Nautilus File Manager
This chapter describes how to use the
Nautilus
file manager.
Introduction to Nautilus File Manager
file manager
introduction
The
Nautilus
file manager provides
an integrated access point to your files and applications. You can use the
file manager to do the following:
Create folders and documents.
Display your files and folders.
Manage your files and folders.
Run scripts.
Customize your files and folders.
Open special URI locations.
Write data to a CD.
You can access your files and folders in the following ways:
Browse your files and folders
The file browser window enables you to navigate between folders by changing
the current location of the file manager within a file browser window.
Navigate your files and folders as objects
The file manager can also represent your files and folders as individual
objects. Each file or folder is displayed in an individual file object window.
When you open files or folders from file object windows, each file or folder
opens a new window.
Nautilus
also manages the desktop. The desktop
lies behind all of the other components on your visible desktop. The desktop
is an active component of the user interface.
Browsing Your Files
file manager
windows
You can use file browser windows to browse your file system.
File Browser Windows
You can access file browser windows in the following ways:
Click on the the file browser window launcher on the top edge
panel.
Choose
Applications
Browse Filesystem
.
Select a folder from a file object window, then choose
File
Browse Folder
.
A file browser window displays the contents of your folder in the view pane.
shows a sample file browser window
that displays the contents of the Home folder.
Contents of a Folder in a File Browser Window
A folder in a file browser window.
In other distributions of the GNOME Desktop, the
Home
toolbar button might have another designation, for example,
Documents
.
File Browser Window Components
describes the components of file
browser windows.
File Browser Window Components
Component
Description
Menubar
Contains menus that you use to perform tasks in the file manager.
Toolbar
Contains buttons that you use to perform tasks in the file manager.
Location bar
Contains the following elements:
Location
field: Enables you to specify
a file, folder, or URI that you want to view.
Zoom
buttons: Enable you to change the
size of items in the view pane.
View as
drop-down list: Enables you to
choose how to show items in your view pane.
Side pane
Performs the following functions:
Shows information about the current file or folder.
Enables you to navigate through your files.
The side pane contains a drop-down list that enables
you to choose what to show in the side pane. You can choose from the following
options:
Information
Emblems
History
Notes
Tree
To display the side pane, choose
View
Side Pane
.
View pane
Shows the contents of the following:
Particular types of files
Folders
FTP sites
Locations that correspond to special URIs
Statusbar
Displays status information.
You can access files and folders from a file browser window in the following
ways:
Enter a path to the file or folder in the
Location
field.
Click on an item in the tree view.
Double-click on a folder or a file in the view pane.
You can also open a popup menu from file manager windows. To open this
popup menu right-click in a file manager window. The items in this menu depend
on where you right-click. For example, when you right-click on a file or folder,
you can choose items related to the file or folder. When you right-click on
the background of a view pane, you can choose items related to the display
of items in the view pane.
View Pane
file manager
view pane
view pane
view pane
introduction
The view pane can display the contents
of the following:
Particular types of files
Folders
FTP sites
Locations that correspond to special URIs
viewer components
File browser
windows contain
viewer components
that enable you to
display particular types of file in the view pane. For example,  you can use
a text viewer to display text files in the view pane.
Displaying a file in the view pane provides the following benefits:
Uses less system resources than when you launch an application.
Takes less time than when you launch an application.
However, you cannot edit a file in the view pane.
File browser windows also include
views
that
enable you to display the contents of your folders in different ways. For
example, you can display the contents of a folder in the following types of
view:
Icon view: Shows the items in the folder as icons.
List view: Shows the items in the folder as a list.
Audio view: Shows only the audio items in the folder.
Use the
View
menu to choose how to display a folder.
For more information on views, see
.
Side Pane
file manager
side pane
introduction
side pane
file manager
To display the side pane,
choose
View
Side Pane
. You can choose what information you want to view in the side
pane. You can choose to display one of the following:
Information
Displays an icon that represents the current file or current folder.
Also displays information about the current file or current folder. If a file
is displayed in the view pane, buttons appear in the side pane. The buttons
enable you to perform actions on a file, other than the default action.
Emblems
Contains emblems that you can add to a file or folder. For more information
on emblems, see the next section.
History
Contains a history list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URIs that
you have recently visited.
Notes
Enables you to add notes to your files and folders.
Tree
Displays a hierarchical representation of your file system. You can
use the
Tree
to navigate through your files.
To close the side pane, click on the
X
button
at the top right of the side pane.
To Show and Hide File Browser Window Components
file manager
window components, showing
and hiding
You can show and hide file browser
window components as follows:
To hide the side pane, choose
View
Side Pane
. To display the
side pane again, choose
View
Side Pane
again.
To hide the toolbar, choose
View
Toolbar
. To display the
toolbar again, choose
View
Toolbar
again.
To hide the location bar, choose
View
Location Bar
. To display
the location bar again, choose
View
Location Bar
again.
To hide the statusbar, choose
View
Statusbar
. To display the
statusbar again, choose
View
Statusbar
again.
To Display Your Home Folder
file manager
Home location
Home location
Home location
displaying
To display your home location,
perform one of the following actions from file browser windows:
Enter the home path in the
Location
field.
Choose
Go
Home
.
Click on the
Home
toolbar button.
The file browser window displays the contents of your home location.
To reload the display,  click on the
Reload
button.
To Display a Folder
You can display the contents of a folder in any of the following ways:
Double-click on the folder in the view pane.
In the
Location
field, type the path
of the folder that you want to display, then press
Return
.
The
Location
field includes an autocomplete feature.
As you type a path, the file manager reads your file system. When you type
enough characters to uniquely identify a directory, the file manager completes
the name of the directory in the
Location
field.
Use the
Tree
in the side pane. For more
information, see
.
Use the
Back
toolbar button and the
Forward
toolbar button to browse through your navigation history.
To change to the folder that is one level above the current folder,
choose
Go
Up
. Alternatively, click on the
Up
toolbar
button.
To reload the display, click on the
Reload
button.
If you cannot find the folder that you want to display, you can use
Search Tool
. To start
Search Tool
,
choose
Actions
Search for
Files
.
Using the Tree From the Side Pane
file manager
Tree, using
Tree, using
The
Tree
displays a hierarchical representation of your file system.
The
Tree
provides a convenient way to browse and to navigate
your file system. To display the
Tree
in the side pane,
choose
Tree
from the drop-down list at the top
of the side pane.
In the
Tree
, folders are represented as follows:
Folder State
Graphic
Representation
Closed folder
Right arrow
Open folder
Down arrow
describes the tasks that you can
perform with the
Tree
, and how to perform the tasks.
Tree Tasks
Task
Action
Open the
Tree
.
Choose
Tree
from the drop-down
list at the top of the side pane.
Close the
Tree
.
Choose another item from the drop-down list at the
top of the side pane.
Open a folder in the
Tree
.
Click on the arrow next to the folder in the
Tree
.
Close a folder in the
Tree
.
Click on the arrow next to the folder in the
Tree
.
Display the contents of
a folder in the view pane.
Select the folder in the
Tree
.
Display the contents of a file in the view
pane.
Select the file in the
Tree
.
