Hi, I’ve been using Linux on and off for 20ish years, finally made the switch, and the one thing that has always driven me nuts is the file managers.
As an example, when I attach images to posts on websites, I get a nice window to popup to choose which file I want. This popup is ass. It only gives me a tiny preview of the file (images) that I have currently selected. There’s no way to change views to thumbnails, right click and open in an image viewer to double check that I am uploading the correct file, none of it. I have to navigate to the folder in another window and double check filenames if there is no preview. (This is getting more common because of webp images.)
I have a host of other complaints about the file manager on here and most I’ve come across, but this is the most annoying issue for me.
I am on Ubuntu Cinnamon at the moment.
To add to this since the file picker is something different. I dislike the file manager as well because of lots of reasons, but the biggest being that when I’m using thumbnails, it looks like all the files are only slightly aligned to a grid. Everything is off by just enough to annoy the shit out of me.
It isn’t actually a file manager. It is called a “file picker” and has been a reason to rant as long as I can remember, so close to a decade.
I really hate when I’m forced to use gnome file picker portals in flatpaks on my plasma desktop 🙃😅
There must be a way to change that though
I think this is part of Gnome 44 new features :
https://release.gnome.org/44/
(File chooser grid view)
Ah, I assumed it was just part of the file manager like on Windows. Either way, I hate it.
I know this doesn’t help but I think the file picker is by far the worst feature Linux has ever had. And our opinions are quite common among Linux users.
This is what I don’t get here.
Logically, I think, I can click visit file and it’ll show me a preview there, right? Nope.
Which again, logically, I’d want to click “Open With File Manager” but it’s fucking greyed out. (I have no idea why it’s greyed or if there is a way to fix it.) If that wasn’t greyed out I’d be just fine, but there it is. So I have to either copy location or just navigate there myself.
the qt one is much better. on kde i can use a portal to make gtk apps use it; i don’t know if there’s a way to do that on cinnamon, but it may be worth looking into
Except that it seems by default Firefox REFUSES to use a file picker for downloads and will ignore the “choose location” setting on KDE only. Weird.
you mean this tickbox?
that’s weird, i just tested and it works for me (debian, kde 5.27.5, ffx v113)
Yeah that works for me in cinnamon and gnome, but not KDE.
how odd. firefox does tend to play better with gtk desktops though, unfortunately
hey so i’ve just seen this comment that reminded me of this thread, in case it’s helpful
(sorry it’s not an instance agnostic link, i’m not sure how to make those)
Oh, I’m only on cinnamon atm because I was having issues with my mounted SSDs not working in steam and valve wouldn’t help unless I was on ubuntu. So here I am.
Are there distros that come without this shit by default?
If I can get a damn virtual machine to install properly I’m going distro hunting. ElementaryOS has been my favorite so far.
Oh, I’m only on cinnamon atm because I was having issues with my mounted SSDs not working in steam and valve wouldn’t help unless I was on ubuntu. So here I am.
if you have to use ubuntu but want kde, kubuntu is very good (in my personal opinion, don’t use neon).
Are there distros that come without this shit by default?
not to my knowledge, although it’s a one-line fix (
export GTK_USE_PORTAL=1)If I can get a damn virtual machine to install properly I’m going distro hunting. ElementaryOS has been my favorite so far.
good luck. i tried that and couldn’t find anything i liked…
if you have to use ubuntu but want kde, kubuntu is very good (in my personal opinion, don’t use neon).
Oh, I’m a gnome stan through and through.
not to my knowledge, although it’s a one-line fix (export GTK_USE_PORTAL=1)
What does this command do exactly?
good luck. i tried that and couldn’t find anything i liked…
Yeah, it’s a fight here choosing. I want simple, easy to use stuff as I don’t care so much for bleeding edge stuff anymore. I just want it to work. Mint seems to be the answer to this, but what difference is there really between Mint and Ubuntu Cinnamon? Especially since I took the time to learn cinnamon on here that I have it setup all nice and where I like everything, would it be worth my time to switch?
Oh, I’m a gnome slut through and through.
ew. heathen
What does this command do exactly?
probably not much on gnome/cinnamon, although i don’t know. it might work if you install the qt file picker package (maybe) but i don’t know what that is
on kde it forces gtk apps to use the qt file picker, so you don’t have to deal with the useless gtk one
i’m presuming you know what i mean by qt and gtk. if you don’t just tell me
but what difference is there really between Mint and Ubuntu Cinnamon? Especially since I took the time to learn cinnamon on here that I have it setup all nice and where I like everything, would it be worth my time to switch?
okay i’ve never used ubuntu cinnamon, so most of this is conjecture:
if you’re on ubuntu lts and already have everything set up, not much. mint is just ubuntu[^lmde fans don’t @ me] with all the generally accepted as good fixes on the top (no snap, an easy driver manager, etc). they also add their own repos, a software manager, and some other software that’s [objectively] better than the gnome/ubuntu default offerings[^they also used to have a much better de, but not anymore]. i don’t ever see any point in using ubuntu cinnamon unless you want the non-lts versions; but if you’re already set up you won’t get that much out of switching
although if you like gnome, why are you on cinnamon
I mean, isn’t cinnamon just a better version of gnome 2?
i’m presuming you know what i mean by qt and gtk. if you don’t just tell me
I generally understand it as the frontends for the applications, no?
but if you’re already set up you won’t get that much out of switching
I was running Mint on a VM last night and it really just felt like what I am already using so I’m 100% inclined to agree.
I mean, isn’t cinnamon just a better version of gnome 2?
oh yeah that’s fair. it’s only gnome 3 that’s awful
I generally understand it as the frontends for the applications, no
it’s just that i imagine you know more than me about linux, having used it for longer, but i didn’t want to assume that and have you floundering and confused
it’s just that i imagine you know more than me about linux, having used it for longer, but i didn’t want to assume that and have you floundering and confused
I’d say I’m an average user. I can use command line fine to a degree. Most of it’s just googling what I need to do and copy/pasting though, lol. Advanced stuff like building programs from source and all that is way out my scope though. I ain’t got time for all that nonsense.
honestly i feel like that’s their attitude toward everything? maybe i missed the glory days of gnome, but now i see it as only useful if you’re A) a gnome developer, or B) have exactly the same workflow as a gnome developer. otherwise it’s useless unless you want a bunch of extensions that break every update
In that dialog, you can drag/drop a file from your actual file manager (nautilus, Nemo, etc). This, imo, is the best way to add files to anything asking.
What you see when you upload files is not a FM but an open file dialog. Yeah, it sucks. Maybe it’s worth to play with xdg-desktop-portal and alternative fronteds: e.g. xdg-desktop-portal-kde. But I don’t know if it’s better.
I’m sorry but the file picker has been this way since fucking 2004. I was one then, just look how time flies huh. I’m sorry but this issue goes back almost 2 decades of complaining. Seriously.
BUT! The impossible seems to finally have been done! For applications using GTK4 that is, and I think the application you are using might be GTK3. So sorry, unless it updates the toolkit you won’t have a grid view.
Are you tongue in cheek saying it exists but doesn’t exist because barely any applications use GTK4 yet?
Basically ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
