= How to choose a file manager

A _file manager_ is a utility that helps you see the files and folders on your computer.
Often, we don't think of a file manager as an application.
It's just what happens when you click on the *Home* icon on your desktop, or a folder icon in your panel.
But actually a file manager, no matter how tightly bound to the desktop of your computer it may seem, is a unique application.
One of the great strengths of the Linux desktop is variety, and when you use Linux you're able to choose what application you use to browse folders and files.
Of course you can always just use what your Linux distribution installs for you, but if you're interested in mixing things up then you can try some different file managers until you find the one you like best. 

== Linux default file managers

image:gnome-files.webp[GNOME Files is the default file manager for the popular GNOME desktop.]

The file manager that comes bundled with the most popular Linux distributions probably "play it safe."
And there's nothing wrong with playing it safe.
The default file managers tend to feel familiar even when you've never used them before.
If you're just starting out with Linux, these file managers are likely the one you'll encounter first, and ideally they'll help flatten the learning curve.

* GNOME Files: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/gnome-linux-desktop[GNOME desktop]
* Nemo: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/cinnamon-linux-desktop[Cinnamon desktop]
* Caja: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/mate-linux-desktop[Mate desktop]
* Dolphin: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/linux-kde-plasma[KDE Plasma Desktop]
* Enlightenment: A https://opensource.com/article/19/12/linux-enlightenment-desktop[desktop] and a file manager
* Rox Filer: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/linux-rox-desktop[Rox desktop]
* Thunar: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/xfce-linux-desktop[XFCE desktop]
* PCManFM: The file manager of the https://opensource.com/article/19/12/lxqt-lxde-linux-desktop[LXDE desktop]

== Two-pane file managers for your desktop

image:worker.webp[Some file managers have multiple panes within a window.]

Can you be in two places at once?
With a two-pane file manager, you're always in two folders, which makes it particularly easy to move a file from one to the other.
Two-pane file managers can take some getting used to, but they tend to emphasize configurability and a view of the _big picture_.

* Doublecmd: Midnight Commander comes out of its shell
* Worker: Two-panes with a lightweight graphical toolkit
* Dragonfly Navigator: Experimenting with repurposing panes
* Krusader: Customize anything and everything
* 4Pane: When 2 panes aren't enough
* SpaceFM: The more panes, the better

== Two-pane file managers in a terminal

image:mc.webp[Some file managers run in your terminal.]

Some file managers are embedded within a terminal, using simple graphic libraries to mimic a graphical user interface.
These emphasize convenience for terminal users, speed, keyboard navigation, and control.

* Midnight Commander (`mc`): Two-panes and lots of function keys
* Ranger: Multiple panes with flexible interaction
* nnn: Two-panes and fluid keyboard navigation
* far2l: Dynamic and contextual interaction

== A unique perspective

image:konqueror-sidebar.webp[Some file managers bring a new perspective to your desktop.]

Anyone can create open source software, and some file managers provide a unique perspective on the process of development and how software is used.
Part of the fun of using open source is finding the passion projects, some simple and some complex, but all of them useful and powerful in their own way.

* JFileProcessor: A file manager written in Java and Groovy
* QtFM: A Qt file manager
* Konqueror: Is it a web browser, or is it a file manager, and is there a difference?
* Xfe: The X File Explorer

== Text-based file managers

image:terminal.webp[The Linux terminal is the most direct file manager possible.]

If you're using Linux for its rich text-based environment, then you may prefer to manage your files through the most direct interface possible.
A text-based file manager gives you access to commands that are often as close to a sys call as you can get without writing the C code yourself.
Managing files with commands is the most direct, and often the most efficient, method of interacting with the inodes and data on your hard drive.

* Dired: File management in Emacs
* Terminal: Sometimes you remember you had a file manager with you all along

== Choose your file manager

If you're overwhelmed by choice, there's no obligation to try anything aside from the one that's already on your desktop.
Many power users of Linux settle for whatever file manager their distribution puts in front of them.
Ultimately, a file manager is only meant to do one thing: help you organize and manage your important data.
The one that does that, and that helps you do it in a way that makes sense to you, is the right one for you.