You can set your preferences so that the
Tree
does
not display files. For more information, see
.
Using Your Navigation History
file manager
navigating history list
The file browser window maintains a history
list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URI locations. You can use the history
list to navigate to files, folders, FTP sites, and URI locations that you
have recently visited. Your history list contains the last ten items that
you viewed. The following sections describe how to navigate your history list.
To clear your history list choose
Go
Clear History
.
To Navigate Your History List Using the Go Menu
To display a list of previously-viewed items, choose the
Go
menu. Your history list is displayed in the lower part of the
Go
menu. To open an item in your history list, choose the item from
the
Go
menu.
To Navigate Your History List Using the Toolbar
To use the toolbar to navigate your history list, perform one of the
following actions:
To open the previous file, folder, or URI in your history
list, click on the
Back
toolbar button.
To open the next file, folder, or URI in your history list,
click on the
Forward
toolbar button.
To display a list of previously-viewed items, click on the
down arrow to the right of the
Back
toolbar button.
To open an item from this list, click on the item.
To display a list of items that you viewed after you viewed
the current item, click on the down arrow to the right of the
Forward
toolbar button. To open an item from this list, click
on the item.
To Navigate Your History List Using History in the Side Pane
file manager
History
To display the
History
list in the side pane, choose
History
from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane. The
History
list in the side pane displays a list of your previously-viewed
items.
To display an item from your history list in the view pane, click on
the item in the
History
list.
Viewing Files in a File Browser Window
file manager
viewing files in view
pane
view pane
viewing files in
viewer components
The file manager contains viewer components that
enable you to display particular types of file in a file browser window. For
example, you can display the following types of files in a file browser window:
Plain text files
PNG files
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) files
To reload the contents of a file browser window, choose
View
Reload
.
To stop loading an item, choose
View
Stop
.
When you display a file in a file browser window, the viewer component
might add menu items to the file manager menus. The menu items relate to the
file type that is displayed. For example, when you display a PNG file, the
Edit
menu contains flip and rotate menu items.
Also, when you display some types of file in a file browser window,
you can use the file manager zoom buttons to change the size of the item.
To Bookmark Your Favorite Locations
file manager
bookmarks
To access an item in your bookmarks, choose the item from
the
Bookmarks
menu. You can add your favorite locations
to your
Bookmarks
menu. You can add bookmarks to files
and folders in your file system, to FTP sites, or to URI locations.
To Add a Bookmark
To add a bookmark, display the item that you want to bookmark in the
view pane. Choose
Bookmarks
Add Bookmark
.
To Edit a Bookmark
To edit your bookmarks perform the following steps:
Choose
Bookmarks
Edit Bookmarks
. An
Edit Bookmarks
dialog is displayed.
To edit a bookmark, select the bookmark on the left side of
the
Edit Bookmarks
dialog. Edit the details for the bookmark
on the right side of the
Edit Bookmarks
dialog, as follows:
Dialog Element
Description
Name
Use this text box to specify the name that identifies the
bookmark in the
Bookmarks
menu.
Location
Use this field to specify the location of the bookmark.
To delete a bookmark, select the bookmark on the left side
of the dialog. Click
Delete
.
Adding Notes to Files and Folders
You can add notes to files or folders. You can add notes to files or
folders in the following ways:
From the properties dialog
From
Notes
in the side pane
To Add a Note Using the Properties Dialog
notes
adding to files and folders
file manager
notes
adding
To add a note
to a file or folder, perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder to which you want to add a note.
Choose
File
Properties
. A properties dialog is displayed.
Click on the
Notes
tab. In the
Notes
tabbed section, type the note.
Click
Close
to close the properties
dialog. A note emblem is added to the file or folder.
notes
deleting
file manager
notes
deleting
To delete a note, delete the note text from the
Notes
tabbed section.
To Add a Note Using Notes in the Side Pane
To add a note to a file or folder, perform the following steps:
Open the file or folder to which you want to add a note in
the view pane.
Choose
Notes
from the drop-down list
at the top of the side pane. To display the side pane, choose
View
Side Pane
.
Type the note in the side pane. A note emblem is added to
the file or folder in the view pane, and a note icon is added to the side
pane. You can click on this icon to display the note.
To delete a note, delete the note text from
Notes
in the side pane.
Navigating Your Files and Folders as Objects
file manager
navigating
Each file object window displays the contents of a single
file, folder, FTP site, or special URI location. This section describes the
following:
How to display items in file object windows.
How to open files from file object windows.
How to navigate the files and folders in your file system.
File Object Windows
To access a file object window, double-click on any of the default desktop
objects.
shows a sample file object window
that displays the contents of the Computer folder.
Contents of a Folder in a File Object Window
file
manager
icon view
illustration
A folder in a file object window.
To Display Your Home Location in a File Object Window
Home location icon.
file manager
Home location
Home location
Home location
displaying
To display your home location,
perform one of the following actions:
Double-click on the
Home
object on the
desktop.
On a file object window, choose
Places
Home
.
The file object window displays the contents of your home location.
To reload the display,  choose
View
Reload
.
To Display a Folder
file manager
displaying folders
You can display the contents of a folder in a file object
window in any of the following ways:
Double-click on the folder.
Highlight the folder, then choose
File
Open
.
To Display a Parent Folder
A parent folder is a top level folder that depicts a hierarchical representation
of your file system. To display the contents of a parent folder, perform the
following steps:
Highlight the folder whose parent folder you want to display.
Choose
File
Open Parent
.
To Display a Folder in a File Browser Window
To display the contents of a folder in a file browser window, perform
the following steps:
Select a folder in a file object window.
Choose
File
Browse Folder
.
Using the Start Here Location
Start Here icon.
file manager
Start Here location
Start Here location
Start Here location
using
The
Start
Here
location enables you to access the following functions:
Applications
Double-click on
Applications
to access your key
GNOME applications. You can also access the
Applications
menu through the
Main Menu
and the
Menu Bar
.
Desktop Preferences
Double-click on
Desktop Preferences
to customize
the GNOME Desktop. You can also access the preference tools through the
Applications
menu.
Applications that enable you to configure your system as a
server, and to modify other system configuration details.
You can access the
Start Here
location in the following
ways:
From a file manager window, access the
start-here:///
URI.
From the desktop
Double-click on the
Start Here
object on the desktop.
The contents of the
Start Here
location are displayed
in a file object window.
Modifying the Appearance of Files and Folders
file manager
modifying appearance
of files and folders
The file manager enables
you to modify the appearance of your files and folders in several ways, as
described in the following sections.
Icons and Emblems
file manager
icons
introduction
file manager
emblems
emblems
emblems
introduction
In icon
view, the file manager displays your files and folders as icons. You can add
emblems to your file icons and folder icons. An emblem is a small icon that
you can add to an item to visually mark the item. For example, to mark a file
as important, you can add an
Important
emblem to the
file icon to create the following visual effect:
File icon with Important emblem.
For more information on how to add an emblem to an icon, see
.
The following table describes the structure of the file icon:
Component
Description
Important emblem.
Emblem. This emblem is the
Important
emblem.
Text file icon.
Icon that represents the file.
