Removing Certain Documents from Evince Homepage

To remove specific documents from the Evince homepage, you must delete or rename the corresponding entry in the recent files list stored in the recent.xbel configuration file. This file is located within your user profile directory under .config/evince/. Modifying this XML file allows precise control over which PDFs appear on the startup screen without affecting the actual document files.

Understanding the Recent Files Database

Evince, the default document viewer for GNOME, maintains a history of recently opened files to provide quick access via its homepage interface. This history is not stored in a simple text list but rather in an XBEL (XML Bookmark Exchange Language) format. The primary file responsible for this data is named recent.xbel. When you open a PDF, Evince updates this file with the file path, title, and timestamp. Consequently, when you wish to hide a specific document from the homepage, you are essentially editing this metadata record. It is crucial to understand that deleting the entry here does not delete the actual PDF file from your hard drive; it only removes the shortcut from the viewer's interface. For users managing privacy concerns or cluttered interfaces, knowing how to manipulate this database is essential. If you have accidentally added sensitive documents to the recent list, removing them ensures they do not appear for other users who might access the same machine. This method provides a granular level of control that the graphical interface sometimes lacks, especially when dealing with many similar files or temporary documents. You can also refer to our guide on Copying Transparent Text over Image in PDF using 'copyimage' in Evince for other advanced management tasks within the same application ecosystem.

Locating the Configuration File

The first step in this process is accessing the correct directory where Evince stores its user-specific settings. On Linux systems, configuration files are typically hidden within the home directory. To find the recent files database, you need to navigate to the .config/evince/ folder. This folder resides inside your home directory, often denoted by the tilde symbol (~) in terminal commands. You can locate this file using the file manager or the command line. In the file manager, ensure that "Show Hidden Files" is enabled, usually by pressing Ctrl+H, as directories starting with a dot are hidden by default. Once visible, navigate to Home/.config/evince/. Here, you will find the recent.xbel file. If you prefer using the terminal, you can check if the file exists by running ls ~/.config/evince/recent.xbel. If the file is present, the system will return the path; if not, Evince may create it upon opening a new document. Be cautious not to confuse this with global configuration files, as changes here only affect your current user account.

Editing the Recent.XBEL File

Once you have located the recent.xbel file, you should back it up before making any changes. This is a critical safety step in case the XML structure becomes corrupted, which could prevent Evince from launching correctly. Copy the file to a safe location, such as your desktop, using a command like cp ~/.config/evince/recent.xbel ~/Desktop/recent_backup.xbel. Open the original recent.xbel file in a plain text editor. Do not use word processors like LibreOffice Writer, as they may alter the formatting and break the XML syntax. A terminal-based editor like nano or vim, or a code editor like VS Code, is recommended. Inside the file, you will see a series of tags. Each tag represents one entry in the Evince homepage. Look for the section within each bookmark, which contains the