Comment 66 for bug 382703

Consider this: If the user even *knows* where in the filesystem their files are kept is, then they probably also know that it is different from just "/home", and they probably also know that "home directory" is the proper name. If they don't, it takes all of 30 seconds for them to find out.

So, I'd say it should show up as exactly one of the following, in order of preference:

"Home Directory"
contents of $HOME, e.g. /home/vanessa
"Home"
"My Home"

Whatever you do, don't just use the user's first name. It pre-supposes that the user has put in a valid first name, and really, it gets confusing if the user has more than one directory related to their name.

As for the amount of space an entry takes up on the screen... I'm using a 13 point font (as my vision isn't the greatest), on a 19" LCD at 1280x1024, and "Home Directory" still only about 4 cm wide here in this comment editor.

I can't say much about the need to translate, except to say that, since you are already learning a new OS, you're eventually going to have to learn where your stuff is kept. You may as well just learn that the term for it is "home directory".