This icon might contain a preview of the contents of the file.
Icon caption.
Icon caption. You can modify what items of information are displayed in the
icon caption.
The file manager includes default emblems for the following types of
item:
Symbolic links
Items for which you have the following permissions:
permissions
and emblems
Read permission only
No read permission and no write permission
The following table shows the default emblems:
Default Emblem
Description
Symbolic link emblem.
symbolic links
and emblems
Symbolic
link
Read permission only emblem.
Read permission only
No read permission and no write permission emblem.
No read permission and no write permission
To Add an Emblem to a File or Folder
emblems
adding to file
emblems
adding to folder
To add an emblem to an item perform the following
steps:
Select the item to which you want to add an emblem.
Right-click on the item, then choose
Properties
. A properties dialog is displayed.
Click on the
Emblems
tab to display the
Emblems
tabbed section.
Select the emblem to add to the item.
Click
Close
to close the properties
dialog.
To Add a New Emblem
emblems
adding new
To add a new emblem, perform the following steps:
Choose
Edit
Backgrounds and Emblems
.
Click on the
Emblem
button, then click
on the
Add a New Emblem
button. A
Create
a New Emblem
dialog is displayed.
Type a name for the emblem in the
Keyword
text box.
Click on the
Image
button. A dialog is
displayed. , click
Browse
. When you choose an emblem,
click
OK
.
Click
OK
on the
Create a
New Emblem
dialog.
To Change the Icon for a File or Folder
file manager
icons
changing
To change the icon that represents an
individual file or folder, perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to change.
Choose
File
Properties
. A properties dialog is displayed.
On the
Basic
tabbed section, click on
the
Select Custom Icon
button. A
Select an
icon
dialog is displayed.
Use the
Select an icon
dialog to choose
the icon to represent the file or folder.
Click
Close
to close the properties
dialog.
To restore an icon from a custom icon to the default icon specified
in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool,
right-click on the icon then choose
Remove Custom Icon
.
Alternatively, click on the
Remove Custom Icon
button
on the
Properties
dialog.
To change the icon that represents a file type, use the
File Types and Programs
preference tool.
To Change the Size of Items in a View
file manager
zooming in and out
You can change the size of items in a view. You can change
the size if the view displays a file or a folder. You can change the size
of items in a view in the following ways:
To enlarge the size of items in a view, choose
View
Zoom In
.
To reduce the size of items in a view, choose
View
Zoom Out
.
To return items in a view to the normal size, choose
View
Normal Size
.
You can also use the zoom buttons on the location bar to change the
size of items in a view.
describes how
to use the zoom buttons.
Zoom Buttons
Button
Button Name
Description
Zoom Out button.
Zoom Out
button
Click on this button to reduce the size of items in a view.
Normal Size button.
Normal Size
button
Click on this button to return
items in a view to normal size.
Zoom In button.
Zoom In
button
Click on this button to enlarge the size of items in a view.
The file manager remembers the size of items in a particular folder.
The next time that you display the folder, the items are displayed in the
size that you selected. In other words, when you change the size of items
in a folder, you customize the folder to display the items at that size. To
return the size of the items to the default size specified in your preferences,
choose
View
Reset View
to Defaults
.
Using Views to Display Your Files and Folders
viewer components
file manager
views
introduction
The file manager provides several ways to display the contents
of your files. The file manager includes viewer components that enable you
to display particular types of file in the view pane. For example, you can
use a web page viewer to display HTML files in the view pane. You can use
a text viewer to view plain text files in the view pane.
You can also use the file manager to open a file in an appropriate application.
For more information, see
.
The file manager includes views that enable you to show the contents
of your folders in different ways. For example, you can show the contents
of a folder in the following types of view:
Icon view
Shows the items in the folder as icons.
List view
Shows the items in the folder as a list.
Use the
View
menu to choose how to display a file
or folder. You can also use the
View as
drop-down list
to choose how to display a file or folder. When you display a folder, you
can specify how you want to arrange or sort items in the folder. You can modify
the size of the items in the view pane. The following sections describe how
to work with icon view, list view, and views of files.
To Choose a View in Which to Display a File or Folder
file manager
views
choosing
Choose the type of view in which to display
the contents of a file or folder from the
View
menu.
Alternatively, to choose a view, choose
View
View as
. Select the view
that you want to use from the
Open with Other Viewer
dialog, then click on the
Choose
button.
You can also choose the type of view from the
View as
drop-down list. The
View as
drop-down list is located
at the right side of the location bar.
You can display different folders in different views. The file manager
remembers the view that you choose for a particular folder. The next time
that you display the folder, the file manager displays the folder in that
view. To return the view for the folder to the default view specified in your
preferences, choose
View
Reset View to Defaults
.
To Arrange Your Files in Icon View
file manager
icon view
arranging files in
When you display
the contents of a folder in icon view, you can specify how to arrange the
items in the folder. To specify how to arrange items in icon view, choose
View
Arrange Items
.
The
Arrange Items
submenu contains the following
sections:
The top section contains an option that enables you to arrange
your files manually.
The middle section contains options that enable you to sort
your files automatically.
The bottom section contains options that enable you to modify
how your files are arranged.
Choose the appropriate options from the submenu, as described in the
following table:
Option
Description
Manually
Select this option to arrange the items manually.
To arrange the items manually, drag the items to the location you require
within the view pane.
By Name
Select this option to sort the
items alphabetically by name. The order of the items is not case sensitive.
If the file manager is set to display hidden files, the hidden files are shown
last.
By Size
Select this option to sort the
items by size, with the largest item first. When you sort items by size, the
folders are sorted by the number of items in the folder. The folders are not
sorted by the total size of the items in the folder.
By Type
Select this option to sort the
items alphabetically by object type. The items are sorted alphabetically by
the description of their
MIME type
in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool. The MIME type identifies
the format of a file, and enables applications to read the file. For example,
an email application can use the
image/png
MIME type to
detect that a PNG file is attached to an email.
By Modification
Date
Select this option to sort the items by the date the items were last modified.
The most recently modified item is first.
By Emblems
Select this option to sort the
items by any emblems that are added to the items. The items are sorted alphabetically
by emblem name. Items that do not have emblems are last.
Compact Layout
Select
this option to arrange the items so that the items are closer to each other.
Reversed Order
Select this option to reverse the order of the option
by which you sort the items. For example, if you sort the items by name, select
the
Reversed Order
option to sort the items in reverse
alphabetical order.
The file manager remembers how you arrange the items in a particular
folder. The next time that you display the folder, the items are arranged
in the way that you selected.  In other words, when you specify how to arrange
the items in a folder, you customize the folder to display the items in that
way. To return the arrangement settings of the folder to the default arrangement
settings specified in your preferences, choose
View
Reset View to Defaults
.
To Resize an Icon in Icon View
file manager
icons
resizing
In icon view, you can change the size
of the icon that represents an item that is displayed. To change the size
of an item in icon view, perform the following steps:
Right-click on the item that you want to resize, then choose
Stretch Icon
. A rectangle appears around the item, with a handle
at each corner.
Grab one of the handles, then drag the icon to the size that
you want.
