User:David Hedlund/Dotfiles directory hierarchy

Conventional organization strategy

A conventional method for managing software configurations involves storing config files in dedicated directories that are included in the backup process. This structure mirrors that of system files, where configuration files are organized in a systematic manner within specific directories. This approach typically results in a structure similar to:

~/configuration/.config/
├── foo/file
├── bar/file
└── baz/file
~/configuration/.local/
├── foo/file
├── bar/file
└── baz/file

Enhanced organization strategy

To facilitate rapid identification and access to software-specific files, an improved organizational structure can be implemented. This strategy involves creating dedicated root-level directories for each software application:

~/configuration/
├── foo/
│ ├── .config/foo/file
│ └── .local/foo/file
├── bar/
│ ├── .config/bar/file
│ └── .local/bar/file
└── baz/
├── .config/baz/file
└── .local/baz/file

This method is utilized by:

• GNU Stow, a symlink farm manager, leverages this Package Directory Structure to create symbolic links that make the separately stored software appear as if it's installed in a single directory tree. This approach allows for easier management, installation, and removal of individual software packages without interfering with others.
• Lutris, a game management platform for GNU/Linux, employs a comparable strategy. It organizes game installations and their associated files into separate directories in ~/Games/, facilitating easier management and isolation of different game environments.