VM image and ISO after booting show a blank "Preferences" folder

[Jcink]

Problem: The preferences section is completely blank. It is as if the folder has nothing inside of it. I can create a new folder within it and put things in it, but that's it. Essentially, it's an empty folder.

Setup/Replication: Haiku alpha 2 and 3 have this problem on VMWare Workstation 7.1, running Windows 7 64 bit. Just install it, or use the provided image, that's all you need to do. GPU is ATI Radeon HD 4850 if that matters.

[luroh]

To rule out file corruption, could you please run an md5sum check on your virgin vmdk file? The hash should be: 063a23443e629933ebacaec983d27056

[Jcink]

<?php
echo md5(file_get_contents("haiku-r1alpha3.vmdk"));
?>

output:

063a23443e629933ebacaec983d27056

[taos]

Which of the preferences folders?

1.) /boot/preferences - empty folder on hard disk install via raw image (for 3rd party preferences analogous to /boot/applications??? I've never had a file in that one)

2.) /boot/system/preferences - contains applications ("Preferences")

3.) /boot/home/config/be/preferences - contains links to the preferences applications in 2.) (via leaf menu in deskbar)

[Jcink]

I apologize for this bug report then; I was navigating to /boot/preferences. I was clicking on the little Haiku icon on the desktop and I attempted to adjust preferences from there. When I checked /boot/system/preferences, that showed up just fine.

If I may make a suggestion I think it would be nice if that folder in the root was removed or perhaps renamed if possible. Yes I know the argument will be that I should have read the documentation more carefully... but still, to a new user who might be used to clicking a "My Computer" like icon for example, to open the first preferences folder that they're presented with and have it be totally empty is just confusing.

Nonetheless thanks for the fast response on this report, looking forward to playing with Haiku. :)

[taos]

Replying to Jcink:

[...] should have read the documentation more carefully...

AFAIK, the documentation doesn't mention /boot/apps (or /boot/preferences) at all but rather /boot/common/apps and /boot/home/apps (two folders I've not seen in a standard haiku install so far, but might be used when haiku gets multi-user support). The section "Filesystem layout" explains only the distinction between the directories /boot/system, /boot/common, and /boot/home. So reading the user guide would not have helped in this regard;-)

but still, to a new user who might be used to clicking a "My Computer" like icon for example, to open the first preferences folder that they're presented with and have it be totally empty is just confusing.

You're not the first one to wonder - I've found discussions concerning directory layout in the haiku-development mailing list from ​2008 and ​2009.

[axeld]

Even though it's just a stray empty directory, there is no reason not to fix it :-)

[DarkmatterVale]

I'm running on VBox and VMware Player and have not seen this problem. On VBox I am running hrev49974 and on VMware Player I am running hrev49917

[DarkmatterVale]

Just updated my VM on my VMware player machine to hrev50047 and I do not see an empty preferences folder. In the system folder I see a preferences folder but it contains data regarding applications.

[modeenf]

We don't have /boot/preferences any more what I can see. so not a bug any more?