5 Nautilus Extensions to Enhance Your GNOME File Manager
GNOME is the default desktop environment for many major Linux distributions. It comes with a suite of useful applications, including a file manager. The file manager was called Nautilus until GNOME renamed it to GNOME Files in September 2012.
Today, GNOME Files meets the everyday user’s needs for browsing and opening files and folders. The file manager also gives users many options for customization.
GNOME Files Is Surprisingly Customizable
Linux’s critics tend to exaggerate GNOME’s limits on user customization. In reality, there areplenty of GNOME shell extensionsthat users can install to spice up their desktops. We’ve shownhow the GNOME Tweaks app can customize Ubuntu, for those who want to add more personal touches to their systems.
you may also customize GNOME Files to suit your needs. You can add folder Bookmarks to the sidebar and mark important folders and files with stars. GNOME Files has its own menu of preferences straight out of the box. Right-clicking to open a context menu also gives users options like opening a folder in Terminal.
you’re able to also download and use theDconf Editorto access more hidden settings for GNOME Files. Once you downloadDconf Editor, open the app, click on theSearchbutton, and type"nautilus"to find more settings for GNOME Files.
With Dconf Editor, you can change the default window size, compression format, notifications, and more. With that said, using Dconf Editor incorrectly can break applications. Don’t forget to use it with care.
Install Nautilus Extensions for GNOME Files
Still, you may want to get more out of your file manager’s workflow. Nautilus extensions can add even more functions to GNOME Files. The extensions are easy to install, easy to use, and will make file browsing more efficient for you.
Before you can add any Nautilus extensions to your system, you need to install some dependencies through your terminal.
For Debian/Ubuntu users:
For Fedora users:
For Arch users:
Some of these extensions may already be installed on your system. Other extensions may needextra dependencies that are also easy to findand install.
You should also create the necessary folders for your Nautilus extensions:
From here, you can browse throughGitHub’s Nautilus Extension page. Now, let’s take a look at some of the best extensions for improving your GNOME Files workflow.
1. nautilus-copypath
nautilus-copypath is an extension that lets you copy a file or folder’s path from the context menu. It’s simple, yet very useful for faster file browsing.
If you’re also interoperating with Windows systems, the project also has an extension for copyingSambapaths. The additional extension copies folder and file paths in the Windows format.
To install, clone the GitHub repository through your terminal:
Navigate to the repository’s folder:
Copy the main extension file to your Nautilus extensions folder:
Copy the other .py file if you need the Samba-based extension:
Restart GNOME Files/Nautilus for the changes to take effect:
If that doesn’t work, then kill the Nautilus process:
To use nautilus-copypath:
Download:nautilus-copypath(Free)
2. nautilus-search-by-image
When reverse searching an image onGoogle Images, you have to open the Google page on your file browser to upload the image that you need. With nautilus-search-by-image, GNOME Files will reverse search your image for you.
To use nautilus-search-by image:
Download:nautilus-search-by-image(Free)
3. OpenInBlackBox
GNOME users are free to usealternative Linux terminal emulatorsif they don’t prefer the pre-installed Terminal. But changing your system’s default terminal program is a less straightforward process.
Right-clicking on a folder only gives you the option to open it in GNOME Terminal. By default, Nautilus will not give you the option to open a folder on a different terminal.
Fortunately, there are also extensions that let you open folders with other terminals on the context menu. For this article, we will be showing OpenInBlackBox, which is an extension forBlack Box. This terminal is beautiful and fits well with the new Libadwaita theme.
From here, you can copy the .py extension file to the Nautilus extensions folder. You can also use OpenInBlackBox’s install script:
To use OpenInBlackBox:
If you use a different terminal like Alacritty or Kitty, then there’s no need to feel left out. The GitHub topic page linked above offers similar extensions made for other emulators.
Download:OpenInBlackBox(Free)
4. nautilus-gnome-disks
If you’re a Linux user, then you probably know how to use a USB drive to install a Linux distribution on a computer. The process requires you toformat a USB drive, then flash your Linux installation image on the USB.
With this nautilus-gnome-disks, you’re able to flash any .iso or .img file on any USB through GNOME Files.
From here, you can copy the .py extension file to the Nautilus extensions folder. You can also use nautilus-gnome-disk’s install script:
To use nautilus-gnome-disks:
From there, GNOME Files will open GNOME Disks for you. you could then choose the storage drive of choice for flashing your image.
Download:nautilus-gnome-disks(Free)
5. nautilus extra columns
GNOME Files has grid and list views for browsing your folders. The list view by default is limited to a few category columns. This extension adds extra columns like image EXIF data, audio tags, and .pdf metadata.
This extension requires an additional dependency called make. To install make:
To install the extension, clone the GitHub repository through your terminal:
Use make to install the extension:
To use nautilus extra columns:
you may also right-click the row of column categories on a folder with list view to find and use the extra columns.
Download:nautilus extra columns(Free)
GNOME Files Is More Powerful With Extensions
These Nautilus extensions are some of many more that you could add to your file manager. With extensions, you can make file browsing a faster and easier experience. The power of GNOME Files is just one of the many reasons why GNOME is an ideal desktop environment for Linux users.
If you want to get even more power out of GNOME Files, then there are many other features and tweaks that you can use to make life easier.
Nautilus is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop. Here are some Nautilus tweaks to enhance your file management experience on Linux.
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