To return the icon to the original size, right-click on the icon, then
choose
Restore Icon's Original Size
.
You can also resize objects on the desktop.
To Modify the Behavior of a View
file manager
views
modifying behavior
You can modify the behavior
of a view in the following ways:
Specify that the view is the default view for a particular
file or folder.
Specify that the view is the default view for a file type
or all folders.
Specify that the view is an item in the
View as
submenu for a particular file or folder.
Specify that the view is an item in the
View as
submenu for all of a particular file type or for all folders.
Specify that the view is not an item in the
View
as
submenu for a particular file or folder.
To modify the behavior of a view perform the following steps:
Choose
View
View as
. An
Open with Other Viewer
dialog is displayed.
Select the view that you want to modify from the table in
the dialog.
Click on the
Modify
button. A
Modify
dialog is displayed. The following table describes the options
on the
Modify
dialog:
Option
Description
Include in the menu for
item-name
items
Select this option to include the view in the
View as
submenu for this type of item.
Use as default for
item-name
items
Select this option to use the view as the default for this type of item.
Include in the menu for
item-name
only
Select this option to include the view in the
View as
submenu for this item only.
Use as default for
item-name
only
Select this option to use the view as the default for this item only.
Don't include in the menu for
item-name
items
Select this option to exclude the view from the
View as
submenu for this type of item.
Click
OK
, then click
Cancel
to close the
Open with Other Viewer
dialog.
You can also modify the actions that are associated with a file
type in the
Edit file type
dialog in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool. To open the
Edit file type
dialog, click on the
Go There
button.
Assigning Actions to Files
file manager
assigning actions to
files
When you open a file, the file manager
performs the default action for that file type. The
File Types
and Programs
preference tool contains a table of file types,
their associated file extensions, and their default actions. This table specifies
what happens when you double-click on a file in the file manager.
You can also use the file manager to modify the actions that are  associated
with a particular file or file type.
You can use the
File Types and Programs
preference tool to perform the following tasks:
Specify the default action for a file type. You can also change
the default action for a file type in the file manager.
Associate a file type with one or more applications. The default
action might specify to open the file in an application that is associated
with the file type.
Associate a file type with one or more viewers. The default
action might specify to open the file in a viewer that is associated with
the file type.
Associate a file extension with a MIME type. The MIME type
specifies the format of the file so that Internet browsers and email applications
can read the file.
To Modify Actions
file manager
modifying actions
You can modify the actions associated with a file or file
type. You can do the following:
Specify that the action is the default action for a particular
file.
Specify that the action is the default action for a particular
file type.
Specify that the action is an item in the
Open
With
submenu for a particular file.
Specify that the action is an item in the
Open
With
submenu for a particular file type.
Specify that the action is not an item in the
Open With
submenu for a particular file type.
To modify the actions associated with a file or file type, perform the
following steps:
In the view pane, select the file for which you want to modify
an action. If you want to modify an action associated with a file type, select
a file of that type.
Choose
File
Open With
. Perform either of the following steps:
Choose
Other Application
. An
Open with Other Application
dialog is displayed.
Choose
Other Viewer
. An
Open with Other Viewer
dialog is displayed.
From the table in the dialog, select the application or viewer
for which you want to modify the behavior.
Click on the
Modify
button. A
Modify
dialog is displayed. The following table describes the options
on the
Modify
dialog:
Option
Description
Include in the menu for
filetype
items
Select this option to include the application or viewer in the
Open With
submenu for this file type.
Use as default for
filetype
items
Select this option to use the application or viewer as the default action
for this file type.
Include in the menu for
filename
only
Select this option to include the application or viewer in the
Open With
submenu for this file, and not for other files of this
type.
Use as default for
filename
only
Select this option to use the application or viewer as the default action
for this file, and not for other files of this type.
Don't include in the menu for
filetype
items
Select this option to exclude the application or viewer from the
Open With
submenu for this file type.
Click
OK
, then click
Cancel
to close the dialog.
You can also modify the actions that are associated with a file
type in the
Edit file type
dialog in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool. To open the
Edit file type
dialog, click on the
Go There
button.
Customizing the File Manager
file manager
customizing
You can customize the file manager to suit your requirements
and preferences. This section describes how to customize the file manager.
Setting Your Preferences
file manager
preferences
introduction
preferences,
file manager
file manager preferences
Use the
File Management Preferences
dialog to set preferences
for the file manager. To display the
File Management Preferences
dialog, choose
Edit
Preferences
.
You can set preferences in the following categories:
The default settings for views.
The behavior of files and folders, executable text files,
and
Trash
.
The information that is displayed in icon captions.
Preview options to improve the performance of the file manager.
To Set Views Preferences
file manager
preferences
views
You can specify a default view,
and select sort options and display options. You can also specify default
settings for icon views and list views. To specify your default view settings,
choose
Edit
Preferences
. Click on the
Views
tab to
display the
Views
tabbed section.
lists the views preferences that
you can modify.
Views Preferences
Dialog Element
Description
View new folders using
Select the default view for folders. When you open
a folder, the folder is displayed in the view that you select.
Arrange items
Select the characteristic by which you want to sort
the items in folders that are displayed in this view.
Sort folders before files
Select this option to list folders before
files when you sort a folder.
Show hidden and
backup files
Select
this option to display hidden files and backup files in the view pane. The
first character in a hidden filename is a period (.). The last character in
a backup filename is a tilde (~).
You can hide files from the
view pane by adding .hidden extension to the filename.
Default zoom level
Icon
view and list view. Select the default zoom level for folders that are displayed
in this view. The zoom level specifies the size of items in a view.
Use compact layout
Select
this option to arrange the items in icon view so that the items in the folder
are closer to each other.
Text beside icons
Select this option to place the icon captions
for items beside the icon rather than under the icon.
Show only folders
Select this option to display only folders in the
Tree
in the side pane.
To Set Behavior Preferences
file manager
preferences
behavior
To set your preferences for
files and folders, choose
Edit
Preferences
. Click on the
Behavior
tab to display the
Behavior
tabbed section.
lists the preferences that you can
modify for files and folders.
File and Folder Behavior Preferences
Option
Description
Single click to activate items
Select this option to perform the default action
for an item when you click on the item. When this option is selected, and
you point to an item, the title of the item is underlined.
Double click to
activate items
Select this option to perform the default action for an item when you double-click
on the item.
Run executable files when they are clicked
Select this option to run an executable file when you choose
the executable file. An executable file is a text file that can execute, that
is, a shell script.
View executable files when
they are clicked
Select this option to display the contents of an executable file when you
choose the executable file.
Ask each time
Select
this option to display a dialog when you choose an executable file. The dialog
asks whether you want to execute the file or display the file.
Ask before emptying the Trash
or deleting files
Select this option to display a confirmation message before
Trash
is emptied, or files are deleted.
Include a Delete
command that bypasses Trash
Select this option to add a
Delete
menu item to
the following menus:
The
Edit
menu.
The popup menu that is displayed when you right-click on a
file, folder, or desktop  object.
When you select an item then choose the
Delete
menu item, the item is deleted from your file system
immediately.
