I recently covered how to install Linux on Chromebook and you can check it out here. Today, let’s divert our attention to the File Manager in Chrome OS.
Chrome OS is a beautiful Operating System (as is expected of all Google products) and it houses a responsive file manager for navigating its file trees.
While it works excellently on Chrome OS which it was designed for, navigating Linux directories with it doesn’t feel as “Linuxy” and it can be helpful to install a Linux-centric file manager to eliminate that need.
To install Linux apps on ChromeOS, you must enable Linux Beta on Chromebooks.
I have compiled the best file managers that will bring the essence of Linux to your file navigation and management tasks and they listed below in order of their popularity.
1. Gnome Files
Gnome Files (formerly Nautilus) is a slick free and open source file manager that although designed for the Gnome platform, ships as the default file manager application in several Linux distros most notably Ubuntu.
$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install nautilus
2. Nemo
Nemo is a free and open source file manager application developed by Linux Mint as the official file manager of the Cinnamon DE.
Feature highlights of Nemo include opening folders in the terminal for executing bash commands and a right-click menu to open folders as root. Its feature highlights include accessing remote files, progress indicators, full support for DPI, etc.
$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install nemo
3. Thunar
Thunar is a beautiful free and open source file manager designed with a focus on speed, ease of use, and functionality.
It ships as the default file manager application in several distros and Desktop Environments most notably LXDE and XFCE. Its most notable features include its simple UI and low memory requirement,
$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install thunar
4. Dolphin
Dolphin is a lightweight file manager designed to be easy and simple to use while being flexible enough for users to customise it and make it act the way they want.
Its feature highlights include a navigation bar for URLs, support for multiple tabs, split view, no requirement for 3rd party libraries, etc.
$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install dolphin
5. Double Commander
Double Commander is a free and open source cross-platform file manager with a default 2-panel side by side view.
Its key features include an inbuilt text editor with syntax highlighting, built-in viewer for displaying files in hex, text, or binary format, extended search functionality, etc.
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alexx2000/doublecmd $ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install doublecmd-qt
All 5 file managers are 100% free, open source, and heavily maintained so bug worries to disturb you. Those in the Debian repository can be downloaded directly from your terminal using their relative commands.
Which Linux-centric file manager completes managing your Linux directories on Chrome OS for you? Share your thoughts in the discussion section.
Hi thanks for the article. May i know which is the app shown in the main cover of the article with the google drive and dropbox integration?
“…Chrome is a beautiful Operating System (as is expected of all Google products)…”
While I think you are a highly intelligent person and a great writer of otherwise highly objective (as they should be) technical articles, I think you need to be aware of the fact that a lot of people consider Google to be ranked right down there with Facebook and PayPal; and are somewhat put off by a statement such as the above, which can only be regarded, by any measure, as personal opinion and not a statement of objective, technical fact.
Please consider this as constructive criticism only–as a matter of fact, it’s only my opinion.
Keep up your usual outstanding work.
Best regards…
Hi Henry, judging from your comments on our posts over the years I believe your criticisms will be nothing other than constructive, so thank you.
Let me just make it clear that I was referring to the aesthetics and usability of Google services which are independent of the philosophies and mode of operations that Google follows. Such statements remain in that context whether the company is PayPal, Facebook, etc.
Mind you, we have people on the other end of the spectrum who consider the same mentioned companies to be way up there. But it’s not my place to judge their place; the quality of their services is my area of interest.
You can also run QtFM and SpaceFM on ChromeOS natively without Linux apps using Chromebrew. See https://github.com/skycocker/chromebrew.