When comparing Ranger vs jFileProcessor, the Slant community recommends Ranger for most people. In the question“What are the best file managers for UNIX-like systems?” Ranger is ranked 5th while jFileProcessor is ranked 26th. The most important reason people chose Ranger is:
Which makes for a good choice of file explorer for those that use machines without a GUI.
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Pros
Pro Can be used in terminal
Which makes for a good choice of file explorer for those that use machines without a GUI.
Pro Minimalist and efficient
There is no need for icons of files if headings are used. Previews of text documents and a simple design creates and efficient workflow.
Pro Vim-like bindings
Ranger has Vim-like keybindings which help a lot in increasing efficiency and speed up the workflow.
Pro Extensible, scriptable (with python)
Ranger allows the use of various scripts for calling on individual or multiple files, for file previews, or for other operations.
In commands.py the "my_edit"-function can be extended to do whatever in python can be done. Target files can be the file under the cursor (self.fm.thisfile.path), the files marked/selected in the current tab (self.fm.thistab.get_selection() ) and the files in the copy-buffer (add/remove: ya, yr) (respectively the delete-buffer: add/remove da/dr) (both: self.fm.copy_buffer).
The most appropriate list of files can be found out automatically, like so:
if self.fm.copy_buffer:
for file in self.fm.copy_buffer:
...
elif self.fm.thistab.get_selection():
for file in self.fm.thistab.get_selection():
...
else:
file = self.fm.thisfile.path
...
Pro File preview
Unlike other terminal file managers, Ranger can preview many files, including text files, archives, etc, but also pdf files, pictures and videos.
Pro Bookmark system
Makes it easy to jump to any specific folder locations you work with.
Pro Easily used with SSH
Pro Image preview support
Ranger can use w3m to preview images in terminal through framebuffer.
Pro Fast and responsive
This software is super fast and responsive in navigation.
Pro Treeview and listview (equal viewports) possible
Supports any number of viewports on folders side by side.
Pro PDF preview
This may fall under "File preview", but it is a very powerful feature for PDF files in particular.
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 Bloated
Written in a scripted language. Enabling file previews makes it even slower.
Con Depends heavily on third party utilities
Con Difficult learning curve for people who are not used to Vim
Since it uses many of vim's keybindings, it may be hard for someone who does not use vim or does not know how to use vim to learn how to work with this file manager.
Con No way to calculate folder size
Con Needs heavy configuration to setup
Con No built-in ability to navigate FTP/SSH
Most other GUI-based file managers provide easy bookmarking and browsing of multiple FTP & SSH locations using either keys or keychain stored user credentials. Ranger doesn't have this.
Con A great idea but not GUI friendly
May be difficult to get past the fact that it asked for commands dd and cc and the likes to cut and or paste. Arch-Linux normally prides itself on not over-complicating things. Too bad ... a great idea with the 3 Smart Columns, but why would anyone prefer to need to learn 30 commands in order to cut and paste or copy a file or folder, or to see/change permissions.
Con Does not see attached phone files
No mtp:/ connected phone files.