Use path bar and address bar in Nautilus

Question

By default, Nautilus use/show the path bar:

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Using Ubuntu Tweak I managed to set by default the address bar:

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Is it possible to set both of them as default (show both: the buttons and the text input)?

Note: I know that I can use Ctrl+L to switch between them, so I'm not interested about this.

Solution 1

No, it is not possible to do so.

The reasoning of "is it really not possible to do so" might be uninteresting, but I can say something about why it isn't, and probably shouldn't be, possible.

Fair warning: the answer is wordy. Its lengthy, but I believe its sensible. While I highly recommend that you do read on, feel free to not read on.

• The design of nautilus: Having an option to display both would require disproportionate vertical widening of the icons area, as now there would be two lines required to display the pathbar as well as address bar. But then other buttons on the right would have slack space above and below them, unless they readjust themselves, which is again a big design question by itself.

• The aesthetics of nautilus: Having both pathbar and address bar would be awfully ugly to see.

• Most people, and I mean barring a handful of exceptions like you and me, people have preference for either. Its a clear choice for them. Having an option to "tweak" this would mean cluttering the preferences section of nautilus, again to no avail. In fact, in the recent version, you can see that a lot of configuration and menu options have been removed, or hidden to make the overall experience of the nautilus very very simple.

• Wastage of screen real-estate: You would require only either of them at any point. This is true even if you are a person who use both of them multiple times throughout the day. You would want just either of them at any time, and it just makes sense, even from your point of view, to actually press Ctrl + L when you want the access to the other thing. Seeing the unrequired alternative on the screen would clutter the thinking process too.

Solution 2

Whilst I don't know if at all possible in Nautilus, I beleive Thunar may serve your wishes. It shows the button bar by default, but pressing Ctrl+L will result in the text bar popping out as shown below, allowing you to copy/paste or change directory by typing. When you press enter it goes away and you have the button bar. You have the best of both worlds.

In my opinion Thunar is "quicker" than nautilus but have no figures to back this up. It has an incredibly simple look and interface which I prefer.

Solution 3

I don't think it's possible to have both buttons and path at the same time.

On a side note, another way to permanently enable the path instead of buttons is to use dconf, a "low-level key/value database designed for storing desktop environment settings". Install dconf-tools and launch dconf-editor:

$ sudo apt-get install --yes dconf-tools
$ dconf-editor

Then navigate to org > gnome > nautilus > preferences and check always-use-location-entry.

Solution 4

First install dconf-tools

sudo apt-get install dconf-tools

After installation open dconf-editor go to org –> gnome –> nautilus –> preferences and choose always-use-location-entry

Solution 5

I am not sure whether you prefer only nautilus, but I am writing in a hope that you would like this. You have helped me many times hope I'll return the same at least once.

XFE can display the path bar and address bar in much better way. Here are some images:

I found this file manager so useful and currently I'm sticking to it :)

To install in Ubuntu just execute this command:

sudo apt-get install xfe

View more solutions

Comments

[Oli]

What do you mean? Show both the buttons and the text input?

[Radu Rădeanu]

@oli Exactly. But I think that the only way is to modify the source code of Nautilus. I tried before, but without success...

[Programster]

I still don't understand. Would you have both bars on screen one above the other?

[Huseyin]

Can you use Nemo instead of Nautilus?

[faizal]

+1 for the Ctrl+L shortcut

[Mohammed Joraid]

As moving from win10 to Ubuntu. Win has it as buttons, once you click on an empty area along the line of the buttons, the area will be automatically converted to a text field.

[Randy Cragun]

This is one of my favorite things about the Windows Explorer. I use it almost every day.

[MewX]

This solution makes it permanently: unix.stackexchange.com/a/154115/161428

[Josiah]

These images are no longer available.

[Caimen]

This is something Windows did right, by merging them together.

[Ejaz]

most of the answer is fluff anyways, so TL;DR, having both is impossible at the time of writing but you can switch to path bar using Ctrl+L and switch back to buttons using Esc.

[Zamicol]

This should work in Mate as well. For Caja, the location is org/mate/caja/preferences and the always-use-location-entry option.

[Jose Gómez]

Why would people downvote without giving a comment as to why they are downvoting? This seems like a constructive answer.

[Mohammed Joraid]

Windows has it as buttons (clickable links) by default, however, once you click on an empty area along the bar line of the buttons, the area will be automatically converted to a text field and the user can copy/edit/paste the new path. Once the text field loses focus, it goes back to buttons.

[neuronet]

This is Linux we should be able to control it. I have a 43 inch monitor I don't care if a few extra pixels are needed for this functionality, which would obviously be helpful. Sometimes function needs to override aesthetics. Plus, windows did it right just replicate what they did .

[jozxyqk]

*uninstalls nautilus (thanks for the explanation though!)

[Lothar]

I can use the search but something is not right if i can't add an absolute path into the search box.

[apokryfos]

In Ubuntu 18.04 this is actually works a lot better and is much closer to what OP wanted.

[DimiDak]

its= of it. it's= it is. It doesn't look ugly on mac or windows. One should expect more from a file browser of an OS that needs C skills to operate and it is supposed to have an audience which also requires to be responsible when using power and blah blah blah.

[PeterM]

+10 for this answer! On my Ubuntu 19.04 package have different name, ie sudo apt install dconf-editor.

[PeterM]

Pretty decent and fast file explorer, however it's also pretty ugly and does not use system theme.

[bviktor]

"Most people prefer either one or the other, so having an option would clutter preferences to no avail." That statement makes no sense whatsoever lol.

[lilHar]

@bviktor Not to mention plenty of people, when given the option, switch back and forth. Buttons are better for quick navigation, awhile path is better when you are copy-pasting locations.

[Naresh Mehta]

Yes, this is the correct answer. The others are just fluff trying to sound intelligent without solving the problem at hand!

[jrh]

Note that in 20.04 it appears that the package name is dconf-editor too. Also Ubuntu Mate users should set org.mate.caja.preferences.always-use-location-entry.

[racic]

What a horrible, stupid idea, I'm happy i'm not using Gnome.

[vuhung3990]

True solution, works on ubntu 18.04

[Pierre-Antoine Guillaume]

dconf write /org/gnome/nautilus/preferences/always-use-location-entry true dconf is already present in (at least) Ubuntu 20.04

[progonkpa]

Working on Manjaro Phavo. Finally! So happy with Thunar, thank you for sharing.

[Admin]

Working in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS