Midnight Commander is a powerful text-mode file manager and visual shell that provides a convenient way to manage files and directories without leaving the terminal.
Its interface follows the classic orthodox file manager design, with two directory panels displayed side by side. Users can navigate directories, select files, and perform common operations using keyboard shortcuts, function keys, or a mouse.
The program works on a Linux console, in terminal emulators, and across remote SSH sessions. It combines traditional file management with direct access to the command line, making it particularly useful for system administration and working on remote machines.
Midnight Commander also includes integrated tools for viewing, editing, and comparing files, together with a virtual filesystem that extends file management beyond ordinary local directories.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Dual-pane interface for copying, moving, renaming, deleting, and organising files and directories.
- Virtual filesystem – browse remote directories using FTP, SFTP, and shell connections, and access archives including tar, zip, rpm, cpio, and rar.
- Perform file operations within supported virtual filesystems, including accessing archives stored on remote servers.
- Built-in mcedit text editor with syntax highlighting, search and replace, and support for external formatting and spell-checking tools.
- Integrated mcview file viewer with text and hexadecimal display modes.
- Built-in mcdiff utility for comparing files and examining differences.
- Inspect torrent files using the integrated torrent viewer and virtual filesystem.
- Search for files by name or content, with support for filtering and selecting files using patterns.
- Execute shell commands through an integrated subshell, with command history and filename completion.
- Run file copying and moving operations in the background while continuing other work.
- Directory hotlist for quick access to frequently visited local and remote locations.
- External panelisation – display the output of external commands as file listings that can be manipulated like ordinary directories.
- Context-sensitive actions for opening, viewing, and editing files according to their types.
- Customisable keyboard shortcuts, user menus, colour schemes, and terminal key definitions.
- Optional mouse support in compatible terminal environments.
- Recover deleted files from ext2 filesystems using the optional undelete virtual filesystem.
- Support for Unicode, UTF-8 locales, and multiple interface languages.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD.
Website: midnight-commander.org
Support:
Developer: Miguel de Icaza and many contributors
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Midnight Commander is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Orthodox File Managers | |
|---|---|
| Krusader | Advanced twin panel (commander style) file manager for KDE |
| Midnight Commander | User-friendly yet powerful text-mode file manager and visual shell |
| Double Commander | Inspired by Total Commander |
| Ranger | File manager with an ncurses frontend written in Python |
| GNOME Commander | Built on the GTK-toolkit and GnomeVFS |
| Xfe | Very similar to Windows Explorer but with twin panes |
| muCommander | Lightweight, cross-platform file manager |
| far2l | AR Manager fork bringing panels, plugins and archives to Linux |
| Vifm | Vim-style two-pane navigator with modal keyboard control |
| File Commander | Total Commander-like orthodox file manager |
| Sunflower | Small and highly customizable twin-panel file manager |
| trolCommander | Fork of muCommander |
| FileRunner | Simple and efficient file manager written in Tcl |
| F2 Commander | Lean text-mode commander for browsing and batch operations |
| Tux Commander | Uses the old GTK2 windowing toolkit |
| Midday Commander | Dual-pane console navigator with Midnight Commander-style flow |
| Worker | In the style of the Amiga's DirOpus |
| Waydir | Wayland-native desktop browser focused on speed and simplicity |
| WCMCommander | Mimicking the look-n-feel of Far Manager |
| gentoo | Two-pane file manager |
| emelFM2 | Orthodox file manager using GTK+ 2 |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Console File Managers | |
|---|---|
| nnn | Fast and flexible file manager |
| Midnight Commander | User-friendly yet powerful orthodox file manager |
| superfile | Very fancy and modern terminal file manager |
| Ranger | File manager with an ncurses frontend written in Python |
| lf | Terminal file manager heavily inspired by ranger |
| Yazi | File manager with asynchronous support |
| CliFM | Shell-like, command line terminal file manager |
| joshuto | Ranger-like file manager |
| far2l | Linux fork of FAR Manager v2 |
| Vifm | ncurses based file manager with vi like keybindings |
| fm | Double pane file manager written in Go |
| elio | Fast file browsing with rich previews in three panes |
| felix | TUI file manager with Vim-like key mapping |
| fman | Uses Bubbletea, Lipgloss, Bubblezone, stickers, Chroma, and go-arg |
| FCD | Continuation of rnr |
| Rat Commander | Two-panel file manager with built-in editing and remote access |
| projectable | TUI file manager built for projects |
| Last File Manager | 1 or 2 pane Python based file manager |
| F2 Commander | An orthodox file manager with Vim-like controls and previews |
| Midday Commander | Keyboard-driven dual-panel file manager with archive browsing |
| WCM Commander | A Far Manager clone |
| TUIFI Manager | Termux-oriented file manager |
| runa | Minimalist terminal file browser with configurable keybindings |
| sff | Simple file finder |
| Zeta | Dual-pane file manager with an embedded terminal and Git tools |
| jafff | Just another f* fast file manager |
| goful | Another file manager written in Go |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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I’ve totally switched from a gui file-manager to Midnight Commander. Very intuitive and easy to learn, though transferring all my userscripts took a while due to its own internal syntax. But once that was done, its hard to imagine ever using anything else. Combine with sxiv in thumnail-mode and you have everything you need.
It’s heartening how many GUI apps can be replaced with better CLI alternatives. I spend most of my day in the terminal, there are only a few GUI apps I use with any regularity.