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Add to SafariWhen comparing GNOME Files (Nautilus) vs jFileProcessor, the Slant community recommends GNOME Files (Nautilus) for most people. In the question“What are the best file managers for UNIX-like systems?” GNOME Files (Nautilus) is ranked 17th while jFileProcessor is ranked 26th. The most important reason people chose GNOME Files (Nautilus) is:
It does what it is supposed to do, and leaves a lot of screen space to look for a file.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Minimalistic looking
It does what it is supposed to do, and leaves a lot of screen space to look for a file.
Pro Widely supported
The program is distributed as a single source archive, which can be configured, compiled and installed on almost any Linux flavor. There are no binary files for a specific Linux distribution, but you can install it directly from the default software channels of your operating system.
Pro Easy to use and familiar user interface for Ubuntu users
The user interface of Files is very familiar to Ubuntu users, most probably because Canonical still uses Nautilus (an old version of it) as the default file manager for its world’s most popular free operating system, Ubuntu Linux.
It split into two parts, a sidebar and the main file viewer. While you already know what the latter can do for you, the sidebar offers quick access to Places, Devices and Network locations, as well as any other bookmarks that you can add whenever you want.
Pro Allows you to access remote or local locations
On recent versions of GNOME, you can click the Files entry in the panel to access a specific location (remote or local), connect to a certain server (FTP, SFTP, SAMBA, etc.), access your bookmarks, open a new window, as well as to change its default functionality.
Pro Quick file preview
GNOME-sushi allows you to quickly view files without opening them. It supports most audio and video formats, but support for more can be added.
Pro Wayland-native
Can run under Wayland without XWayland.
Pro Supports natural sorting (not on all distros)
Dolphin, Deepin File Manager and Pantheon Files support this, too.
Pro Nautilus action configuration tool can configure systems in ways no other FM can
It can configure popup menu depending on file type.
Pro Easy to run commands on selected files
Find/select files in sub-folders. run touch %f or cp %f /somefolder (this is a way to copy selected files in different levels, into 1 folder, flattening out the copy).
Pro Easy rename files script
Select files. regex to match pieces of filenames, rename adding, leaving out, and reusing saved pieces.
Pro Groovy scripts to watch and act on files that get created/put into a folder.
So you can watch a folder and process files that come into it.
Pro You can make your own file associations. You can make 3 types, per suffix, per filename, per exact file.
With exact file you can create a folder of job or desktop icon names. Double-click that file to run the job since it is tied to just that specific file.
Pro Can make sftp connections
Pro You can write a script to modify your list
Your script can modify contents in the list window it is working on.
Pro Plugin scripts
Just put groovy scripts in menu-scripts folder and they will automatically run using currently selected files.
Pro Run any groovy scriptable command on a list
Run commands on your lists: grep files to find stuff, delete/copy/move files, etc.. Even copy a file to a remote host and execute it.
Pro Create and work with lists of filenames or any string
Search files and save to another file or a list window. Add or subtract one list from another.
Pro Can do count only
Just count matching search criterion.
Pro Good search
Search on modified time, file size, glob/regex name, folder depth; and/or on these and can do range.
Pro Cross-platform
Available for Linux, Windows, macOS - just needs java 7+ (written with 8).
Cons
Con It has lost so much functionality
As already stated, this is not well configurable anymore. One can not even start in dual pane mode for cut/copy and paste. Just a ridiculous transgression. It was great just 1-2 years ago, but over-simplification in this case is detrimental to functionality.
Con Mostly unconfigurable
There are not many ways to configure Nautilus to fit your needs. Besides what can be seen in the settings button you can't configure it further.
Con Outdated
It is not updated frequently and Ubuntu could stop using Nautilus and switch to Nemo.
Con Awful date modified column.
It should list by full year month day, no matter whether it was today, last month or years ago. Displays wrong time modified for photos I took and downloaded today (not exif time taken and not anything that makes sense). Not customizable in any way one would expect.
Con Has/had memory leaks
Sometimes about 600MB of RAM goes somewhere...
Con Forces you to constantly swap between mouse and keyboard
Con Slow at moving picture folders
A move, even to the same disk, can take a minute for a folder containing a hundred images.
Con Can't right click in list view mode with a long file list
If the file list is long enough to fill the screen, then there is no empty place to click for bringing the context menu. Need to change the view to Grid view, then right click.
Con Still does not remember per folder view
This is the last missing feature that was removed long time ago and makes Nemo competitive. Should be reimplemented remembering view type and icon size folder by folder.
Con Creating sub-folders within full folders is not possible anymore.
In order to create a new folder within another folder that is full to the bottom of the page, we must create a folder in an open area somewhere else, then move the sub-folder into that full folder. Even worse, we need to use the "Move to..." option, with so many extra clicks, instead of just being able to copy and paste as before.
Con "+ Other Locations" is a stupid change
"+ Other Locations" in the left pane now forces us to click twice or more in order to access additional drives, even the local "Computer." Having all of the drives listed on the left side was quick and easy, and the drive "Properties" were available just by right clicking once, although drive "Properties" is no longer available when clicking on "+ Other Locations," then right clicking on the drives.
I still use Debian 8 for the older Nautilus, even though the developers already damaged that older version as well. However, Nautilus is completely useless to me now in Debian 10 so I am seeking for a new graphical desktop to replace Gnome and Nautilus...I am fed up with the developers.
Con Has too many bugs
There are too many bugs at the current state for this file browser to be usable.
Con Does not see attached phone files
No mtp:/ connected phone files.
