Arch Linux

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 173

Unable to permanently sort folders before files

Hello,

I use Openbox as a WM, without any desktop environment, nor display manager.

In my GUI apps (that is to say in Thunar, Libreoffice and Firefox), I can right-click in any file dialog and "sort folders before files". However, I'm unable to have this setting persistent.

Since those are GTK apps, I've tried :

gsettings set org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

and even :

dconf write /org/gtk/Settings/FileChooser/sort-directories-first true

But neither of those works.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanx in advance !

x33a

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2009-08-15

Posts: 4,587

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

What does the following return:

gsettings list-recursively org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser | grep sort-directories-first

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 173

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

Hello,
After several tests (several reboots, etc.) here are my results :
1. I set sort-directories-first to true :

gsettings set org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

Result :

org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

BUT opening Firefox still shows files and folders sorted alphabetically (File > Open file...) ; the folders aren't sorted before the files.
2. I say to myself : "you should reboot". So I do. Result :

org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

BUT same problem : it changes nothing to the order of the folders (whatever I choose, Firefox, or Libreoffice, etc.)
3. Another reboot ! Result :

org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first false

Strange thing... There appears to be two different problems here :
- the setting is not persistent ;
- the setting has no effect, even when it's set to "true".

Any idea ? Thanx for any help !

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 173

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

I'm surprised that no one seems to have ever meet this problem, since I have the same one on my two computers with Arch and Openbox.

So, before giving up, just a little up...

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,435

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

You should start by answering and posting the literal output of the command you were asked to provide. It also seems that not many people do consider this a problem in any case, or it might work for most and your system is the odd duckling.

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 173

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

No need to use this aggressive tone. I have already posted the "literal output of the command" I was asked to provide. Have you at least read it ? Why have you posted this, exactly ? What was the effect you wanted ? It gives no answer. It's just not kind at all, I don't see the point... Have I been disrespectful in any way ? I don't think so.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,435

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

Text isn't really a good medium to convey tone. It was supposed to be informative, and you didn't provide that output. You showed your own attempts at fixing it, which is good, however if you are asked for a specific command's output you should be providing it. It's very much possible that this setting is stored on an app to app basis and set accordingly.

Last edited by V1del (2018-05-29 11:06:12)

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 173

Re: Unable to permanently sort folders before files

I did provide it, but obviously it wasn't as clear as I had thought. So I'll try to explain what I've done once again :
1. After setting "sort-directories-first" to "true", the output of the command I was asked to provide (gsettings list-recursively org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser | grep sort-directories-first) is :

org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

2. But after a couple of reboots, the result of the command becomes :

org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first false