X11 folder repeats and repeats and repeats...

[RogerDavis]

I have a folder /usr/bin/X11 that has MANY copies of itself as sub folders. I quit counting at 25, but it appears to go on forever.

All appear to be exact copies of /usr/bin.

1) How did they get there?
2) How can I get rid of them?
3) Can I just delete them, or will that wreck something?
4) If I do delete or otherwise lose them, how can I make sure they don't come back?
5) Any idea of what function they do/did?

[mc4man]

/usr/bin/X11 is just a symlink to /usr/bin which contains the X11 symlink so yes you could open it ad nauseam.
Nothing to worry about, bit of explain
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1568381

More specific
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...20&postcount=9
(if you were to remove the symlink probably nothing bad would happen but really no reason to

[lykwydchykyn]

It's not an actual folder, it's a symlink to the same folder. That's why it appears to have endless copies of itself inside itself.

It's probably there because once long ago some binaries were in /usr/bin/X11, but later got consolidated to /usr/bin; but becaue some creaky old software might expect them at /usr/bin/X11, they made a symlink so it could find them.

Just leave it be, it hurts nothing and takes up no space.

[RogerDavis]

So if I delete them just because it's untidy and they annoy me, all that would be affected is "some creaky old software"?

Is there any way to find what "creaky old software" did this? Then I could check to see if it's still installed, or if I can just trash it.

Thanks!

[stinkeye]

Just leave it as it is.
There isn't multiple files to delete.

[RogerDavis]

OK, just so I know:
1) Is there any way to find what software did this?
2) Is there a way to prevent this or something similar in the future?

[lykwydchykyn]

It's probably just that way by default.

It's really not a problem. Understand: There are not endless folders full of files. Just one symlink back to the same folder.

I'd suggest leaving it be, or you'll likely have worse annoyances than an untidy-looking /usr/bin.

EDIT: according to apt-file, it's installed by the x11-common package. I wouldn't recommend removing that .

[RogerDavis]

I don't see a direct reference to the x11-common package.

I see many references includint X11, none of which seem to point to /usr/bin/X11. A sampling of each type is below:
-------------------------------------------------
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/de
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/digital_vndr/lk
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/macintosh_vndr/apple
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/nokia_vndr/rx-44
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/ara
xkb-data: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/terminate
xkeycaps: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XKeyCaps
xlbiff: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XLbiff
xless: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XLess-color
xloadimage: /etc/X11/Xloadimage
xlockmore: /etc/X11/Xresources/xlockmore
xmabacus: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Abacus
xmem: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XMem
xmix: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XMix
xmotd: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XMotd
xmpi: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XMPI
xmpuzzles: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Barrel
xonix: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Xonix/Xonix.ad
xorg-docs: /usr/share/X11/doc
xorg-sgml-doctools: /usr/share/sgml/X11/dbs/masterdb.html.xml
xosview: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XOsview
xpaint-dev: /usr/include/X11/Xaw3dxft/AllWidgets.h
xpat2: /etc/X11/de_DE/app-defaults/XPat
xpuzzles: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Barrel
xscreensaver-gl: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XScreenSaver-gl
xserver-xorg-core: /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf
xshisen: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XShisen
xsok: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XSok
xsunpinyin: /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/xsunpinyin
xsysinfo: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XSysinfo
xtel: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XTel-color
xterm: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XTerm-color
xtightvncviewer: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Vncviewer
xtrans-dev: /usr/include/X11/Xtrans/transport.c
xtron: /etc/X11/app-defaults/Xtron
xutils-dev: /usr/lib/X11/config/Amoeba.cf
xvile: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XVile
xvkbd: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XVkbd
xwatch: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XWatch
xxgdb: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XDbx
xxkb: /etc/X11/app-defaults/XXkb
z88dk-data: /usr/share/z88dk/include/X11
-----------------------------------------------
This is maybe 5% of the file.

Do I have a different source for all this stuff than you?

Does it still look useful?

Thanks!

[lykwydchykyn]

I don't know what file you're looking at or referring to. apt-file is a command that can tell you to which package a file belongs.

I installed apt-file, ran:

sudo apt-file update
apt-file find /usr/bin/X11

And it told me the symlink came from the x11-common package.

[RogerDavis]

Now I understand...