I always have ~/bin added to the $PATH in my ~/.profile. As is default in Ubuntu.

# set PATH so it includes user's private bin if it exists

if [ -d "$HOME/bin" ] ; then

    PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"

fi

However, when trying out software, hacking together a script, or testing new software that has no PPA's, makefiles and such, I prefer to organize them in directories. For example (I have about twelve of these projects in my ~/bin at this moment):

ber@audrey:~ ☙ ls bin/replicatorg-0033/

contributors.txt  examples  lib-i686    license.txt  readme.txt   scripts        todo.txt

docs              lib       lib-x86_64  machines     replicatorg  skein_engines  tools

This is some java application. replicatorg is the executable.

Now, I could do four things, but I am looking for another, better way:

1. Symlink the exectuable in ~/bin. ln -s bin/replicatorg-0033/replicatorg bin/replicatorg. This sometimes works, not in this case. The application is poorly written and expects libraries relative to its binary: it will not run when symlinked or copied out of its directory.


2. Add every subdirectory to $PATH as well. But that means editing ~/.profile everytime I move, download or git-clone new directories.


3. Install the applications properly systemwide by creating a makefile/install script. Seen as that most of the applications are quick hacks, ugly, in development, scripts and tools, that is not a good idea, IMHO.


4. Move all the contents of ~/replicatorg-0033/ into ~/bin. Right.

So: how do you organize your ~/bin?