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Users > Library folder
- Thread starter kirky29
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This may sound like a noobish question, but is there any way to "unhide" it? I was able to do it by creating a symlink folder to it, but would rather just have the folder be unhidden. Mostly so I can track documents in the Application Support folder (chat logs for Adium, etc).
Yup....
Open Terminal found in the utilities folder and type:
chflags nohidden /users/**username**/library
I think a lot of people just purchased a Mac Dev license so they could get the dev preview of lion
This. I'm tempted to do it myself, even though I'm not a dev (just a somewhat advanced user, unix sysadmin, etc.).
If I do end up buying it, I'm definitely going to try to provide good bug reports to Apple, so at least my dealing with beta software becomes worth it. I'm just not sure I want to trade the current ROCK SOLID stability of 10.6 to play with new toys just yet.
And I mean rock solid. Neither my 2006 Mac Pro or 2010 Macbook Pro have crashed with 10.6 even once. Amazing operating system, this is.
Because the home folder is a place that normal users go to a lot. The Library folder had system files in it, so it just didn't look right.
User Library Folder
Forgive me if someone already said this, but I will say what I discovered. The Library folder is still in the Home directory (~) but it is hidden. So, without any 3rd party programs, I would just cd into it via Terminal, open it up in the Finder, and create an Alias.
Forgive me if someone already said this, but I will say what I discovered. The Library folder is still in the Home directory (~) but it is hidden. So, without any 3rd party programs, I would just cd into it via Terminal, open it up in the Finder, and create an Alias.
it doesnt have system files, thats what the system library is for which should be hidden instead! it houses the files and settings used by apps and the system for that user and the main library for all users.
its really kind of a back-end kind of folder and Apple probably thought it would make things simpler and less complicated that if by default a user didnt see it. i will be unhiding it, i use it a lot to configure and tidy my account.
Exactly. The people who need access to it will know how to access it. For the rest it's out of sight, out of mind.
I store my user made photoshop brushes, etc. in the user library...
Background : I played w/ Lion (on another partition, but it also used my snow leopard user folder) to see if it would some system color issues I am having a certain app. I am not running Lion now, but I just discovered my user/library is now hidden due to Lion (as I realized it does this, digging around w/ google).
this terminal command(yes, I inserted my user name in): chflags nohidden /users/username/library - It did not work
I tried go to folder in the finder, no luck. I entered time machine for a backup (its there) but it wants to replace it(btw the dialogue comes up has the new Lion options though I am running snow leopard). I don't want to do that. I just want the current library folder visible!
Thank you for you help...
Edit/update:
Ironically I got help from Apple's forum (of course didn't take long w/ the "Lion" word and the warning that your user library - you know - where all your prefs, and where I put photoshop stuff- would go "poof" visibly w/ Lion.)... and the thread was removed. Command line in terminal was something like: chflags nohidden ~/Library then I (on my own move) entered "killall Finder" ( I saw in other threads). And eureka, there was my library, visually.
I get Apple's thinking here w/ Lion, but in practical terms -- it goes too far, hiding library in the user folder! How is one supposed to trash prefs for an app in Lion, as an example? Has this been moved to another folder besides user/library?
Background : I played w/ Lion (on another partition, but it also used my snow leopard user folder) to see if it would some system color issues I am having a certain app. I am not running Lion now, but I just discovered my user/library is now hidden due to Lion (as I realized it does this, digging around w/ google).
this terminal command(yes, I inserted my user name in): chflags nohidden /users/username/library - It did not work
I tried go to folder in the finder, no luck. I entered time machine for a backup (its there) but it wants to replace it(btw the dialogue comes up has the new Lion options though I am running snow leopard). I don't want to do that. I just want the current library folder visible!
Thank you for you help...
Edit/update:
Ironically I got help from Apple's forum (of course didn't take long w/ the "Lion" word and the warning that your user library - you know - where all your prefs, and where I put photoshop stuff- would go "poof" visibly w/ Lion.)... and the thread was removed. Command line in terminal was something like: chflags nohidden ~/Library then I (on my own move) entered "killall Finder" ( I saw in other threads). And eureka, there was my library, visually.
I get Apple's thinking here w/ Lion, but in practical terms -- it goes too far, hiding library in the user folder! How is one supposed to trash prefs for an app in Lion, as an example? Has this been moved to another folder besides user/library?
Last edited:
Spence, I don't have Aperture, and I was careful not to launch iPhoto or Mail while in Lion(while sharing the same user folder). I will not be "playing" w/ it again! So my iphoto was okay.
You have a backup of your iPhoto "package"?
I must admit, I'm a little turned off by the "dumbing down of an OS", as some critics are calling Lion. I mean CS5 practically lays out the welcome wagon to store your own brushes in the brushes folder located in the user/library... and Apple's Lion, just makes that go invisible to feign like it's a stinkin' iPhone or iPad? -- what am I missing?
You have a backup of your iPhoto "package"?
I must admit, I'm a little turned off by the "dumbing down of an OS", as some critics are calling Lion. I mean CS5 practically lays out the welcome wagon to store your own brushes in the brushes folder located in the user/library... and Apple's Lion, just makes that go invisible to feign like it's a stinkin' iPhone or iPad? -- what am I missing?
I do have a backup, yes, but there is a catch to it: I (stupidly) let Lion wipe out my Time Machine backup and replace it with a new one.
So, when restoring from my Time Machine backup leaves these things a wreck.
But, here is the silver lining: My new MacBook Pro arrives on Thursday, so I'll just use Target Disk mode to get the things I want from the iMac.
It doesn't really bother me that I have to do it this way, only because I was not going to migrate my entire system this time around. I have been migrating since Mac OS X 10.0. It is time for a fresh start.
I don't understand why some of these things have been hidden, though. Maybe it is just an early build thing, but I have my doubts.
But I also have my doubts in people's ability to use a computer, and I do understand the logic behind when the decision was made to hide iPhoto and Aperture libraries, because people messed them up right and left.
I see the flip side, too. It's a world class OS, and it should be fully open to tear apart if you so chose.
Ahhh, the dichotomy....
Looks like Apple's Lion hiding the user library is going over like a fart in church w/ apps that rightly store things there and want the user to access...
from Chris Cox at Adobe:
"We're voicing our objections, but you need to let Apple know that their decisions are causing real world customer problems."
Let apple know this is bad and short sighted move/restriction.
from Chris Cox at Adobe:
"We're voicing our objections, but you need to let Apple know that their decisions are causing real world customer problems."
Let apple know this is bad and short sighted move/restriction.
By far the easiest solution to this "problem". Stop playing around in the terminal kids.
Go to the top menu bar in Finder and click GO, after that hold ALT and you'll see Library folder appear, click on it and Library will SHOW UP.
Hope this helps!
