14 of the Best Free Linux File Managers
A file manager is software which provides a user interface to assist in the organisation of files. It helps users with their daily work in managing their files on a hard drive or other storage device. With terabyte hard disks becoming prevalent, file managers represent an essential tool in managing file systems.
Every file manager provides basic operations such as to create, open, view, edit, search, rename, move copy, and delete files. However, file managers typically come supplied with sophisticated functionality including network connectivity, directory synchronizing, archive handling, advanced searching, shortcuts, file/folder comparisons, checksums, plugins, and more, making them an incredibly powerful tool.
There are 3 main types of file managers covered in this feature. Orthodox file managers or “Commander-like” file managers have three windows (two panels and one command line window). The second type is the navigational file manager representing the most common type of file manager available today. We also have included a few examples of the best available spatial file managers, which present files and folders as if they were real objects.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 14 high quality free Linux file managers. Hopefully, there will be something of interest for anyone who wishes to have more control over managing their files.
Now, let’s explore the 14 file managers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the software in action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.
| File Managers | |
|---|---|
| Dolphin | Default file manager for KDE 4 |
| emelFM2 | Orthodox file manager using GTK+ 2 |
| Endeavour Mark II | A complete file management suite |
| GNOME Commander | Orthodox file manager for the GNOME desktop environment |
| Konqueror | Basic file management (& web browser) |
| Krusader | Advanced orthodox file manager for KDE |
| Midnight Commander | User-friendly yet powerful orthodox file manager |
| GNOME Files | Spatial file manager; default file manager for GNOME |
| PCMan | Default file manager for LXDE |
| ROX-Filer | RISC OS-like spatial filer |
| Thunar | Modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment |
| Worker | In the style of Amiga's DirOpus |
| Xfe | Very similiar to Windows Explorer |
| 4Pane | Four-pane detailed-list GTK+ file manager |
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