Change one little tiny shortcut ?

otyugh · 2017-01-18 22:25:34

Hey,
simply put, I got a dad that uses Xfce. Likes it, but have a very strong feeling about the "del key putting files in the trash, even with a warning". He feels like it's too easy to delete important stuff. I don't agree, but each one his own use and drive. He won't stop saying "you should press TWO KEY at least, like Ctrl+del to be sure not to delete anything important".

So, as I want to please him (good boy ), what should I do ? Add a suggestion in the buggtracker of the project of thunar/xfdesktop ?
The only alternative I see is to compile the package from source after being changed the hardocded shortcut. Cause I guess it's hardcoded. If not, tell me ! I would be ever so grateful.

Thanks again for Xfce more generally speaking. Guess it's an important thing to thanks what I use everyday

Last edited by otyugh (2017-01-18 22:27:08)

ToZ · 2017-01-19 15:17:00

otyugh wrote:

Likes it, but have a very strong feeling about the "del key putting files in the trash, even with a warning". He feels like it's too easy to delete important stuff. I don't agree, but each one his own use and drive. He won't stop saying "you should press TWO KEY at least, like Ctrl+del to be sure not to delete anything important".

You can create an enhancement request, but I don't think it will be implemented. Pressing the delete key doesn't permanently delete the file. It just moves it to trash, from where it can be recovered.

If he's not using the delete key for anything else, you can try unmapping it. You can use:

xev

...and press the Delete key to get the keycode for it:

KeyPress event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001,
    root 0xd9, subw 0x0, time 298848165, (631,225), root:(1225,517),
    state 0x10, keycode 119 (keysym 0xffff, Delete), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (7f) ""
    XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (7f) ""
    XFilterEvent returns: False

...in my case 119, then:

xmodmap -e 'keycode 119='

Note that this will disable the Delete key in all applications, so make sure he doesn't use it anywhere.

otyugh · 2017-01-21 02:43:43

Hey, thanks for taking the time to answer this pecular request.

ToZ wrote:

You can create an enhancement request, but I don't think it will be implemented. Pressing the delete key doesn't permanently delete the file. It just moves it to trash, from where it can be recovered.

I know, and so does my dad ; but he claims it's easy to empty the bin without checking every item (I myself hardly check) in it, and disaster can arise fast enought. Again, it is quite hard to change his mind

ToZ wrote:

If he's not using the delete key for anything else, you can try unmapping it.

Nah, he uses it. One of his argument was that, while deleting mails, sometimes the focus gets grabbed somewhere else, by pcmanfm for instance (on a failed alt+tab or missclick), and files could get deleted quite fast.
Again, with the warning "do you want to put this in trash" 'n all, I think what he want is very... Well. Overdue or at least very specific as request.

The more I talk about it the most I feel like this is not big deal at all. He'll get over it x)

ozjd · 2017-01-21 06:03:17

Make sure he has a good backup regime. That way he won't lose anything important.

otyugh · 2017-01-22 01:02:33

...Good point.
This is out of what I had in mind asking... Buuut if you have some experience about that... I use a hacky script with rsync that synchronize daily the files from /home to a directory (namely "latest/"). It also create a directory name after the day (e.g. 12.01.2017), and stores in it every file that "disapeared" from /home that exists in latest/ (moved, renamed, delted : the original file isn't there anymore).

I wonder if there is a solution out there that does better job to "prevent any un-prevented data loss". The actual invonvenient with my solution is that it is too stupid : imagine the guy decide to ranaming just the directory containing the videos : the backup routine will copy once again everything, and I will have twice of every video... And soon there is no place on the backup drive. Manual maintenance. Heck

So ! If you know a way ?
If not I might someday try something that md5sum every file and check if the file was just renamed/moved before any backuping. I really wouldn't like to reinvent the wheel with my tiny hands thought. Also it would be really slower, as rsync does the "syncing" of hundred of thousand files in seconds, while using "find" takes minutes (optimisation ain't the best of shell stuff I guess).

Last edited by otyugh (2017-01-22 01:15:07)

ozjd · 2017-01-22 01:39:30

Sorry, I've no real experience with automated backups. I just do manual backups of anything I've done. Works fine for me but I don't create much new stuff each day. I use a twin pane file manager to compare directories and copy anything changed.

However I do know there are plenty of backup solutions so a little research online may find something that works in this situation.

MountainDewManiac · 2017-01-24 03:00:30

I assume there's no way to simply - and sensibly - disable the entire nanny-Trash concept in its entirety, lol?

Failing that, isn't there a way to "lock" a directory folder so that it becomes read-only? If so, what would be the result of locking the Trash folder?

EDIT: I just read in another thread:

ToZ wrote:

I personally always install gvfs with thunar because I use thunar's trash and remote filesystem access.

If your father does not use the other things that gvfs handles, perhaps he could try removing it to see if this (removal) does disable the Trash file-moving routine?

Regards,
MDM

Last edited by MountainDewManiac (2017-01-24 03:13:59)

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#1 2017-01-18 22:25:34

Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#2 2017-01-19 15:17:00

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#3 2017-01-21 02:43:43

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#4 2017-01-21 06:03:17

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#5 2017-01-22 01:02:33

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#6 2017-01-22 01:39:30

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

#7 2017-01-24 03:00:30

Re: Change one little tiny shortcut ?

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