On Wed, Sep 2, 2015, at 18:38, Terry Reedy wrote:
What I remember from 26 years ago is 'ls -a'. Still correct in a console? (No idea how to do the same on GUIs.) This was part of any Unix intro as one was expected to edit the shell configs to one's taste.
What is and should be expected of a non-technical user on a modern desktop Unix system is very different from what it was 26 years ago. This is so obvious it should go without saying. And, anyway, Windows has got dir /a too. People who learned DOS 26 years ago probably likewise know it. Anyway, in summary: you have to either use a special option (not *hard* to discover, but not in your face either) to enable hidden files (ls -a, if they use the terminal *at all*, or whatever checkbox performs the same function in gnome/kde/xfce/whatever), or type the exact filename knowing it exists. Neither is much of a burden, but neither is any "better" than on Windows.