Help mapping Windows My Documents folder to Ubuntu My Documents folders

[sk4tec]

I can access my windows my documents\music by mounting my windows drive and browsing to it. I can then play\watch my movies and pics in Ubuntu.

But what I really want to be able to do is re-map the Ubunbu docs folder like so:

Ubuntu Pics = Windows My Documents pics.
Ubuntu Videos = Windows My Documents Videos.

I'm not very unix savy so I've been using Ubuntu tweak Personal\Default Folder Locations setting and browsing to my Windows folders. But it doesn't work.

I have managed to make a desktop 'short cut' and that works but I'd rather set the system wide default document folders.

Can someone point out to me how I can achieve this?

[veggen]

Put this:
mount -o bind /path/to/Music ~/Music
at the end of /etc/rc.local

It will take effect on next restart. You can just execute it yourself once with sudo so it will work for the current session.

[sk4tec]

Thank you for the reply.

I need a little more detail to implement this. I presume you mean to put the mount commands in a "boot.ini" type file. (Ubuntu tweak only lets me browse for folders).

[veggen]

I haven't really used Ubuntu Tweak, so I can't help much with that, but regarding my suggestion, this is exactly what you need to do:

* open terminal
* type "gksudo gedit /etc/rc.local" (yes, this is the "boot.ini" type file, you need privileges to edit it (hence gksudo) and it will probably only contain a comment and "exit 0")
* add "mount -o bind /path/to/Music ~/Music" (and all others you want mounted) just before "exit 0"
* save & exit
* [optional] since this will take effect on th next restart, you can also execute all commands manually with sudo, like "sudo mount -o bind /path/to/Music ~/Music" to have everything mounted during the current session as well

[johnproyal]

How do you make set it up so multiple folders are binded at the beginning?

I can set it each session using sudo /path/to/Music ~/Music, but every time I restart it erases what I've binded, and I have to do it again. I've got gksudo gedit /etc/rc.local open, and I know where to add it and which directories work, but it doesn't set them when I restart. I have the feeling its because they're not separated or maybe it's too many.

Thanks for the help, again.

[Jixop]

I found this solutions and it works perfectly!

Changing Paths of Places Menu Items Whilst Retaining Default Icons
http://www.rosslug.org.uk/node/26

[dkathrens77]

Even more detail requested!

I have a dual boot machine, and want to store all my documents on the NTFS partition to prevent duplications, save space and make switching from W$ (aka Windows) to Ubuntu less of a headache.

Of course, W$ has spaces in folder names, which linux doesn't like. I think I understand you can enclose such a folder name in quotes, e.g. "My Documents". Is this correct? W$ won't let me change the name to something linux would grok, like "My-Documents".

In the case of my W$ My Documents folder:

/path-to-desired-location?

do I use

/dev/sda?/Users/[ME]/"My Documents"?

or

/media/NTFS-Documents/Users/[ME]/"My Documents"?

I've tried it the way I thought it should work, but both the statements in rc.local and the same statements sudo-ed from the terminal do nothing...not even throw an error.

Please advise--and be very specific! Don't assume I know anything.

[WorMzy]

Assuming you're talking about your fstab entry, neither.

Use \040 in place of a space instead.

e.g.

/media/NTFS-Documents/Users/[ME]/My\040Documents

[nothingspecial]

I would put some entries in /etc/fstab like this. For the ntfs partition

UUID=fe3c8388-d051-4900-8f5a-835133c72482 /media/Stuff ntfs-3g defaults,en_GB.utf8 0 0

You can find the uuid bt typing

sudo blkid

and your available locales by typing

locale -a

Then add entries for specific folders like this

/media/Stuff/path/to/Music/ /home/suzie/Music  none  bind

for example.

Spaces in folders are escaped in fstab with \040 so a folder named "folder with spaces" would be

folder\040with\040spaces

[dkathrens77]

What's this? a THIRD way to implement?

Veggen proposed one method, Jixop posted a link to a second method,
and nothingspecial proposes yet another.

And none of these methods are presented completely, in detail!
I wonder if you linux-heads are just TRYING to confuse-a-noob...

Thanks WorzMy for a very succinct, useful and very atomic! piece of information.