Java Desktop System Release 3 User Guide

Chapter 5 Using Your File Manager

Nautilus is the name of the Java Desktop System file manager that provides an integrated access point to your files and applications.

This chapter describes how to use the file manager.

Introduction to File Manager

The file manager provides an integrated access point to your files and applications. The file manager enables you to do the following:

Create folders and documents
Display your files and folders
Manage your files and folders
Customize your files and folders
Open special URI locations
Write data to a CD
Mount and format media

The file manager also manages the desktop background. The desktop background lies behind all of the other components on your visible desktop. The desktop background is an active component of the user interface.

To open a file manager window, double-click on the Documents object on the desktop background. The file manager window displays the contents of your default documents location in the view pane.

File Manager Windows

File manager windows enable you to display and manage your files and folders. Figure 5–1 shows a file manager window that displays the contents of a folder.

Figure 5–1 Contents of a Folder in a File Manager Window

A folder in a file manager window. Menubar, toolbar, location bar, zoom buttons, side pane, view pane.

Table 5–1 describes the components of file manager windows.

Table 5–1 File Manager Window Components


Component	Description
Menubar	Contains menus that you use to perform tasks in the file manager.
Toolbar	Contains buttons that you use to perform tasks in the file manager.
Location bar	Contains the following elements: Location field or Go To field: Enables you to specify a file, folder, or URI that you want to view. Zoom buttons: Enable you to change the size of items in the view pane. View as drop-down list: Enables you to choose how to show items in your view pane.
Side pane	Performs the following functions: Shows information about the current file or folder. Enables you to navigate through your files. The side pane contains a drop-down list that enables you to choose what to show in the side pane. You can choose from the following options: Information Emblems History Notes Tree To display the side pane, choose View -> Side Pane.
View pane	Shows the contents of the following: Particular types of files Folders FTP sites Locations that correspond to special URIs
Statusbar	Displays status information.

You can also open a popup menu from file manager windows. To open this popup menu right-click in a file manager window. The items in this menu depend on where you right-click. For example, when you right-click on a file or folder, you can choose items related to the file or folder. When you right-click on the background of a view pane, you can choose items related to the display of items in the view pane.

View Pane

The view pane can display the contents of the following:

Particular types of files
Folders
FTP sites
Locations that correspond to special URIs

The file manager contains viewer components that enable you to display particular types of file in the view pane. For example, you can use a text viewer to display text files in the view pane.

Displaying a file in the view pane provides the following benefits:

Uses less system resources than when you launch an application.
Takes less time than when you launch an application.

However, you cannot edit a file in the view pane.

The file manager also includes views that enable you to display the contents of your folders in different ways. For example, you can display the contents of a folder in the following types of view:

Icon view: Shows the items in the folder as icons.
List view: Shows the items in the folder as a list.

Use the View menu to choose how to display a folder. For more information on views, see Using Views to Display Your Files and Folders.

Side Pane

To display the side pane, choose View -> Side Pane. You can choose what information you want to view in the side pane. You can choose to display one of the following:

Information

Displays an icon that represents the current file or current folder. Also displays information about the current file or current folder. If a file is displayed in the view pane, buttons appear in the side pane. The buttons enable you to perform actions on a file, other than the default action.
Emblems

Contains emblems that you can add to a file or folder.
History

Contains a history list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URIs that you have recently visited.
Notes

Enables you to add notes to your files and folders.
Tree

Displays a hierarchical representation of your file system. You can use the Tree to navigate through your files.

To close the side pane, click on the X button at the top right of the side pane.

Icons and Emblems

In icon view, the file manager displays your files and folders as icons. You can add emblems to your file icons and folder icons. An emblem is a small icon that you can add to an item to visually mark the item. For example, to mark a file as important, you can add an Important emblem to the file icon to create the following visual effect:

For more information on how to add an emblem to an icon, see To Add an Emblem to a File or Folder.

The following table describes the structure of the file icon:

Component	Description
	Emblem. This emblem is the Important emblem.
	Icon that represents the file. This icon might contain a preview of the contents of the file.
	Icon caption. You can modify what items of information are displayed in the icon caption.

The file manager includes default emblems for the following types of item:

Symbolic links
Items for which you have the following permissions:
- Read permission only
- No read permission and no write permission

The following table shows the default emblems:

Default Emblem	Description
	Symbolic link
	Read permission only
	No read permission and no write permission

Navigating Your Computer

The file manager provides an integrated access point to your files, applications, FTP sites, and URIs.

This section describes the following:

How to display items in file manager windows.
How to open files from file manager windows.
How to navigate the files and folders in your file system.
How to open locations on your file system.
How to navigate to FTP sites.
How to access special URI locations.

To Display a Folder

You can display the contents of a folder in any of the following ways:

Double-click on the folder in the view pane.
In the Location field, type the path of the folder that you want to display, then press Return. The Location field includes an autocomplete feature. As you type a path, the file manager reads your file system. When you type enough characters to uniquely identify a directory, the file manager completes the name of the directory in the Location field.
Use the Tree in the side pane. For more information, see Using the Tree From the Side Pane.
Use the Back toolbar button and the Forward toolbar button to browse through your navigation history.

