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Hi, I am an experienced Linux user and software developer. I use Linux as my main OS, and am a strong believer that although much better, it is still not brilliant for all users. One area which I believe should be changed is the file structure for linux. I fully understand it, and why it is like how it is, however do believe it should be changed.

Has anyone got any ideas or opinions on the matter, both experienced and un-experienced users. I have already had many discussions with experienced linux users as to why the structure should not be changed, so please do not post why it should remain the same unless you believe it is a particularly good argument.

I also agree that the structure should not be changed completely, however better names are needed. Compatibility is also still needed for terminal users, so names should not include capitals or spaces. On the other hand, almost every program and distribution now includes tab completion, so I do not believe names should be restricted to 3 letters.

users - folders for users on the system
- root - have the root user in the user folder instead of /
- default - this will be a default user, taking alot of settings out of the old etc folder (like firefox etc)
- shared - a shared user where everyone can edit file, this will be for music cd's etc
- name - here is a standard user, each user having there own folder, the default useres above will have same sub structure
- - .settings - this will hold all the settings, not hidden, e.g. gnome, firefox etc
- - Desktop
- - Downloads
- - Documents
- - Music
- - Pictures

programs - this will hold all the programs except system programs, it will have a similar structure to old usr folder, except full names
- binaries
- includes
- libraries
- manuals

games - folder for holding games, as some people like them on a seperate drive & they are usually self contained folders
- name - each game has its own folder, eg ut2004

system - this will contain all the system stuf, like settings, binaries etc
- settings - this will hold the settings from etc that arn't in the default user, e.g. network settings
- boot - boot files for grub or similar
- binaries
- libraries
- devices

First of all, most programs out there are well maintained, and so could be updated.

Secondly, they would not have to be changed, as there are a couple of methods for maintaining backwards compatibility. To give you an idea, look at GoboLinux. They have a similar idea, however I do think programs should still be separated as having shared libraries is extremely useful for saving memory.