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5 popular Linux terminal-based file managers—ranked
Quoting: The 5 best Linux terminal-based file managers —
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Are you curious about terminal file managers but overwhelmed by the options? Wondering which one won’t require memorizing 100 keybindings just to copy a file? Well, here’s my list of the five best Linux terminal-based file managers and how they rank against one another. Some Linux windows and Tux holding a clipboard. Related These Linux Tools Increased My Command-Line Productivity: Here’s How
Get ready to transform your terminal experience. 3 By Haroon Javed Midnight Commander: A graphical app in disguise
Midnight Commander, often shortened to mc, is one of the oldest and best-known terminal-based file managers for Linux. It uses a dual-pane layout, with both panes showing directory listings, which makes it easy to compare directories while performing file operations. In fact, mc offers one of the most intuitive user experiences among terminal file managers—almost comparable to using a graphical tool.
You navigate through files and directories using the arrow keys and press Enter to open them. At the bottom of the screen, a row of clearly labeled actions—Copy, Move, Delete, Rename, and more—is mapped to function keys F1 through F10.
These labels never change or disappear, and you can rely on them to perform the corresponding actions. There’s also a menu bar at the top with File, Command, and Options menus. You can even interact with all interface elements using your mouse.