Dave Mason

dcm@redhat.com

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Many of the names used by companies to distinguish their products and services are claimed as trademarks. Where those names appear in any GNOME documentation, and those trademarks are made aware to the members of the GNOME Documentation Project, the names have been printed in caps or initial caps. GNOME includes a file manager that allows you to manipulate the files on your system in a comfortable, powerful, graphical environment. This File Manager is known as GMC for GNU Midnight Commander. GMC is based on the Midnight Commander file manager which can be run in a terminal. Midnight Commander has long been known for its power and ease of use. GMC has taken the power and ease of use from MC and added the GNOME graphical frontend. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the GNOME File Manager provides the desktop functionality for GNOME. The GNOME File Manager also provides a place to manipulate files on your system by using the GNOME File Manager window.

GMC

There are two main windows within the GNOME File Manager. On the left is the tree view, which represents all of the directories on your system by their hierarchical position. On the right is the directory window, which will show you the contents of the directory which you have selected in the tree view. To select a directory in the tree view simply use a single mouse click. This will change the main directory view, showing the files in the directory you have chosen. If there is a plus sign to the left of a directory name in the tree window, you may click on it to show subdirectories. At this point the plus sign will have changed to a minus sign. If you click on the minus sign, the subdirectory once again becomes hidden in the tree view and the plus sign reappears. The directry window has a few viewing options you may wish to take advantage of: the icon view and three list views: brief, detailed and custom. The Icon view is the default view and will display large icons for each file. The Brief view shows the files and directories in a list. The Detailed view expands this list to include information about the files. The Custom view is a list view that allows you to select the information you want to view about files. In the Brief, Detailed, and Custom views if you click on one of the information titles on the top of the window it will sort the files according to that information. For example, if you want to find the largest files in the directory you can click on the Size title and the files will be sorted by size from largest to smallest. One more click on the Size title will change the sorting from smallest to largest. Above the tree and main file windows in the GNOME File Manager there is a Location text box. Within this text box you can type the path location of the file which you would like to view in the main window. The GNOME File Manager is also equipped to view FTP sites. To view an FTP site you will need to be connected to the Internet either through a dial up account or a network. Type the FTP address in the Location text box and the GNOME File Manager will attempt to connect to the site. Make sure you type in FTP addresses in the following manner: ftp://[site address] Above the Location text box are navigation buttons you might wish to use. The buttons with the arrow icons allow you to move within the directories adjacent to the one you are in. The left button will take you to the previous directory you were in, the middle button will take you up one level in the directory hierarchy, and the right button will take you to the next directory if you have just moved backwards. You can open a secondary window by using your middle mouse button on any directory. Press the middle mouse button (or both left and right mouse buttons if you have emulation) on a directory in the main window and a new window will open showing the contents of the directory you clicked on. Selecting files is done with your mouse by clicking on the file or files in the GNOME File Manager. The file that is selected will then highlight to show you that it has been selected. There are a couple of ways to select more than one file. One way is to use the "rubber band" select by clicking and dragging the mouse cursor around several files. This action will produce a small dotted line, the "rubber band", to show you the area in which files will be selected.

Rubber Band Select

If you wish to be more selective about the files you are choosing, or the files you need do not reside next to one another, you may use the CTRL key to keep the files you have selected while you are selecting more. This works by selecting a file, pressing and holding the CTRL key and selecting another file. While the CTRL key is pressed you will be able to add to the "list" of files that are selected. Once you have selected multiple files by either method you may copy or move the files. You may also use the SHIFT button to select a range of files. For example, if you are in list mode and you press the SHIFT key while selecting the file at the top of the list, and then select a file ten rows down with the SHIFT key still pressed, you will select the ten files in that range. You may also select all files in a directory by selecting the Select All menu item from the Edit menu. You may also filter your selection by using the Select Files menu item in the Edit menu. Using Select Files will display a simple dialog which will allow you to type in criteria for your selection. In this field, the symbol * is interpreted as a wildcard, E.g., it matches any string. For example, if you would like to select all files in the directory that start with the letter D, you can type D* (note that filenames in Unix are case-sensitive). The default action for dragging and dropping files between the GNOME File Manager and the desktop is to move them. But you can also use drag and drop to copy a file by pressing the SHIFT key while dragging the file(s). You can also drag a file within the file manager to another directory. Select the file in the main window and drag it to the desired directory in the tree window. Note, however, that when dragging to the tree window the default action is to copy the file. As you drag the file to the tree window, you will see a plus sign appear to remind you that theh file will be copied. You can also use drag and drop to copy directories the same way as you did for files. Again note the plus sign signifying that the directory will be copied, not moved. You may also bring up a menu which lets you decide what action to perform with a drag by using the middle mouse button to drag a file or pressing the ALT key while dragging a file. Once you release the drag you will get a pop-up menu which contains the options Copy, Move, Link, and Cancel Drag.

