macOS App folder location?

[meshuggahtas]

Describe the bug Foreword: I'm not a general user of macOS, so I tried to search my problem to try solutions but none of them let me find screenshots I've made with FCEUX.

I wanted to find the folder where I made screenshots. They are somewhere as FCEUX now says Screen snapshot 4 is saved. Using macOS 11+, the Finder doesn't found those 4 screenshots I've made so far. CTRL+Clicking to see package contents shows a different structure of directories than the Windows 10 one, and as far as I've clicked through the directories, I couldn't find them.

I can only assume that either I can not find it because of a default operating system not letting me to further investigate the files of a .app OR there is an issue with the screenshot files not existing.

To Reproduce

1. Open ROM
2. Take a screenshot
3. Find screenshot

Expected behavior I can find screenshots.

Screenshots No

(please complete the following information):

• OS and Version: macOS Big Sur 11.0
• Version of FCEUX used (QT or non-QT): QT FCEUX 2.5.0

Additional context No

[mjbudd77]

The base folder for saved files is $HOME/.fceux. The screenshots are output to $HOME/.fceux/snaps folder

[meshuggahtas]

Ah thanks! So... Using default installations, you won't see hidden files. On macOS, they will be hidden using the dot prefix folder naming (.fceux). On Windows I don't need to see hidden files in order to find my screenshots in the snaps/ folder.

The solution was pressing CMD+SHIFT+DOT to see hidden files. I think they shouldn't be hidden. edit: I mean the whole application folder fceux shouldn't be hidden from the user installing/using it.

[meshuggahtas]

This also affects Ubuntu.

edit: A solution might conflict with this particular issue https://github.com/TASEmulators/fceux/issues/412 thought it might be useful to share it.

[mjbudd77]

This issue is based on opinion. Having configuration and output files saved in a hidden folder under the HOME directory is pretty common in Unix systems. There is another issue that states that someone wants the XDG base standard followed (which uses hidden folders by default). Is it really such a big deal?

[meshuggahtas]

I think that there is only pros than cons if the folder of fceux is visible by default:

• Consistent Usability logic (from Windows to Ubuntu and macOS)
• Easier to find visible files than hidden ones (encourage first-time and non-technician users)
• User will want to locate the folder at many points:
  • Cheat files
  • Savestate files
  • luaScripts
  • movies...

Also note, that for example macOS Finder won't find these hidden folders and their files.

[zeromus]

IMO @meshuggahtas 's argument completely nukes the XDG base standard, if XDG base standard demands that things be hidden. @mjbudd77 I don't think you should be hiding in QT versions, either. this hidden directory thing is only for software that's not expecting the user to explore the data on the filesystem, perhaps by exposing everything internally. That's just not fceux's operating paradigm. Fceux works with files on the disk, and users work with files on the disk; users do not interact with all files via FCEUX. @mjbudd77 I suggest we resolve this by changing the fceux location from .fceux to fceux and ignoring the XDG yammering. Of course new versions will lose all old files. That stuff doesn't matter to me, but you can use .fceux if it exists and create fceux if it does not, if you want.