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Subject: Re: [geda-user] Questions about symbol library handling
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References: <20180426170939 DOT GA3200 AT esprimo>
From: "Richard Rasker (rasker AT linetec DOT nl) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
Message-ID: <04585323-0ccc-2c87-3784-b793cd002895@linetec.nl>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2018 00:16:09 +0200
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Hi Chris,


Op 26-04-18 om 19:09 schreef Chris Green:
> First question, where does the 'local' entry in the add component menu
> come from?  It doesn't appear to relate to an actual directory so it's
> just a nuisance really.  Can one get rid of it?

I've wondered about this myself. It merely seems a placeholder directory 
to remind users that they can link their own 'local' symbol directory 
from there instead, but it's a bit mystifying all the same.

The way I deal with it is as follows:
- Choose or create a directory in your home directory for your (future) 
local symbols, in your case e.g. /home/chris/electronics/local_syms
- Open a terminal
- cd /usr/share/gEDA/sym
- sudo rm local
- sudo ln -s /home/chris/electronics/local_syms local

You have now replaced the (empty) directory /usr/share/gEDA/sym/local 
with a symbolic link to your own local symbol directory 
(/home/chris/electronics/local_syms), again with the name 'local' in the 
Add Component menu.

The point here of course is that you have full write permissions for 
your own local symbol directory, so that you can create and alter 
symbols there as you wish, without requiring root permissions all the 
time to change things in /usr/share/gEDA/sym.

Yes, it's all quite convoluted and clumsy, and I too wonder why this 
isn't a hugely simple menu option like it is in PCB (File -> Preferences 
-> Library).

Then again: apart from these and some other quirks, gschem does the job, 
and in many respects rather better than some commercial products I 
worked with in the past.

(But if one of the insiders here can point out some vastly simpler 
procedure I overlooked, that's always appreciated, of course!)

Best regards,

Richard Rasker