Suggestion to Improve Oppia Documentation (Setup Environment - Point 8)

[VanshikaSabharwal]

In the Oppia Installation Docs, point number 8 under "Setup a virtual environment" mentions:
“...create a .direnvrc file in your home directory...”

This usage of the word “home” can be confusing, especially for beginners. It may lead to a misunderstanding between:

• The home directory of the system (i.e. /home/username/)
• The parent folder where Oppia is cloned

Proposed Change

To eliminate this confusion, I suggest updating the wording from:

"...in your home directory..."

to:

"...in the root folder of your computer/laptop (i.e., your home directory, like /home/username/)..."

or more clearly:

"...in your user’s home directory (e.g., /home/your-username/, also called the root folder of your user account)..."

This change ensures clarity for all users, especially those unfamiliar with Linux directory structures.

Here’s a visual illustration for context:

[Helper2020]

@VanshikaSabharwal Hello I don't see the text "create a .direnvrc file in your home directory" on the page you linked

[VanshikaSabharwal]

@VanshikaSabharwal Hello, I don't see the text "create a .direnvrc file in your home directory" on the page you linked

Hello @Helper2020 apologies, the text is Add new file called .direnvrc into your home (~) folder with this content: at point number 7. Here is a picture of it.

[Helper2020]

@VanshikaSabharwal Hello, would you be willing to make the edit?

[VanshikaSabharwal]

@Helper2020 Yes, I can make the edits.

[Helper2020]

@VanshikaSabharwal Great. I think the sentence "...in your user’s home directory (e.g., /home/your-username/, also called the root folder of your user account)..." is correct. Can you also incorporate the tilde () shorthand—e.g., user’s home () directory—since it's commonly used to refer to the home directory. Additionally, you can mention that the user can run the pwd command to verify they're in the correct directory

[VanshikaSabharwal]

@VanshikaSabharwal Great. I think the sentence "...in your user’s home directory (e.g., /home/your-username/, also called the root folder of your user account)..." is correct. Can you also incorporate the tilde () shorthand—e.g., user’s home () directory—since it's commonly used to refer to the home directory. Additionally, you can mention that the user can run the pwd command to verify they're in the correct directory

yes i'll do that

[prince29-dev]

Hi!
I was going through the setup documentation while trying to get Oppia running locally, and I noticed the confusion mentioned around Setup Environment – Point 8.

I’d like to improve that section based on a beginner’s perspective (especially the parts that aren’t immediately clear when following the steps for the first time).

If this issue is still open, I’d be happy to take it up as my first contribution. Please let me know if that sounds okay

[hima-varsha24]

Hi! @VanshikaSabharwal ,@Helper2020
I'm interested in enhancing Setup Environment - Point 8 to make the instructions about the home directory and the tilde (~) shorthand clearer for beginners.

Could I go ahead and make these improvements?

[SayaliNaik957]

Hi, I would like to work on this issue. Can you assign it to me?

[VanshikaSabharwal]

Hey @hima-varsha24 @SayaliNaik957, I will raise a PR soon. Thanks for showing your interest.

[sanasanju235]

Hi! I saw that the issue author mentioned they will raise a PR soon. Just checking — is this still open for contribution, or should I look for another issue? Thanks!