This question pertains to Xubuntu 16.04.3 LTS with current kernel 4.4.0-116-generic x86_64. Thunar has Version 1.6.11 (the one packaged to Xubuntu 16.04). I have made a link to the frequently used public account of another user. I put this link on my desktop (in a German Xubuntu: Senden an Desktop). When I use this link, a new Thunar window opens and shows the way from my desktop to that place: The path shown tells about the way how I got there. I would prefer if it would show _the description from the root in the file system to my file (the UNC path)_, rather than the way how I got there using my desktop link. If use Ctl-C after this on a file, it depends on the way how I use the clipboard then. If I paste it to a mousepad-window or Shift-paste it to a LibreOffice document, the path to the file gets pasted, but with that strange deviation via my desktop link, i.e. the pasted path contains the way how I got there rather than the shortest way to it! *How can I let Thunar fetch me the UNC path to my pointed-to file?*
Thanks for reporting ! I am not sure if it is always desirable to get the full filesystem path when using folder-links. Possibly worth to add a flag in xfce4-settings-manager .. something like "resolve path for folder links"
Alexxcons, what particular purpose do you have in mind where the current behaviour is more desirable (i.e. show the sequence of links used to reach a particular branch) than the other one: return the "natural" path from the root of the file system - and - if there is more than one: the shortest one? The "natural" path however is only unique as long as yyou don't mount a particular branch in some other position. The UIC path of all involved files would change too, if you move it or a part of the subtree in which a file is to some other position in the file tree. I consider mounting a subtree more to be like moving it to some other place, except that "the old" connection in case of mount is not cut as it is the case of moving a branch somewhere else.
E.g. at work we have many backend systems which all mount the same mountpoint. Below this mointpoint is a folder structure which, besides others, has subfolders per backend-name. So we introduced symlinks, such that we can ignore these mount-point specifics and directly access the backend-specific data of the current backend. In this case it would be preferrred to show the linked path, not the absolute path. ( Just to show an example ) However yes, my use-case is not the default use-case. I think we should have "resolve path for folder links" as opt-out, since I guess in most cases the absolute path is preferred. Anyhow, currently I dont have time to work on this .. patches would be very welcome !
alexxcons, thank you for your explanation. I would not have seen this use case without your explanation. However, in your very special situation these links could only be used by the workgroup from the computers in that workgroup - which also might be desired or not. You are right, it would be best to have two choices: a) to ask for the UIC path, i.e. the absolute path - or alternatively b) to ask for the symlink and in addition there should be a description, when a) or b) is the better choice (and a warning, that the UIC path is unique only in the absence of multiple mounting branches of the folder tree.
-- GitLab Migration Automatic Message -- This bug has been migrated to xfce.org's GitLab instance and has been closed from further activity. You can subscribe and participate further through the new bug through this link to our GitLab instance: https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/-/issues/228. Please create an account or use an existing account on one of our supported OAuth providers. If you want to fork to submit patches and merge requests please continue reading here: https://docs.xfce.org/contribute/dev/git/start#gitlab_forks_and_merge_requests Also feel free to reach out to us on the mailing list https://mail.xfce.org/mailman/listinfo/xfce4-dev