Arch Linux

Bes

Member

Registered: 2007-06-20

Posts: 79

After a good GUI with a decent file manager

Hi

I currently use GNOME but to be honest it majourly sucks for file management.

Are there any GUIs/ Desktop Managers out there that are significantly better? (I am referring to the equivelent of Windows Explorer in the GUI specifically)
Or if not, is there a decent file manager that can be integrated with GNOME?

Thanks

Last edited by Bes (2007-11-17 18:01:19)

Mikko777

Member

From: Suomi, Finland

Registered: 2006-10-30

Posts: 837

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

what does explorer do that nautilus doesnt?

anyways you could try thunar, dolphin, d3lphin etc...

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Bes

Member

Registered: 2007-06-20

Posts: 79

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

For example... If I double click to open a folder on the desktop, I get a window. I open a subfolder, I get a new window spawning randomly on the screen. Isn't there a better way of it doing this? If you go 10 folders deep, it takes about 30 seconds to close everything

Thanks

fwojciec

Member

Registered: 2007-05-20

Posts: 1,411

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

For example... If I double click to open a folder on the desktop, I get a window. I open a subfolder, I get a new window spawning randomly on the screen. Isn't there a better way of it doing this? If you go 10 folders deep, it takes about 30 seconds to close everything

Thanks

This particular behavior of nautilus can be changed (so that all folders are opened in the same window).  You need to open gconf-editor, go to apps -> nautilus -> preferences and check "always use browser".

If you don't like gnome/nautilus then you should try installing kde or xfce and see if you like these better...

Klepto

Member

From: Scotland

Registered: 2007-11-12

Posts: 41

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

KDE has a few drawbacks (bloat), but konqueror is IMO the best file manager I have ever used.

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I'm a moderate, it's the mainstream that's extremist.

rson451

Member

From: Annapolis, MD USA

Registered: 2007-04-15

Posts: 1,233

Website

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

you dont even need to open gconf-editor. it is an options in the nautilus preferences. ive never had a problem with nautilus on systems ive used it on.

edit: more specifically, the option is in Edit > Preferences > Behavior > Always open in browser window

Last edited by rson451 (2007-11-17 19:02:54)

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archlinux - please read this and this — twice — then ask questions.
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thayer

Fellow

From: Vancouver, BC

Registered: 2007-05-20

Posts: 1,560

Website

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

Bes, like most programs, Nautilus has a number of customizations available via the Edit -> Preferences window.  You can also disable the "spatial view" you describe under the Behaviour tab... just put a tick in the Always open in browser windows box.

Last edited by thayer (2007-11-17 19:07:15)

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thayer williams ~ cinderwick.ca

MrWeatherbee

Member

Registered: 2007-08-01

Posts: 277

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

Nautilus has enough real issues, so it certainly can do without the unwarranted bashes.

Anyway, I find Nautilus works best for me by using both the browser and spatial (default) modes. If you use 'spatial' mode, you can override the behavior by using the '--browser' parameter. For example, you could create desktop launchers for your 'Home' and 'Root' using '--browser' to launch Nautilus. Any other launchers (without the --browser option) retain the 'spatial' mode behavior.

There is no command-line option to launch individual 'spatial' mode windows, i.e., once you universally set 'Always Open In Browser Window' under preferences, you cannot override that setting on an individual basis. Basically:

-- Default Spatial Mode - Allows for Spatial and Browser mode by providing an override parameter (--browser)
-- Browser Mode (Set In Preferences) - Allows for only using Browser mode (no '--spatial' parameter available)

Another tip: if you SHIFT-Click on a folder opened in 'spatial' mode, you won't spawn another window. Note that if you have Nautilus set to open items with 'Single-click', SHIFT-click doesn't work. I don't know if this is a bug or intended behavior.

Here's some fun reading:
http://www.gnome.org/learn/users-guide/ … tilus.html

PS:

Can anybody explain what the '--no-desktop' parameter actually does. I know what it's supposed to do:

--no-desktop                    Do not manage the desktop (ignore the preference set in the preferences dialog).

but I can't see that behavior in practice.

Thanks.

erikl

Member

From: Mars

Registered: 2006-07-15

Posts: 128

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

Can anybody explain what the '--no-desktop' parameter actually does.

It makes nautilus skip making a "desktop", where you have icons and where you can right-click and get a menu like you do in nautilus.
This is usefull for openbox/alt. wm users, who might have a click-on-root menu(s).
This wasn't really a good explenation, but, but.

thayer

Fellow

From: Vancouver, BC

Registered: 2007-05-20

Posts: 1,560

Website

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

@MrWeatherbee: Nautilus normally manages the right-click menu on the desktop.  By using the --no-desktop flag you're basically telling Nautilus to not manage the desktop in this way.  It's a useful feature for GNOME/Openbox (and similar WM) users who want to access the Openbox menu instead when they middle-click or right-click on the desktop.

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thayer williams ~ cinderwick.ca

MrWeatherbee

Member

Registered: 2007-08-01

Posts: 277

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

@ erikl
@ thayer

I was asking about '--no-desktop' in the context of this thread ... nautilus as strictly a file manager as opposed to the desktop manager.

So for example, if I launch nautilus when in default 'spatial' mode with:

nautilus --browser

the change in behavior is obvious. However, if I do:

nautilus --no-desktop --browser

Nothing changes as far as I can tell.

So, basically, you guys are saying the '--no-desktop' parameter only has relevance as a parameter for nautilus when it is launched in the context of a Gnome session? Sounds logical.

Last edited by MrWeatherbee (2007-11-17 21:03:00)

Phrodo_00

Member

From: Seattle, WA

Registered: 2006-04-09

Posts: 342

Website

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

just use browser mode then, I thought you were talking about yet another issue in nautilus (I like it a lot but I fell there's way too much room for improvement)
(also, look in the menus of spatial mode, there's a command and hotkey to close all the opened windows that you opened to get whwere you are and another one to close all nautilus windows)

Bes

Member

Registered: 2007-06-20

Posts: 79

Re: After a good GUI with a decent file manager

Hey that's much better thanks

I have looked through the preferences before but think I misinterpreted the meaning of that option... Brilliant thanks!