To Set Icon Captions Preferences
file manager
icons
caption preferences
file manager
preferences
icon captions
An icon caption displays the name of a file or folder in
an icon view. The icon caption also includes three additional items of information
on the file or folder. The additional information is displayed after the file
name. Normally only one item of information is visible, but when you zoom
in on an icon, more of the information is displayed. You can modify what additional
information is displayed in icon captions.
To set your preferences for icon captions, choose
Edit
Preferences
.
Click on the
Icon Caption
tab to display the
Icon Caption
tabbed section.
Select the items of information that you want to display in the icon
caption from the three drop-down lists. Select the first item from the first
drop-down list, select the second item from the second drop-down list, and
so on. The following table describes the items of information that you can
select:
Information
Description
Size
Choose this option to display
the size of the item.
Type
Choose this option to display
the description of the MIME type of the item from the
File Types
and Programs
preference tool.
Date modified
Choose
this option to display the last modification date of  the item.
Date accessed
Choose
this option to display the date that the item was last accessed.
Owner
Choose this option to display
the owner of the item.
Group
Choose this option to display
the group to which the item belongs.
Permissions
permissions
displaying as characters
Choose
this option to display the permissions of the item as three sets of three
characters, for example
-rwxrw-r--
.
Octal permissions
permissions
displaying in octal notation
Choose this option to display the permissions of the item in octal
notation, for example
764
.
MIME type
Choose this option to display
the MIME type of the item.
None
Choose this option to display
no information for the item.
To Set List Columns Preferences
You can specify what information is displayed in list view in file manager
windows. You can specify which columns are displayed in list view, and the
order in which the columns are displayed.
To set your preferences for list columns, choose
Edit
Preferences
.
Click on the
List Columns
tab to display the
List Columns
tabbed section.
To specify a column to display in list view, select the option that
corresponds to the column, then click on the
Show
button.
To remove a column from the list view, select the option that corresponds
to the column, then click on the
Hide
button.
Use the
Move Up
and
Move Down
buttons to specify the position of columns in list view.
To use the default columns and column positions, click on the
Use Default
button.
The following table describes the columns that you can display:
Information
Description
Name
Choose this option to display the name of
the item.
Size
Choose this option to display
the size of the item.
Type
Choose this option to display
the description of the MIME type of the item from the
File Types
and Programs
preference tool.
Date Modified
Choose
this option to display the last modification date of the item.
Date Accessed
Choose
this option to display the date that the item was last accessed.
Group
Choose this option to display the group to
which the item belongs.
MIME type
Choose this option to display the MIME type
of the item.
Octal Permissions
permissions
displaying in octal notation
Choose this
option to display the permissions of the item in octal notation, for example
764
.
Owner
Choose this option to display
the owner of the item.
Permissions
permissions
displaying as characters
Choose
this option to display the permissions of the item as three sets of three
characters, for example
-rwxrw-r--
.
To Set Preview Preferences
file manager
preferences
preview
The file manager include some
file preview features. The preview features can affect the speed with which
the file manager responds to your requests. You can modify the behavior of
some of these features to improve the speed of the file manager. For each
preview preference, you can select one of the options described in the following
table:
Option
Description
Always
Performs the action for both local files, and files
on other file systems.
Local Files Only
Performs the action for local files only.
Never
Never performs the action.
To set your preview preferences, choose
Edit
Preferences
. Click on the
Preview
tab dialog to display the
Preview
tabbed section.
lists the preview preferences that
you can modify.
Preview Preferences
Dialog Element
Description
Show text in icons
Select an option to specify when to preview the
content of text files in the icon that represents the file.
Show thumbnails
Select
an option to specify when to show thumbnails of image files. The file manager
stores the thumbnail files for each folder in a
.thumbnails
directory that is one level below the folder.
Only for files smaller than
Specify the maximum
file size for files for which the file manager creates a thumbnail.
Preview sound
files
Select an option to specify when to preview sound files.
Count number of items
Select an option to specify when to show the
number of items in folders. If you have set your view to icon view, you might
need to increase your default zoom level in the
Views
tabbed section to see the number of items in each folder.
Changing Backgrounds
file manager
changing backgrounds
backgrounds
changing screen component
The file manager includes
backgrounds that you can use to change the look-and-feel of the following
screen components:
Desktop
Side pane and view pane of file browser windows
File object windows
Panels
To change the background of a screen component perform the following
steps:
Choose
Edit
Backgrounds and Emblems
. The
Backgrounds
and Emblems
dialog is displayed.
To display a list of patterns that you can use on the background,
click on the
Patterns
button. To display a list of
the colors that you can use on the background, click on the
Colors
button.
To change the background to a pattern, drag the pattern to
the screen component. To change the background to a color, drag the color
to the screen component.
Click
Close
to close the dialog.
To reset the background of the view pane or side pane to the default
background, right-click on the background of the pane, then choose
Use Default Background
.
To Add a Pattern
backgrounds
adding patterns
To add a pattern to the patterns that you can use on your
screen components, choose
Edit
Backgrounds and Emblems
. Click on the
Patterns
button, then click on the
Add a New Pattern
button. A dialog is displayed. Use the dialog to find the new
pattern. Click
OK
to add the new pattern to the
Backgrounds and Emblems
dialog.
To Add a Color
backgrounds
adding colors
To add a color to the colors that you can use on your screen
components, choose
Edit
Backgrounds and Emblems
. Click on the
Colors
button, then click on the
Add a New Color
button. A color selector dialog is displayed. Use the color wheel or the sliders
to choose the color. Click
OK
to add the new color
to the
Backgrounds and Emblems
dialog.
Opening Files
file manager
opening files
When you open a file, the file manager performs the default
action for that file type. The default action can be one of the following:
Use a viewer component to display the file in the view pane.
Launch an application that opens the file.
The file manager checks the contents of a file to determine the type
of a file. If the first lines do not determine the type of the file, then
the file manager checks the file extension.
If you cannot find the file that you want to open, you can use
Search Tool
. To start
Search Tool
,
choose
Actions
Search for
Files
.
To Execute the Default Action
file manager
executing default actions
for files
To execute the default action for a
file, double-click on the file. For example, if the default action for plain
text documents is to display the file in a text viewer. In this case, you
can double-click on the file to  display the file in a text viewer.
You can set your file manager preferences so that you click once on
a file to execute the default action. For more information, see
.
To Execute Non-Default Actions Using the Open With Submenu
file manager
executing non-default
actions for files
To execute actions other than
the default action for a file, perform the following steps:
In the view pane, select the file that you want to perform
an action on. Choose
File
Open With
. The
Open With
submenu opens. The items in this submenu correspond to the contents of the
following parts of the
File Types and Programs
preference tool:
Default action
drop-down list in the
Edit file type
dialog
Viewer component
drop-down list in the
Edit file type
dialog
Choose an action from the
Open With
submenu.
To Execute Other Actions When Displaying a File
file manager
executing other actions
for files
When you display a file in the view
pane, the side pane might contain buttons.
