Empty home directory

I just fixed an issue with a login loop, using this solution. So now I can log into my account again, but the home directory looks empty. I can see my old folders (Documents, Pictures, PycharmProjects etc) when I do cd /home/tmp/ && ls, but the folders don't appear graphically in my file system nor in /home/ when I try to list them. I tried moving them from tmp to home and I tried copying, but they remain invisible. How do I get the normal filesystem back? I'd rather not fix this by trial and error, that's why I ask it here.

I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 with a 5.3.0-28-generic kernel on a Dell Vostro 5590 laptop (only a few months old). It's not dual booted, I removed Windows.

Cheers!

3

1 Answer

gedit ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

It should look like this:

XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

Logout and log in again. They should become visible. But make sure these folders exist in your ~/ folder. That is:

$ ls ~/
Desktop Downloads Documents Music Public Pictures Videos Templates

If you do not see these folders in your user's directory, then

• create them manually
• edit user-dirs.dirs file
• copy files cp -fr /home/tmp/Documents/* /home/youruser/Documents/
• Change ownership if required: chown -R /home/youruser/Documents
• logout/login and check if Documents folder appeared.
• repeat for the rest folders

Reference

2

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