Move Dialog

To use the move dialog you simply type in the path where you wish to move the file. If you want to rename the file you may type the new name of the file in the path string. The Copy dialog looks and works exactly the same way as the Move/rename dialog. If the file you are moving is a symbolic link — that is, a virtual link to where the file actually resides (called a shortcut in some other operating systems) — you may select the Advanced Options tab and select Preserve symlinks. Selecting this will make sure the link is preserved despite the move. It is recommended that you use this method of moving a symbolic link. Renaming files in the GNOME File Manager window or on the desktop can be achieved in two ways. One method of renaming a file is to right mouse click on the file and choose the Properties menu item from the pop-up menu. In the Filename text box you may type in the new name as you wish it to appear.

File Properties

A shortcut method to rename a file is to slowly double click on the filename in the icon view or on the desktop. Make sure the double-click is slow so you do not launch the file but you simply highlight and then click again. At this point the name of the file will enter into the editing mode, your mouse cursor will change to an editing line, and you can type in the new name. Once the name is as you would like it to be you may press the Enter key to end the editing process. The GNOME File Manager allows you to launch applications from the main window by simply double clicking your mouse on a file which has an application associated with it. You can change the way file types are handled by reading the Mime Capplet Chapter in the GNOME User's Guide. Some files that are actually archives will allow you to "look inside" them. For example, .tar files, .gz files, and .rpm files can all be double clicked and the files archived inside them will appear in the File Manager. If the file does not have an associated application you can right mouse click on the file and select Open with from the pop-up menu. This will bring up a dialog that allows you to define the application which will launch the file. The dialog reproduces your Main Menu items so that you can browse through your applications to find the one you would like to open the file with. If you do not find the application in the tree you may specify the path and application name in the Program to run text box.

Open With Dialog

For any file in the main file display you may right mouse click on it and choose a variety of properties and actions for it from the pop-up menu: Open - This will open the file with the default application associated with it. You may read more about editing these associations in Mime Capplet Chapter in the GNOME User's Guide. Some files that are actually archives will allow you to "look inside" them. For example, .tar files, .gz files, and .rpm files can all be double clicked and the files archived inside them will appear in the File Manager. Open With - You may open a file with any application using this menu item. You may read more about this in . View - This will view the file with a basic text viewer. Edit - This will launch an editor to edit the file. The editor launched is determined by the application associated with that file type. You may read more about editing this association in Mime Capplet Chapter in the GNOME User's Guide.. Copy - This will copy the file to the clipboard so that it can be pasted elsewhere. Delete - This will delete the file. Move - This will bring up the Move dialog, which will allow you to move the file. You can read more about this dialog and moving files in . Symlink - Symlink allows you to create a symbolic link to the file you have selected i another directory. When you select Symlink you will see a dialog which allows you to type in the directory and filename that you wish to be the symbolic link to the file. This link will be a "shortcut" to the selected file. If you do no understand symlinks you might want to refer to the Properties - The Properties menu item will launch the Properties dialog. The Properties dialog allows you to edit and view the properties for the selected file. The Properties dialog consists of three tabs, Statistics, Options, and Permissions.

File Properties

Statistics - This tab will show you the file information including the name, type, size, and history. You may change the name of the file in the File Name text box. Sizes for directories will not show you the size of the directory with all the files within it. Options - This tab will allow you to change the action options for the file. You can define how to open, view, and edit the file. If you need to open it in a terminal window you may select the Needs terminal to run checkbox. If you bring up the Properties dialog from an icon on the desktop you will be able to change the icon for that file in the Options tab. Permissions - This tab allows you to change the permissions and ownership of a file if you have access to do so. You may select Read, Write, and Exec permissions for the User, Group, and Others. You may also set the UID, GID and Sticky as well as define who owns the file. Changing properties on symlinks is meaningless in the File Manager. If you need to change the properties on such a file you need to change them on the actual file, not the link to it. There are many settings you can configure for the GNOME File Manager. These settings may be accessed from the GMC Preferences dialog. You may launch this dialog by selecting the Preferences menu item from the Edit menu. The GMC Preferences dialog is divided into Five major sections: File Display, Confirmation, VFS, Caching, Desktop, and Custom View.

File Display Preferences

The File Display tab allows you to change the way files are displayed in GMC. Show backup files - This will show any backup file that might be on your system. Show hidden files - This will show all "dot files" or files that begin with a dot. These files typically include configuration files and directories. Mix files and directories - This option will display files and directories in the order you sort them instead of always having directories shown above files. Use shell patterns instead of regular expressions - This option is for advanced users only. If you are unfamiliar with Regular Expressions you should not use this option. If you are familiar with how to create regular expressions you may select this option to use them in your sorts and filters.

