My personal files (like pictures, documents, downloads, music, etc.) are not stored in my home folder, but on an external hard drive mounted at /mnt/4TB/data.
To make access easier, I created symbolic links from the standard folders in my home directory to their counterparts on the HDD. For example:
~/Downloads -> /mnt/4TB/data/downloads
The problem is that when I access these folders using the symlinks (either through the Nautilus sidebar shortcuts or directly from my home directory), the Trash feature doesn’t work. I get a warning that files will be permanently deleted. Nautilus shows the path as /home/username/Downloads.
However, if I manually browse to the target path on the HDD (e.g., /mnt/4TB/data/downloads), the Trash works as expected, and deleted files go to the Trash folder. Nautilus also correctly shows the full path.
Interestingly, I tested creating a symlink within the Downloads folder pointing back to itself:
downloads_with_trash -> /mnt/4TB/data/downloads
And when I access that link, the Trash works, even though Nautilus still shows the path as /home/username/Downloads.
Is there a reliable way to get the Trash feature working when using these symlinks in the home directory?