Linux File Managers Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to file managers on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including Nautilus, Dolphin, Thunar, ranger, and file manager configuration.

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Table of Contents

1. GUI File Managers
2. Terminal File Managers
3. File Manager Configuration
4. Troubleshooting

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GUI File Managers

Nautilus (GNOME)

Install Nautilus:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S nautilus

# Launch
nautilus

Dolphin (KDE)

Install Dolphin:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S dolphin

# Launch
dolphin

Thunar (XFCE)

Install Thunar:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S thunar

# Launch
thunar

PCManFM

Install PCManFM:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S pcmanfm

# Launch
pcmanfm

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⌨ Terminal File Managers

ranger

Install ranger:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S ranger

# Launch
ranger

nnn

Install nnn:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S nnn

# Launch
nnn

vifm

Install vifm:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S vifm

# Launch
vifm

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File Manager Configuration

Nautilus

Configure:

# Edit preferences
# Edit > Preferences

# Or use gsettings
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences default-folder-viewer 'list-view'

Dolphin

Configure:

# Edit preferences
# Settings > Configure Dolphin

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Troubleshooting

File Manager Not Working

Check installation:

# Check packages
pacman -Q | grep nautilus

# Reinstall
sudo pacman -S nautilus

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Summary

This guide covered file managers for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including GUI and terminal file managers.

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Next Steps

• Desktop Environments - Desktop setup
• Text Editors - Text editors
• ArchWiki File Managers: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_of_applications/Utilities#File_managers

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.