Confirmation Preferences

This tab allows you to change which functions ask for your confirmation before continuing. Confirm when deleting file - This will bring up a confirmation screen before deleting a file. Confirm when overwriting files - This will bring up a confirmation screen before overwriting a file. Confirm when executing files - This will bring up a confirmation screen before executing a file. Show progress while operations are being performed - This will bring up a progress bar while certain operations are being performed such as copying, moving, deleting, etc.

VFS Preferences

This tab allows you to configure the options for your Virtual File System. The Virtual File System allows you to manipulate files that are not located on your local file system. There are different version of the VFS including ftpfs and tarfs. The ftpfs allows you to work on FTP sites while the tarfs gives you access inside .tar files. The .tar file is the standard UNIX archive format VFS Timeout - This will determine how long you will be connected to any VFS without activity. The timeout is measured in seconds. Anonymous FTP password - This allows you to set a password for logging into anonymous FTP sites. Usually you will want to make this your email address. Always use FTP proxy - If you need to use a proxy to connect to FTP sites you will want to enable this.

Caching Preferences

This tab allows you to configure items that will enhance the speed of GMC by using caching. Fast directory reload - This option will store directory information in cache so that it can load faster. If you enable the Fast directory reload you may experience problems with not seeing new files that have been added to directories. Compute totals before copying files - This will make GMC determine the number of files you are copying before it performs the task so that it can give you information about the process as it's happening. FTP directory cache timeout - This option will keep recently visited FTP site information in cache for the amount of time you specify. The time is measured in seconds. Allow customization of icons in icon view - This will allow you to change the icons in the icon view by right mouse clicking on them and selecting the Properties menu item. You can always change the icons of items that are on your desktop but you can only change the icons in the icon view with this option turned on. Turning on the Allow customization of icons in icon view function may result in a slower system. As you learned before, the GNOME desktop is controlled by the GNOME File Manager. The Desktop Dialog allows you to change the settings of the desktop.

The Desktop Dialog

Icon placement - This small window allows you to determine where your desktop icons will be placed by default. To change the location of the icons simply click your mouse button in the window near the edge you would like the icons to appear. The small sample icons will move with your mouse clicks to show you where the default placement will be. Use shaped icons - This option is turned on by default. If for some reason you have and older display, a strange X server setup, or any other graphic display problem, you may select this to make the desktop icons non-transparent. Use shaped text - This option is turned on by default. Like the shaped icons above you may choose to have non-transparent text labels with your icons. Auto icon placement - This will automatically arrange icons on your desktop for you. If you would rather place the icons manually you should turn this off. Snap icons to grid - This will keep all of your icons in line when you move them to keep a clean desktop. It creates a grid that the icons will automatically move to when you release it after dragging. The Custom View dialog allows you to set the way you would like the Custom View to look in the GNOME File Manager.

