MacOS – Use Home as Desktop directory in Yosemite

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How can I use my Home as the Desktop directory in Yosemite? Deleting the Desktop directory doesn't work after a restart. I would like to do this because I don't like to switch to Desktop dir everytime I take to Terminal and would like to see all my dirs on the "Desktop" screen.

Also please address the permissions aspect of any solution. Since I notice that some of the OSX created directories in my Home have this permission: "drwx——+" I worry that fixing my issue will have ramifications for permissions.

Can I have what I want with the permissions Apple has set?

Best Answer

Let's say you want to make this change for account bob.

Do

Log in as alice which is admin.

Then enter the following sequence of commands (within a Terminal or xterm window):

cd /Users/bob
/usr/bin/sudo mv Desktop Desktop.orig
/usr/bin/sudo ln -s . Desktop

Logout of alice account. Login as bob.

Undo

To roll back this modification:

Logout of bob account. Login as alice.

Then enter the following sequence of commands:

cd /Users/bob
/usr/bin/sudo rm Desktop
/usr/bin/sudo mv Desktop.orig Desktop

Logout of alice account. Login as bob.

Warning

The Desktop is an area of high risk. Any adventurous drag and key sequence may cause a large damage (⌘+A, ⌘+⌫…). For this reason I advise my colleagues to leave their Desktop empty as a rule of basic security.

When using your Home folder as your Desktop, you are exposing your Home folder to this risk of manual error.

Hence I wouldn't recommand the above receipe to anyone below the experienced user level.

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