# Recommend a Linux File Manager **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648 "2004-06-04T16:55:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![larsenmtl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/1 "2004-06-04T16:55:58Z")
Thanks to this thread → > **[Linux Window Manager](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=258862)** > > Leaving GNOME and KDE out of it because they get plenty of attention, which window managers do you like and why? Personally, I like Blackbox. It’s nice and minimalistic. No icons, just a slit at the bottom to show me the time and what app is active.... I’ve broken my dependency on KDE. I installed FluxBox and absolutely love it. A theme and some tweaking later, it is so fast and beautiful, I could cry. I just installed FBDesk for some desktop icons and I’m almost set. What I’m looking for is a good File Manager like Konqueror. I loved Konqueror as a file manager, not a web browser, but if I’m loading that and the KDE libraries it needs, I might as well run KDE. I’m looking at the ROX-Filer. If I’m reading their webpages correctly ROX is the full Window Manager while the Filer is just a manager, correct? Well the Rox-Filer also allow for desktop icons? FBDesk is ok, but somewhat ugly, IMHO. Any other good File Managers out there? Speed foremost, looks second. Thanks, LarsenMTL ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/2 "2004-06-04T17:34:57Z")
Midnight Commander. It might even already be installed on your box. Just open up an xterm and type “mc”. If you ever used Norton Commander back in the good ol’ days of DOS, it’ll be like running into an old girlfriend. Of course, it’s based all in text and isn’t at all good looking, but it’s quite the serviceable file manager. Of course, you could just re-evaluate your need of a file manager. If you know your way around bash, file managers become useless rather quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/3 "2004-06-04T17:37:56Z")
I suppose Midnight Commander (type “mc” in the console is one of the fastest) and I know people who swear by it but personally, I never cared for it. I’ve always just preferred using console commands. With auto-complete (“tab” key) previous command (“up” key as in windows), print working directory (“pwd”) and text copy (highlight text then mouse middle button), I can do pretty much whatever I want quickly. With fluxbox and blackbox, you can whip out as many terminals as you like. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/4 "2004-06-04T17:40:38Z")
I would just like to add DAMN YOU **TENTACLE MONSTER** for stealing my thunder! ---
**Author:** ![larsenmtl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/5 "2004-06-04T17:52:24Z")
Thanks guys. I give MC a try. I’m pretty familiar with bash but I guess being a recovering Windows-aholic, I miss my gui file management. [Slight Hijack to my own post] How do I make ATerm transparent? I started it with the -tr option but that just makes it background match the desktop background? [/Slight Hijack to my own post] ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/6 "2004-06-04T17:52:59Z")
/usr/bin/aterm and the bash shell. Went without a file manager for so long I just don’t know what to do with the darned things. They just get in the way. I dug up this [link](http://www.linux.org/apps/all/System/File_Managers.html) though. It might help. Congratulations on finding a window manager that suited you. ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/7 "2004-06-04T17:58:39Z")
Here is my aterm entry for blackbox. It will work for fluxbox: [exec] (Aterm) {/usr/bin/aterm -tr -trsb -sl 600 -sh 30 -bg “#000000” -fg “#EFFFFD”} -tr is transparent -trsb is transparent scroll bar -sl is scroll lines -sh is shading. Smaller number is more shaded or darker ---
**Author:** ![larsenmtl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-linux-file-manager/248648/8 "2004-06-04T19:43:47Z")
> [@leenmi](#): > > Here is my aterm entry for blackbox. It will work for fluxbox: > > [exec] (Aterm) {/usr/bin/aterm -tr -trsb -sl 600 -sh 30 -bg “#000000” -fg “#EFFFFD”} > > -tr is transparent > -trsb is transparent scroll bar > -sl is scroll lines > -sh is shading. Smaller number is more shaded or darker You rock!