[ceruleanseagull]

I have been checking my home directory from time to time and noticed that several applications that I've downloaded to try, then uninstalled leave .nameOfApp files in my ~ directory. Well, after an "ls -a" command.... I'd like to know which of the following are safe to delete (i.e. not included in the standard install of snow leopard):

.qt
.rnd
.gdb_history
.idlerc
.Xauthority
.bash_history
.bash_profile (is this like a .bashrc file?)
.DS_Store


I've already deleted the .dropbox a few others.
Also, what is NX ? And could I get rid of anything associated with it?
Is it essential ?

[turtle777]

The following are created by OS X and should not be touched:

.bash_history
.bash_profile (is this like a .bashrc file?)
.DS_Store

I don't know about the other items, and I'm too lazy to google.

-t

[Big Mac]

.idlerc relates to Python scripting. Xauthority sounds like the X Windows environment (which you should keep around if you want to run it). And .gdb_history may relate to GNU development, but I'm not too sure.

If they're invisible and just in the root of your Home folder why do you care? I know it's annoying to me when applications put their own crap in the user's Documents folder (which is why I store my documents in my own My Documents subfolder of Documents), but you're not even talking about ~/Documents. You're just talking about the root of your Home folder, which I've never really thought much about. Unless you use an app that shows hidden files in its dialog boxes, and you find their presence annoying, I'd just disregard it. Or do you have a hang-up about folder cleanliness?

[ceruleanseagull]

Thanks for the information people.
I don't really want to delete them for organization or anything. I just don't want anything on my computer that I am totally unaware of or oblivious to. . . And I am kind of just snooping around my computer to learn more.

Thanks again♪

[P]

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

I have been checking my home directory from time to time and noticed that several applications that I've downloaded to try, then uninstalled leave .nameOfApp files in my ~ directory. Well, after an "ls -a" command.... I'd like to know which of the following are safe to delete (i.e. not included in the standard install of snow leopard):

.qt

The QT development environment is used for developing on different platforms. It started on X11, however, so it's likely a settings file from an XWindows app.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.rnd

A seed file with random numbers used by OpenSSH or apps that make use of OpenSSH.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.gdb_history

GDB is the GNU debugger. The file is a list of when it has been invoked and how.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.idlerc

No idea.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.Xauthority

A file from the X11 window system. It regulates which clients (ie, applications) that can connect to an Xserver that you have started. Sort of - it's complicated.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.bash_history
.bash_profile (is this like a .bashrc file?)

History and settings for the bash shell. Yes, the last one is like .bashrc.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

.DS_Store

File that contains Finder settings, ie icon positions, window sizes etc for the folder in question. You'll find them all over the place.

Originally Posted by ceruleanseagull 

I've already deleted the .dropbox a few others.
Also, what is NX ? And could I get rid of anything associated with it?
Is it essential ?

Rings a bell, but I can't quite remember it. Might refer to NeXTSTEP, the OS that Mac OS X is descended from, but I'm far from sure. NX in general refers to No Execute.