can you symlink your "documents", "music", etc?

[Ruahrc]

I have a computer with 2 disks. One is a fast SSD the other a large HDD. I want to split up my data so that the big stuff (music, pictures, etc) are on the HDD.

I know the easy way is to just move the pictures folder, etc. over- but the problem is that I then lose the convenient links on the sidebar. I *can* drag extra folders over there and remove the default ones, but then I lose the handy folder-specific icons (even though I modified the new folder on the HDD).

I also know you can move your entire home folder to another drive, but I am trying to avoid this since then my SSD will be little more than an application launcher. I'd like most stuff to work off the SSD (it's pretty big-240GB) but only use the HDD for the mass storage.

I tried making a symlink and replacing the folder with the symlink, but it won't let me delete or rename the original OSX "documents" folder because it says "it is a folder that is required by OSX". Do I have to do it as a different user or something?

What am I missing, or is there a better way to accomplish what I am looking to do?

Ruahrc

 

[ctbear]

I have a computer with 2 disks. One is a fast SSD the other a large HDD. I want to split up my data so that the big stuff (music, pictures, etc) are on the HDD.

I know the easy way is to just move the pictures folder, etc. over- but the problem is that I then lose the convenient links on the sidebar. I *can* drag extra folders over there and remove the default ones, but then I lose the handy folder-specific icons (even though I modified the new folder on the HDD).

I also know you can move your entire home folder to another drive, but I am trying to avoid this since then my SSD will be little more than an application launcher. I'd like most stuff to work off the SSD (it's pretty big-240GB) but only use the HDD for the mass storage.

I tried making a symlink and replacing the folder with the symlink, but it won't let me delete or rename the original OSX "documents" folder because it says "it is a folder that is required by OSX". Do I have to do it as a different user or something?

What am I missing, or is there a better way to accomplish what I am looking to do?

Ruahrc

Yes it is possible. Remove and symlink the folders using terminal, then assign icons to your new folders under your big hard drive. Search "setfileicon" for more info.
That's what I did to my Mac.

 

[Ruahrc]

Seemed like the terminal also wouldn't let me erase those folders, but logging in as an alternative administrative user let me do it. I was able to make the symlink and move the folder to another drive.

The problem is, even though the icon in the finder view looks correct (I copied the icon over in the Get Info window)- the icon in the sidebar is just a standard folder, and not the specialized one that the "default" OSX special folder got. Is there any way to preserve that?

Ruahrc

Edit: seems like another bug.. I mean, "design decision" that Lion will forcefully override ALL custom icons in the sidebar. Because that's the way it is. Lion is awesome!!111!!1