October 31, 2025
File Fights & Folder Feuds
Can we talk about the rude installers not asking for installation locations?
Users want control, IT wants peace—installers are caught in the crossfire
TLDR: The post argues apps should install into safe, pre-set locations with sandboxed access, not ask users where to put stuff. Comments split: some want strict defaults and fewer prompts, others demand control for storage and privacy, with Windows admin headaches fueling the flame war.
The original post demands a world where apps stop acting like messy roommates and the operating system quietly decides where everything lives—inside a safe “sandbox” with clear spots for files, settings, and caches. Think of it like a kids’ playpen: apps get their toys, and you decide what they can touch. Fans of app containers like Flatpak and Docker cheered the idea, praising simple defaults and fine-grained access via a file picker. But the comments turned into folder-gate fast.
On one side, ttoinou warned, “More options, more mess,” predicting users will click chaos and blame the devs. Ranger_danger rolled in with a flex: tools like Firejail (Linux) and Sandboxie (Windows) keep apps from “spraying all over your filesystem.” Ape4 kept it practical: just make sure the uninstaller can find the junk. Windows folks brought the drama—StableAlkyne roasted installers that shove everything into C:/Program Files, triggering an IT boss fight for admin rights, while gjvc’s minimalist chant of “/opt/vendor/product/version/” became a meme. The vibe? A three-way brawl: people craving control over where big apps live (SSD or network drive), IT begging for fewer prompts, and privacy hawks saying “file picker or bust.” Everyone agrees on one thing: rude installers are the worst.
Key Points
- •OS or application managers should control application state locations, not individual installers.
- •Applications should use sandboxed paths and standardized directories (e.g., /data, /config) that can be mapped externally.
- •Fine-grained file access should be mediated via a file picker using IPC with file descriptor passing.
- •Configuration and cache data should reside in defined OS-specific locations (Linux: /etc, ~/.config, /var, ~/.cache; Windows: registry, %appdata%, %localappdata%).
- •Storage management must consider varying application sizes and user storage tiers; Android’s SD card support exemplifies OS-level placement control.