main menu. After which you can go to the "Personal" section in the sidebar and look inside "Default folders", where you can choose which will be your default folder for Downloads, Documents, Desktop, etc.

I hope this help you.

Good luck!

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24

Community

1

answered Nov 17 '11 at 00:17

Geppettvs D'Constanzo

19,552

Note that AFAIK Ubuntu Tweak is not stable just yet for 11.10. For 11.04 and below, though, it's just fine. – Knowledge Cube Nov 17 '11 at 00:24
Sorry, I didn't notice this question was about 11.10. It would also be useful to mention it somewhere in the question or tags. Thank you! – Geppettvs D'Constanzo Nov 17 '11 at 00:38
I don't know whether this question is 11.10-specific. I just wanted to point that out to anybody who is running 11.10, which might include the asker. – Knowledge Cube Nov 17 '11 at 00:41

I deleted a built-in folder in my home folder. How do I get it back?

2 Answers2