GNOME - Hidden Files and Directories

You should expect to find the following files and directories in a new account freshly created ...

.cache
.cshrc
.login
.logout
.profile
public_html

BUT never logged into a Linux desktop

The files (note: files pre-existed) and directories below are created the first time a user logs into a Linux Gnome Desktop
These will be updated as needed given changes stored in a particular directory.

.cache
.config
.cshrc
.dbus
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
.esd_auth
.gconf
.gconfd
.gnome2
.gnome2_private
.gtk-bookmarks
.gvfs
.ICEauthority
.local
.login
.logout
Music
.nautilus
Pictures
.profile
Public
public_html
.pulse
.pulse-cookie
Templates
Videos
.xsession-errors

When a users account has problems with Panels or fully loading the Desktop correctly delete the files or directories that are maroon then reboot. The directories and files that were deleted will be recreated and should correct the problems.

If that doesn't seem to fix things. Delete directories or files that are maroon and directories or files that are dark blue and reboot. Again the directories and files that were deleted will be recreated and should correct the problems.

If that fails the last resort is to do a delete of all .dot_files.
At the command line: ls -la
Delete by letter or groups of letters rm -rf .g* .n* till all are gone.

Do not delete .profile, or any .*rc files.
Also be careful with .dot_files that are the name of apps that are used. You could loose a lot of setup and config info.

*A Detailed Description of Purpose or Function a dot* File or Directory Serves**
Directory: .cache	As the name implies, a place that local apps can cache information. This can use disk space if not maintained. Not all cached files will be deleted. Clean this out by checking dates on files after closing all applications so as to not wankel one that is active. Delete old ones or if nothing is running ... rm -rf *
Directory: .config	This is the default location for the environment variable XDG_CONFIG_HOME, if it is not set. User defined menus can be created at menus/applications.menu located in this directory. In that file applications.menu find application menu that appear for the particular user. The applications-merged directory contains applications that have been added to the Applications selection on the File-Bar Panel. Also in the menu directory find directories that contain information on various applications. These are created when an application is installed that requires information stored there. If an application is having a problem, sometimes deleting its directory here can help.
Directory: .dbus	The Desktop BUSs is a simple inter-process communication (IPC) open-source system for software applications to communicate with one another. DBUS
.esd_auth	Contains the authentication cookie for the GNOME sound daemon. The GNOME sound daemon is the Enlightened Sound Daemon (ESD).
Directory: .gconf	Contains the GConf configuration source for the user. When the user sets a preference, the new preference information is added to this location.
Directory: .gconfd	Contains the following GConf daemon details: Configuration information. Lock information for objects that are referenced by an Interoperable Object Reference (IOR). State information for objects that are referenced by an IOR.
Directory: .gnome	Contains user-specific application data that is not stored in the GConf repository. NOTE: this directory is deprecated and is only used by GNOME 1.x applications.
Directory: .gnome2	Contains user-specific application data that is not stored in the GConf repository. For example, this directory contains the following: Keyboard shortcut information. Window location information. Desktop entry files for panel launchers. This directory may also contain sub-directories that store application specific data.
Directory: .gnome2-private	Ignore this directory. This directory has no function at this time.
.gtk-bookmarks	Contains the Content for the Places list-of-values in the File menu. This can be edited with care by hand. There are fixed and dynamic (mounted drives) entries as well.
Directory: .gvfs	Gnone Virtual File System
.ICEauthority	Inter Client Exchange: a inter process communication protocol, with authentication, protocol negotiation and potentially multiplexing built in. It allows two X clients to talk directly to each other, for example, a video player program could potentially talk to a jukebox program to update each other. . . . X-ICC X authorization records are stored and removed from the ~/.ICEauthority file. When you start an X session a new record is appended to it. When it ends it should be removed. Examine directory: /tmp/.ICE-unix, The numericsocket files noted in the .ICEauthority file are found there. If you have a crash, stale records can hang around ie. authorization records are not removed, and if you restart a new session, there could be a chance that you would use the same socket id and be denied access. /usr/bin/iceauth to admin the .ICEauthority file
Directory .local	This is the default location for the environment variable XDG_DATA_HOME, if it is not set. User defined desktop entries can be created in the subdirectory applications. User defined mime types can be created in mime/packages/Overrides.xml The files and subdir's in subdirectory share ... applications defaults.list mimeapps.list mimeinfo.cache Contains the .desktop files (often launchers) Some apps, like WINE, will create a ditectory here. .converted-launchers - empty* desktop-directories Contains files with menu/directory/file information. The same same file name found here should also me in /usr/share/desktop-directories. gsettings-data-convert - Contents used to reads values out of the users GConf database and store them in GSettings. gvfs-metadata - Contains DCE compatible Universally Unique IDentifier files. icons - Contains (cached?) icons used on the desktop and in menus. mime - Mime DB ~/Trash has three directorues ... ~/expunged ~/files ~/info These files in the three directories are the result of doing deletes in a GUI. Empty trash to clear these. If that fails remove these by hand. ubuntuone - Link to ubuntuone purchase directory
.nautilus	Contains file manager data that is specific to the user. For example, this directory can contain the following: Metadata for the directories with which the user works. Nautilus emblems that the user adds. Nautilus desktop images.
Directory: .pulse Directory: .pulse-cookies	Pulse Audio
.xsession-errors	Errors that occur with X during the login process will appear here. Can be very userful in debugging. This files is not always cleared so it is often necessary to delete it do get current and new error messages.
Empty directories created during initial login	Desktop Documents Downloads Music Pictures Public Templates Videos
.profile .bashrc .cshrc .login .logout	Files read at login time (save for .logout as the name implies). Appropriate to the shell the user was given.. Set ENV and local shell variables here. Run commands or echo lines for the account here. Source (. <Source file Name>) files here. .logout can be used in a similar fashion but as you leave. ... terminate, close, log, etc before the account is closed and left.

These are other dot files that could be created given activity, configuration or application installs.
.bash_history .history	What was done before Lists previous commands Can be used to re-run commands. !<number of command> # to re-run !253 !<segment of command> # to re-run !grep ne
.fonts	Contains fonts specific to a particular user. When a user installs a font by dragging it to the fonts:/// URI in nautilus, it is copied to this location.
.metacity	Contains session data for the Metacity window manager.
.themes	Desktop theme related Controls theme options Window frame theme options Icons theme options that the user adds The user can add themes from the Theme preference tool.
.thumbnails	Contains image thumbnails for the user. The image thumbnails are used in the file manager. The file manager contains a preference that the user can select to stop generation of thumbnail images.
*.<Application Name>*	Contains contains information for the particular application it is named for.