this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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People can say what they want about Windows, having stuff installed in a folder called Program Files with sub folders using the brand/program name is so much simpler than whatever the fuck is going on on Linux.
Until an app decides to install in the hidden AppData folder with the confusing sub-folder names, or even the root of the user folder, or god forbid in a folder in the root of the C drive
Local, LocalLow, Roaming really are confusing names ngl, but %AppData% isn't really hidden.
It's funny because it seems like it's all just familiarity with conventions on both platforms. I've used Linux for around 15 years and I'm completely lost trying to find anything on a Windows computer.
It's hidden enough that I have had to provide tech support to my friends a few times on this. I think it's easy to forget how expertise shapes our perspective on these things
Also the two Program Files folders that have existed since the switch to 64-bit systems.
And third-party software installers that install stuff into their own secret places. Like Steam games.
I don't remember seeing something get installed in appdata, but having other files it depends on in there sure does happen though
I've seen Electron based apps do this sometimes. GitHub Desktop, for instance
Oh right, it's the only one I've seen doing it. You still get the prompt to ask where you want to install it and it just needs to not be in Program Files or you need to give it administrator access so it can update itself...
It's pretty ridiculous
For user specific files a lot of modern programs try to adhere to https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/latest/. You should set those environmental variables and check there first.
For system level.. it's definitely more complicated. I check
/etcfirst and then then/usrdirs. If you're using your system package manager there is generally a way to query it for that information, but it's typically CLI based.Or just use our lord and savior NixOS and configure everything in a single directory
WinXP times are long gone, my friend. These days I will sooner dig out where vim plugin source code resides on Linux than figure out config file location for a fucking game on Windows