The buttons represent any actions that are defined in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool. The actions are defined
in the
Default action
drop-down list in the
Edit file type
dialog in the
File Types and Programs
preference tool. Click on a button to execute an action. For
example, if an action defined for plain text documents is to open the file
in the
gedit
text editor. If this action is defined,
an
Open with gedit
button is displayed in the side
pane. To open the file in the
gedit
application,
click on the
Open with gedit
button.
A button that represents the action does not appear in the side
pane if the actions are excluded in either of the following dialogs:
Open with Other Application
Open with Other Viewer
Navigating Your Computer
The
Nautilus
file manager provides an integrated
access point to your files, applications, FTP sites, and URIs.
This section describes the following:
How to access FTP sites.
How to access special URI locations.
To Access an FTP Site
FTP sites
accessing
file manager
FTP sites
FTP sites
You can use the file manager to access
FTP sites. To access an FTP site, choose
File
Connect to Server
. Enter
the URL in the
Connect to Server
dialog, then click on
the
Connect
button. The contents of the site are displayed.
To copy a file from the FTP site, drag the file to the new location.
To access an FTP site that requires a username and password, you can
enter the URL in the following form:
ftp://
username
:
password
@
hostname
.
domain
To reload the FTP site, choose
View
Reload
. To stop loading the FTP site,
choose
View
Stop
.
To Access Network Places
network places
accessing
file manager
network places
network places
If your system is configured
to access places on a network, you can use the file manager to access the
network places.
To access network places, open the file manager and choose
Places
Computer
.
Alternatively, double-click on the
Computer
object on
the Desktop. Double-click on the
Network
object. A file
manager window is displayed. The window displays the network places that you
can access. Double-click on the network that you want to access.
NFS servers
Unix network
To
access UNIX shares, double-click on the
Unix Network (NFS)
object. A list of the UNIX shares available to you is displayed in the file
manager window.
Samba servers
Windows network
To access Windows shares, double-click on the
Windows
Network (SMB)
object. A list of the Windows shares available to
you is displayed in the file manager window.
To Add a Network Place
To add a network place, perform the following steps:
Open the file manager and choose
Places
Computer
. Alternatively,
double-click on the
Computer
object on the Desktop. A
file object window is displayed.
Double-click on the
Add Network Place
object. The
Add Network Place
dialog is displayed. Enter
the details of the server in the dialog, as follows:
Dialog Element
Description
Location
Use this text box to specify the location that you
want to add. Alternatively, select one of the following locations from the
drop-down list:
FTP Server
Web Folder
Windows Network (SMB)
Unix Network (NFS)
Shortcut name
Use this text box to specify a shortcut name for the network place.
Anonymous login
FTP Server option only. Select this option
to log in to the FTP server as an anonymous user.
No login required
Web Folder, Windows Network (SMB), and Unix
Network (NFS) options only. Select this option if you do not need to log in
to the web folder, Windows share, or UNIX share.
Username
Use this text box to specify a username  when
you connect to the specified network place.
When you connect to
the network place, you must enter your password.
Go there now
Select this option if you want to access the
network place immediately.
Click
OK
to add your network place.
To Access Network Servers
If your GNOME desktop environment is configured to access servers on
a network, you can use the
Applications
menu to access
the network servers.
To access network servers, choose
Applications
Network Servers
. A file
object window is displayed. The window displays the network servers that you
can access. Double-click on the network server that you want to access.
To Add a Network Server
To add a network server, choose
Applications
Network Servers
.  A file
object window is displayed. Double-click on the
New Server
object. A
New Server
dialog is displayed. Enter the
name of the server in the dialog, then click
OK
.
Accessing Special URI Locations
special URI locations
accessing
file manager
special URI
locations
URI, special
special URI locations
The GNOME Desktop contains
special URI locations that enable you to access particular functions from
the file manager. For example, to access the preference tools, you can access
the
preferences:///
URI in a file manager window.
lists the special URI locations that you can
use with the file manager.
Special URI Locations
URI Location
Description
applications:///
Displays
a list of the applications in the GNOME Desktop. The applications are the
same as the applications in the
Applications
menu. To open
an application, double-click on the application.
fonts:///
Displays all the fonts that are
available in your system. To preview a font, double-click on the font. You
can also use this location to add fonts to the GNOME Desktop.
network:///
Displays network locations to
which you can connect, if your system is configured to access locations on
a network. To access a network location, double-click on the network location.
You can also use this URI to add network locations to your system.
preferences:///
Displays
a list of the preference tools in the GNOME Desktop. The preference tools
are the same as the preference tools in the
Desktop Preferences
menu. To open a preference tool, double-click on the preference tool.
server-settings:///
Displays
a list of applications that you can use to configure your system as a server.
start-here:///
Displays
a list of applications and preference tools in the GNOME Desktop. Also displays
applications that you can use to configure your system as a server, and to
modify your system configuration details.
system-settings:///
Displays
a list of applications that you can use to modify your system settings.
themes:///
Displays all the themes that
are available in the GNOME Desktop. To preview a theme, double-click on the
theme. You can also use this location to add themes to the GNOME Desktop.
Managing Your Files and Folders
file manager
managing files and folders
This section describes how to work with your
files and folders.
Drag-and-Drop in the File Manager
file manager
drag-and-drop
You can use drag-and-drop to perform several tasks in the
file manager. When you drag-and-drop, the mouse pointer provides feedback
about the task that you perform.
describes
the tasks that you can perform with drag-and-drop. The table also shows the
mouse pointers that appear when you drag-and-drop.
Drag-and-Drop in the File Manager
Task
Action
Mouse Pointer
Move an item
Drag the item to the new location.
Move pointer.
Copy an item
Grab the item, then press-and-hold
Ctrl
. Drag the item to the new location.
Copy pointer.
Create a symbolic link to
an item
Grab the
item, then press-and-hold
Ctrl
Shift
.
Drag the item to the location where you want the symbolic link to reside.
Symbolic link pointer.
Ask what to do with the
item you drag
Grab the item, then press-and-hold
Alt
. Drag the item to
the location where you want the item to reside. Release the mouse button.
A popup menu appears. Choose one of the following items from the popup menu:
Move here
Moves the item to the location.
Copy here
Copies the item to the  location.
Link here
Creates a symbolic link to the item at the location.
Set as Background
If the item is an image, sets the image to be the desktop background.
You can use this command to set the desktop background and the view pane
background.
Cancel
Cancels the drag-and-drop operation.
Ask pointer.
To Select Files and Folders
file manager
selecting files and folders
You can select files and folders in several
ways in the file manager.
describes how
to select items in file manager windows and on the desktop.
Selecting Items in the File Manager
Task
Action
Select an item
Click on the item.
Select a group of contiguous
items
In icon view,
drag around the files that you want to select.
In list view, click
on the first item in the group. Press-and-hold
Shift
, then
click on the last item in the group.
Select multiple items
Press-and-hold
Ctrl
.
Click on the items that you want to select.
Alternatively, press-and-hold
Ctrl
, then drag around the files that you want to select.
Select all items in a folder
Choose
Edit
Select All Files
.
To perform the default action on an item, double-click on the item.
You can set your file manager preferences so that you click once on a file
to execute the default action. For more information, see
.
To Move a File or Folder
file manager
moving files and folders
The following sections describe the ways that
you can move a file or folder.