The Custom View Dialog

There are two main columns in the Custom View, the Possible Columns and the Displayed Columns. The Possible Columns list includes all of the information types that can be displayed. If you would like to include one, you may press the Add button and it will be added to the Displayed Columns list. The Displayed Columns list shows you the current information types that will be included in your Custom View. If you wish to remove any you may press the Remove button. If you would like to re-arrange the items in the Displayed Columns list you may drag them to the desired location with your mouse. In this section each menu item in the GNOME File Manager will be described. All menus in the GNOME File Manager are enabled with the tear-away feature. If you would like any menu to "float" on the desktop in its own window simply select the perforation line at the top of the menu. File - The File Menu contains items associated with files and higher level activity. Create New Window - This will open a new File Manager Window. New | Terminal - This launches a new GNOME Terminal window that will automatically navigate to the directory displayed in the main window view. New | Directory - This creates a new directory in the directory displayed in the main window view. New | [application] - Some applications may put items for you in the New menu. For example, the Gnumeric spreadsheet will put a New Gnumeric Spreadsheet menu item in the New menu so you can a new spreadsheet in the directory displayed in the main window view. Open - This will open the file you have selected with your mouse cursor. Copy - This will launch the Copy dialog to enable you to copy the selected file to a destination you choose. Delete - This will delete the file you have selected. Move - This will launch the Move/rename dialog to enable you to rename the selected file or move it to a destination you choose. Show directory sizes - This option will determine the size of your directories and display it in the Detail or Custom views. Depending on the size of your directories, this could take a while to display and may tax your system when viewing large directories. Close this Window - This will close the GNOME File Manager window you are currently running. Edit - The Edit menu contains items that are associated with editing and selecting files. Select All - This will select all of the files in the main window. Select Files - This will launch a simple dialog box which will allow you to specify a selection pattern. For Example, if you wish to select all files beginning with the letter D you can simply type D* and press OK. Invert Selection - This will invert the current selection. For example, if you have 7 files selected in a directory with 10 files, selecting Invert Selection will select the three remaining files and unselect the 7 files that were previously selected. Search - This toggles on the "completion" search for the File Manager. Once it is turned on the status bar at the bottom of the window displays the word "Search:" and allows you to start typing. If you are searching for a file named "GNU" in the directory displayed in the main window view typing "G" will move the selection to the first file or directory beginning with "G". Typing "GN" move the selection to the first file beginning with "GN", and so on. You may also toggle this feature on by pressing CTRLS.To end the search you may select the file or directory or simply navigate away from the file with the arrow keys or your mouse. Rescan Directory - This will rescan the current directory in case the files in the directory have changed. Settings - This contains the Preferences menu item. Preferences - This will launch the Preferences dialog so that you can customize the GNOME File Manager. Layout - This menu contains items that are associated with the layout in GNOME File Manager. Sort By - This will launch a dialog box which will allow you to select how you wish the files to be sorted in the current directory. You may sort by one of the following: Name File Type Size Time Last Accessed Time Last Modified Time Last Changed Filter View - This will bring up a simple dialog which allows you to view only files with names matching a pattern. For example, if you wish to view only files in the directory that start with the letter D you can type D* into the dialog and press OK. If you wish to see all files again you will need to launch the Filter View dialog again and clear the dialog or type in a *. Icon View - Selecting this will display the files in the main window as large icons. Partial View - Selecting this will display the files in the main window as a list with only file names. Full View - Selecting this will display the files in the main window as a list with all file information. Custom View - The Custom View menu item switches the main window to the Custom View which is a list view displaying the information about your files that you specify. To customize the Custom view you will need to use the Custom View Editor in the Preferences dialog. You may read more about the Preferences dialog in . Commands - The Command menu contains items that are commands to run on files in the GNOME File Manager. Find File - Find File brings up a dialog which allows you to search for particular files on your system. Edit mime types - This option will launch the GNOME Control Center Capplet that allows you to edit Mime Types for GNOME. Mime types determine, among other things, what application will handle particular file types. You can read more about mime types in Mime Capplet Chapter in the GNOME User's Guide. Run Command - This menu item allows you to run a command from GMC. Run Command in panel - This menu item lets you run preloaded commands or commands you specify within the directory that you are currently in. Such commands might be to find SUID or SGID programs, etc. Exit - This will allow you to exit the GNOME File Manager. This will exit all GNOME File Manager processes which include the GNOME Desktop. If you exit you will lose all functionality on your desktop. This action is not recommended. If you wish to close the current window, use the File/Close button. There are many tips and tricks to the Desktop in GNOME. The Drag and Drop functionality extends to many areas of GNOME making it easy to interconnect GNOME in many interesting ways. Below is a series of tips and tricks to using GNOME Drag and Drop. This is a good tour of GNOME and will show you how to utilize GNOME to its fullest extent. Drag a Color onto the Panel - Whenever you have a color selector displayed you may drag a color from the selected color bar to the Panel and it will change the Panel to that color. Drag a Pixmap to the Background Selector - If you would like to change the background to an image, you can drag that image from your GNOME File Manager to the Monitor Image in the Background Capplet of the Control Center and it will change to that image. Drag to an Application - Many GNOME compliant applications will accept drag and drop. If you would like to open a file in Gnumeric, a GNOME compliant spreadsheet application, you may simply drag the file from the GNOME File Manager onto Gnumeric and it will open the file. The same is true for applications built using Motif. You may drag a saved URL onto Netscape 4x and it will open the URL. This can be very useful if you are working within the GNOME File Manager and wish to quickly open a file. Adding an Application Launcher to the Panel - If you would like to add an application launcher to the Panel you may drag and drop any executable file from the GNOME File Manager, or the Desktop, onto the Panel. This will display the Create Launcher applet dialog box which will allow you to select a name and an icon for that launcher. Dragging Files - There are many ways to use drag and drop to help you manage your system. You can open two GNOME File Manager windows selecting two different directories then drag files between the two windows to copy, move, or link files. You can drag files from the File Manager to the desktop to make it more accessible. Use the middle mouse button or the right and left mouse buttons together and Drag a directory folder to the desktop. Choose the link option from the pop-up menu to make a link to the desktop. This will give you a quick way to launch the File Manager to that directory. You may drag any sub menu from the Main Menu to the panel and a new menu launcher is added to the panel. This allows easier access to that sub-set of menus.