To change to the folder that is one level above the current folder, choose Go -> Up. Alternatively, click on the Up toolbar button.

To reload the display, click on the Reload button.

If you cannot find the folder that you want to display, you can use Search Tool. To start the Search Tool, click Launch, then choose Find Files.

Using the Tree From the Side Pane

The Tree displays a hierarchical representation of your file system. The Tree provides a convenient way to navigate your file system. To display the Tree in the side pane, choose Tree from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane.

In the Tree, folders are represented as follows:

Folder State	Graphic Representation
Closed folder	Right arrow
Open folder	Down arrow

Table 5–2 describes the tasks that you can perform with the Tree, and how to perform the tasks.

Table 5–2 Tree Tasks


Task	Action
Open the Tree.	Choose Tree from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane.
Close the Tree.	Choose another item from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane.
Open a folder in the Tree.	Click on the arrow next to the folder in the Tree.
Close a folder in the Tree.	Click on the arrow next to the folder in the Tree.
Display the contents of a folder in the view pane.	Select the folder in the Tree.
Display the contents of a file in the view pane.	Select the file in the Tree.

You can set your preferences so that the Tree does not display files.

Opening Files

When you open a file, the file manager performs the default action for that file type. The default action can be one of the following:

Use a viewer component to display the file in the view pane.
Launch an application that opens the file.

The file manager checks the contents of a file to determine the type of a file. If the first lines do not determine the type of the file, then the file manager checks the file extension.

If you cannot find the file that you want to open, you can use Search Tool. To start the Search Tool, click Launch, then choose Find Files.

Viewing Files in the View Pane

The file manager contains viewer components that enable you to display particular types of file in the view pane. For example, you can display the following types of files in the view pane:

Plain text files
PNG files
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) files

To reload the contents of the view pane, choose View -> Reload. To stop loading an item in the view pane, choose View -> Stop.

When you display a file in the view pane, the viewer component might add menu items to the file manager menus. The menu items relate to the file type that is displayed. For example, when you display a PNG file, the Edit menu contains flip and rotate menu items.

Also, when you display some types of file in the view pane, you can use the file manager zoom buttons to change the size of the item.

To Execute the Default Action

To execute the default action for a file, double-click on the file. For example, if the default action for plain text documents is to display the file in a text viewer. In this case, you can double-click on the file to display the file in a text viewer.

You can set your file manager preferences so that you click once on a file to execute the default action.

To Execute Non-Default Actions Using the Open With Submenu

To execute actions other than the default action for a file, perform the following steps:

In the view pane, select the file that you want to perform an action on. Choose File -> Open With. The Open With submenu opens. The items in this submenu correspond to the contents of the following parts of the File Associations preference tool:
- Default action drop-down list in the Edit file type dialog
- Viewer component drop-down list in the Edit file type dialog
Choose an action from the Open With submenu.

To Execute Other Actions When Displaying a File

When you display a file in the view pane, the side pane might contain buttons.

The buttons represent any actions that are defined in the File Associations preference tool. The actions are defined in the Default action drop-down list in the Edit file type dialog in the File Associations preference tool. Click on a button to execute an action. For example, if an action defined for plain text documents is to open the file in the gedit text editor. If this action is defined, an Open with gedit button is displayed in the side pane. To open the file in the gedit application, click on the Open with gedit button.

Note –

A button that represents the action does not appear in the side pane if the actions are excluded in either of the following dialogs:

Open with Other Application
Open with Other Viewer

To Open Locations

The file manager provides an integrated access point to your files, applications, FTP sites, and URIs.

You can use the file manager to quickly access different locations on your file system. To open a location, perform the following steps:

Choose Go -> Location.
In the Location field, type the path of the folder that you want to display
Press Return.

The Location field includes an autocomplete feature. As you type a path, the file manager reads your file system. When you type enough characters to uniquely identify a directory, the file manager autocompletes the name of the directory in the Location field.

Using the This Computer Location

The This Computer location enables you to access the following functions:

Applications

Double-click Applications to access your key Java Desktop Systems applications. You can also access the Applications menu through the Launch menu and the Menu Bar.
Documents

Double-click on Documents to access your home folder. Alternatively, double-click on the Documents object on the desktop background.
File System

Double-click on File System to access the top level folder of the Java Desktop System. You can also access your CD-ROM, and floppy drives from here.
Network Places

Double-click on Network Places to displays network locations to which you can connect, if your system is configured to access locations on a network.
Preferences

Double-click on Preferences to customize the Java Desktop System. You can also access the preference tools through the Launch menu

You can access the This Computer location in the following ways:

From the desktop background

Double-click on the This Computer object on the desktop background. The contents of the This Computer location are displayed in a file browser window.
From a file browser window, access the computer:/// URI.