Drag to the New Location
To drag a file or folder to a new location, perform the following steps:
Open two file manager windows.
In one window, select the folder from which you want to move
the file or folder. In the other window, select the folder to which you want
to move the file or folder.
Drag the file or folder that you want to move to the new location
in the other window.
To move the file or folder to a folder that is one level below the current
location, do not open a new window. Instead, drag the file or folder to the
new location in the same window.
Cut and Paste to the New Location
You can cut a file or folder and paste the file or folder into another
folder, as follows:
Select the file or folder that you want to move, then choose
Edit
Cut File
.
Open the folder to which you want to move the file or folder,
then choose
Edit
Paste
Files
.
To Copy a File or Folder
file manager
copying files and folders
The following sections describe the ways that
you can copy a file or folder.
Drag to the New Location
To copy a file or folder, perform the following steps:
Open two file manager windows.
In one window, select the folder from which you want to copy
the file or folder. In the other window, select the folder to which you want
to copy the file or folder.
Grab the file or folder, then press-and-hold
Ctrl
. Drag the file or folder to the new location in the other window.
To copy the file or folder to a folder that is one level below the current
location, do not open a new window. Instead, grab the file or folder, then
press-and-hold
Ctrl
. Drag the file or folder to the new location
in the same window.
Copy and Paste to the New Location
You can copy a file or folder and paste the file or folder into another
folder, as follows:
Select the file or folder that you want to copy, then choose
Edit
Copy File
.
Open the folder to which you want to copy the file or folder,
then choose
Edit
Paste
Files
.
To Duplicate a File or Folder
file manager
duplicating files and
folders
To create a copy of a file or folder
in the current folder, perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to duplicate.
Choose
Edit
Duplicate
. Alternatively, right-click on the file
or folder, then choose
Duplicate
.
A copy of the file or folder appears in the current folder.
To Create a Folder
file manager
creating folders
To create a folder, perform the following steps:
Select the folder where you want to create the new folder.
Choose
File
Create Folder
. Alternatively, right-click
on the background of the window, then choose
Create Folder
.
An
untitled
folder is added to the location. The
name of the folder is selected.
Type a name for the folder, then press
Return
.
Templates and Documents
file manager
creating documents
You can create templates from documents that you frequently
create. For example, if you often create invoices, you can create an empty
invoice document and save the document as
invoice.doc
in
the
$HOME/Templates
folder.
You can also access the templates folder from a file browser window.
Choose
Go
Templates
.
The template name is displayed as a submenu item in the
Create
Document
menu.
You can also create subfolders in the template folder. Subfolders display
as submenus in the menu.
You can also share templates. Create a symbolic link from the template
folder to the folder containing the shared templates.
To Create a Document
If you have document templates, you can choose to create a document
from one of the installed templates.
To create a document perform the following steps:
Select the folder where you want to create the new document.
Choose
File
Create Document
. Alternatively, right-click on
the background of the view pane, then choose
Create Document
.
The names of any available templates are displayed as submenu items
from the
Create Document
menu.
Double-click on the template name for the document that you
want to create.
Rename the document before saving to the appropriate folder.
To Rename a File or Folder
file manager
renaming folders
To rename a file or folder perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to rename.
Choose
Edit
Rename
. Alternatively, right-click on the file
or folder, then choose
Rename
.
The name of the file or folder is selected.
Type a new name for the file or folder, then press
Return
.
To Move a File or Folder to Trash
file manager
Trash
Trash
Trash
moving
files or folders to
To move a file or folder
to
Trash
perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to move to
Trash
.
Choose
Edit
Move to Trash
. Alternatively, right-click on the
file or folder, then choose
Move to Trash
.
Alternatively, you can drag the file or folder to the
Trash
object on the desktop.
When you move a file or folder from a removable media to
Trash
, the file or folder is stored in a
Trash
location on the removable media. To remove the file or folder permanently
from the removable media, you must empty
Trash
.
To Delete a File or Folder
file manager
deleting files or folders
When you delete a file or folder, the file or
folder is not moved to
Trash
, but is deleted from your
file system immediately. The
Delete
menu item is
only available if you select the
Include a Delete command that bypasses
Trash
option in the
File Management Preferences
dialog.
To delete a file or folder perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to delete.
Choose
Edit
Delete
. Alternatively, right-click on the file
or folder, then choose
Delete
.
To Create a Symbolic Link to a File or Folder
file manager
creating symbolic link
symbolic link
to file or folder, creating
A symbolic link is
a special type of file that points to another file or folder. When you perform
an action on a symbolic link, the action is performed on the file or folder
to which the symbolic link points. However, when you delete a symbolic link,
you delete the link file, not the file to which the symbolic link points.
To create a symbolic link to a file or folder, select the file or folder
to which you want to create a link. Choose
Edit
Make Link
. A link to the
file or folder is added to the current folder.
Alternatively, grab the item to which you want to create a link, then
press-and-hold
Ctrl
Shift
. Drag the item
to the location where you want to place the link.
By default, the file manager adds an emblem to symbolic links.
The permissions of a symbolic link are determined by the file
or folder to which a symbolic link points.
To View the Properties of a File or Folder
file manager
viewing properties
To view the properties of a file or folder, perform the
following steps:
Select the file or folder whose properties you want to view.
Choose
File
Properties
. A properties dialog is displayed.
Use the properties dialog to view the properties of the file
or folder.
Click
Close
to close the properties
dialog.
To Change Permissions
permissions
introduction
Permissions are settings assigned to each file and folder
that determine what type of access users can have to the file or folder. The
following table lists the permissions that you can set for files and folders,
and the effect of the permission on files and folders:
Permission
File
Folder
Read
Permission to read the file.
Permission to list the contents of the folder.
Write
Permission to make changes to the file.
Permission to create and delete files in the folder.
Execute
Permission to run the file as a program. This is only relevant if the file
is a program or script.
Permission to access files in the directory.
You can set permissions for different types of user. The following table
lists the types of user that you can set for which you can set permissions:
User Category
Description
Owner
The user that created the file or folder.
Group
The group to which the owner belongs.
Others
All other users who are not in the group to which the owner belongs.
file manager
changing permissions
permissions
changing file and folder
To change the permissions
on a file or folder perform the following steps:
Select the file or folder that you want to change.
Choose
File
Properties
. A properties dialog is displayed.
Click on the
Permissions
tab. In the
Permissions
tabbed section, use the drop-down lists and check boxes
to change the permissions for the file or folder. The following table describes
the dialog elements on the
Permissions
tabbed section:
Element
Description
File owner
To change the owner of the file or folder, select
the owner from the drop-down list.
File group
To change the group to which a file or folder belongs,
select the group from the drop-down list.
Owner
Select the permissions that you want to apply to the owner
of the file or folder.
Group
Select the permissions that you want to apply to the group
to which the owner of the file or folder belongs.
Others
Select the permissions that you want to apply to
all other users who are not in the group to which the owner belongs.
Text view
Displays the permissions that you select from the
Read
,
Write
, and
Execute
options, in text format.
Number view
Displays the permissions that you select from the
Read
,
Write
, and
Execute
options, in text format.
Last changed
Displays the date and time that the file or folder
was last modified.
Click
Close
to close the properties
dialog.
Using Trash
Trash icon, empty.
Trash
introduction
You can move the following items to
Trash
:
Files
Folders
Desktop objects
If you need to retrieve a file from
Trash
, you
can display
Trash
and move the file out of
Trash
. When you empty
Trash
, you delete the
contents of
Trash
permanently.
To Display Trash
Trash
displaying
You can display the contents of
Trash
in the following
ways:
From a file browser window
Choose
Go
Trash
. The contents of
Trash
are displayed in
the window.
From a file object window
Choose
Places
Trash
. The contents of
Trash
are
displayed in the window.
From the desktop
Double-click on the
Trash
object on the desktop.
To Empty Trash
Trash
emptying
You can empty the contents of
Trash
in the following
ways:
From a file browser window
Choose
File
Empty
Trash
.
From the desktop
Right-click on the
Trash
object, then choose
Empty Trash
.
Using Removable Media
removable media
introduction
The file manager supports all removable media that have
the following characteristics:
The removable media has an entry in the
/etc/fstab
file. The
/etc/fstab
file describes the file
systems that the computer uses.
The
user
option is specified in the entry
for the removable media in the
/etc/fstab
file.
To Mount Media
removable media
mounting
To
mount
media is to make the file
system of the media available for access. When you mount media, the file system
of the media is attached as a subdirectory to your file system.
To mount media, insert the media in the appropriate device. An object
that represents the media is added to the desktop. The object is added only
if your system is configured to mount the device automatically when media
is detected.
If your system is not configured to mount the device automatically,
you must mount the device manually. Double-click on the
Computer
icon from the desktop. A
Computer
dialog
is displayed. Double-click on the object that represents the media. For example,
to mount a floppy diskette, double-click on the
Floppy
object. An object that represents the media is added to the desktop.
You cannot change the name of a removable media object.
To Display Media Contents
removable media
displaying media contents
You can display media contents in any of the
following ways:
Double-click on the object that represents the media on the
desktop.
Right-click on the object that represents the media on the
desktop, then choose
Open
.
A file manager window displays the contents of the media. To reload
the display, click on the
Reload
button.
To Display Media Properties
removable media
displaying media properties
To display the properties of removable media,
right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop, then choose
Properties
. A dialog displays the properties of the media.
To close the properties dialog, click
Close
.
To Format a Floppy Diskette
removable media
formatting floppy
diskette
To
format
media
is to prepare the media for use with a particular file system. You can use
the file manager to format floppy diskettes.
When you format media, you overwrite any existing information
on the media.
To format a floppy diskette, perform the following steps:
Insert the diskette in the diskette drive. Mount the diskette.
For information on how to mount media, see
.
Right-click on the object that represents the diskette on
the desktop, then choose
Format
. A
Floppy
formatter
dialog is displayed.
Select your format options in the
Floppy formatter
dialog. The following table describes the elements on the dialog:
Dialog Element
Description
Floppy device
Displays
the name of the floppy device.
Floppy density
Select the density of the diskette. The density
is the amount of data that the diskette can store.
File system type
Select
the type of file system in which you want to format the diskette. Select one
of the following options:
Linux Native (ext 2)
: Select this option
to format a diskette for use on Linux systems. Most non-Linux systems cannot
read diskettes with this file system type.
DOS (FAT)
: Select this option to format
a diskette for use on Windows  systems.  Most UNIX-based systems can read
diskettes with this file system type.
Volume name
Type a name for the diskette in this text box.
Quick
Select this option to create
only the file system on the diskette. A quick format does not check for bad
blocks.
Select this option if the diskette has been formatted
before.
Standard
Select this option to create the file system
on the diskette and format the diskette. A standard format does not check
for bad blocks.
Select this option if the diskette has not been
formatted before.
Thorough
Select this option to create the file system
on the diskette, check for bad blocks, and format the diskette.
Select this option if you want to verify that the diskette has not been damaged.
Click
Format
to format the diskette.
To Eject Media
removable media
ejecting
To eject media, right-click on the media object on the desktop,
then choose
Eject
. If the drive for the media is
a motorized drive, the media is ejected from the drive. If the drive for the
media is not motorized, wait until the desktop object for the media disappears,
then eject the media manually.
You cannot eject media from a motorized drive when the media is mounted.
To eject media, first unmount the media. To remove a floppy diskette from
the drive, perform the following steps:
Close all file manager windows,
Terminal
windows, and any other windows that access the diskette.
Right-click on the object that represents the diskette on
the desktop, then choose
Eject
. The desktop object
for the diskette disappears.
Eject the diskette from the drive.
If you eject the diskette from the drive before you unmount
the diskette, you might lose the data on the diskette.
Writing CDs
file manager
writing CDs
CDs, writing
writing CDs
burning CDs
writing CDs
The file manager provides
a special location where you can copy files and folders that you want to write
to a CD. You can write the contents of the location to a CD easily.
To write a CD, perform the following steps:
Choose
Go
CD Creator
. The file manager opens a special location,
burn:///
, from which you can write CDs.
Copy the files and folders that you want to write to CD into
the
burn:///
location.
Insert a writable CD into the CD writer device on your system.
Choose
File
Write to CD
. A
Write files to a CD recorder
dialog is displayed.
Use the
Write files to a CD recorder
dialog to specify how you want to write the CD, as follows:
Dialog Element
Description
Target to write to
Select the device to which you want to write the
CD from the drop-down list. To create an CD image file for the files and folders,
select the
File image
option.
Write speed
Select the speed at which you want to write the
CD from the drop-down list.
CD name
Type a name for the CD in the text box.
Erase CD
Select this option to erase the current contents
of the CD.
Eject CD when done
Select this option to eject the CD from the drive
when the CD is written.
Reuse these files for another CD
Select this option if
you do not want to write the files and folders to another CD. If you select
this option, the files and folders are not removed from the
burn:///
location after the CD is written.
Click on the
Write files to CD
button.
If you selected the
File image
option from the
Target to write to
drop-down list, a
Choose a filename
for the cdrom image
dialog is displayed. Use the dialog to specify
the location where you want to save the CD image file. By default, CD image
files have a
.iso
file extension.
A
Writing CD
dialog is displayed. When the CD is
written or when the CD image file is created, a message to indicate that the
process is complete is displayed in the dialog.
If you created a CD image file, you can write this file to a CD. To
write a CD image file to CD, right-click on the CD image file, then choose
Write to CD
from the popup menu.
If you did not select the
Reuse these files for another CD
option, the files and folders are removed from the
burn:///
location.
Running Scripts From the File Manager
file manager
running scripts
scripts, running from file manager
The file manager includes a special folder where you can
store your scripts. When you add an executable file to this folder, the file
is added to the
Scripts
submenu. To run a script
choose
File
Scripts
, then choose the script that you want to run from the submenu.
To run a script on a particular file, select the file in the view pane.
Choose
File
Scripts
, then choose the script that you want to run on the file from
the submenu. You can also select multiple files to run your scripts on.
To view the contents of your scripts folder, choose
File
Scripts
Open Scripts Folder
.