To Access FTP Sites

You can use the file manager to access FTP sites. To access an FTP site, enter the URL for the site in the field on the location bar, then press Return. The contents of the site are displayed in the view pane. To copy a file from the FTP site, drag the file to the new location.

To access an FTP site that requires a username and password, you can enter the URL in the following form:

ftp://username:password@hostname.domain

To reload the FTP site in the view pane, choose View -> Reload. To stop loading the FTP site, choose View -> Stop.

To Access Network Places

If your system is configured to access places on a network, you can use the file manager to access the network places.

To access network places, open the file manager and choose File -> Add Network Place. Alternatively, double-click on the Network Places object on the desktop background. A file manager window is displayed. The window displays the network places that you can access. Double-click on the network that you want to access.

To access Windows shares, double-click on the Windows Network (SMB) object. A list of the Windows shares available to you is displayed in the file manager window.

To Add a Network Place

To add a network place, perform the following steps:

If your system is configured to access places on a network, open the file manager and choose File -> Add Network Place. Alternatively, double-click on the Network Places object on the desktop background.

Double-click on the Add Network Place object. The Add Network Place dialog is displayed. Enter the details of the server in the dialog, as follows:

Dialog Element	Description
Location	Use this text box to specify the location that you want to add. Alternatively, select one of the following locations from the drop-down list: FTP Server Web Folder Windows Network (SMB)
Shortcut name	Use this text box to specify a shortcut name for the network place.
Anonymous login	FTP Server option only. Select this option to log in to the FTP server as an anonymous user.
No login required	Web Folder and Windows Network (SMB) options only. Select this option if you do not need to log in to the web folder, or Windows share.
Username	Use this text box to specify a username when you connect to the specified network place. When you connect to the network place, you must enter your password.
Go there now	Select this option if you want to access the network place immediately.

Click on the Connect button to connect to your network place. Otherwise, click Cancel to close the Add Network Place dialog.

Accessing Special URI Locations

The Java Desktop System contains special URI locations that enable you to access particular functions from the file manager. For example, to access the preference tools, you can access the preferences:/// URI in a file manager window. Table 5–3 lists the special URI locations that you can use with the file manager.

Table 5–3 Special URI Locations


URI Location	Description
`applications:///`	Displays a list of the applications in the Java Desktop System. The applications are the same as the applications in the Applications menu. To open an application, double-click on the application.
`computer:///`	Displays a list of applications and preference tools in the Java Desktop System. Also displays icons to access your file system, CD-ROM, and floppy drives.
`network:///`	Displays network locations to which you can connect, if your system is configured to access locations on a network. To access a network location, double-click on the network location. You can also use this URI to add network locations to your system.
`preferences:///`	Displays a list of the preference tools in the Java Desktop System. The preference tools are the same as the preference tools in the Preferences menu. To open a preference tool, double-click on the preference tool.
`server-settings:///`	Displays a list of applications that you can use to configure your system as a server.
`system-settings:///`	Displays a list of applications that you can use to modify your system settings.

Using Your Navigation History

The file manager maintains a history list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URI locations. You can use the history list to navigate to files, folders, FTP sites, and URI locations that you have recently visited. Your history list contains the last ten items that you viewed. The following sections describe how to navigate your history list.

To clear your history list choose Go -> Clear History.

To Navigate Your History List Using the Go Menu

To display a list of previously-viewed items, choose the Go menu. Your history list is displayed in the lower part of the Go menu. To open an item in your history list, choose the item from the Go menu.

To Navigate Your History List Using the Toolbar

To use the toolbar to navigate your history list, perform one of the following actions:

To open the previous file, folder, or URI in your history list, click on the Back toolbar button.
To open the next file, folder, or URI in your history list, click on the Forward toolbar button.
To display a list of previously-viewed items, click on the down arrow to the right of the Back toolbar button. To open an item from this list, click on the item.
To display a list of items that you viewed after you viewed the current item, click on the down arrow to the right of the Forward toolbar button. To open an item from this list, click on the item.

To Navigate Your History List Using History in the Side Pane

To display the History list in the side pane, choose History from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane. The History list in the side pane displays a list of your previously-viewed items.

To display an item from your history list in the view pane, click on the item in the History list.

To Bookmark Your Favorite Locations

To access an item in your bookmarks, choose the item from the Bookmarks menu. You can add your favorite locations to your Bookmarks menu. You can add bookmarks to files and folders in your file system, to FTP sites, or to URI locations.

To Add a Bookmark

To add a bookmark, display the item that you want to bookmark in the view pane. Choose Bookmarks -> Add Bookmark.

To Edit a Bookmark

To edit your bookmarks perform the following steps:

Choose Bookmarks -> Edit Bookmarks.

To edit a bookmark, select the bookmark on the left side of the Edit Bookmarks dialog. Edit the details for the bookmark on the right side of the Edit Bookmarks dialog, as follows:

Dialog Element	Description
Name	Use this text box to specify the name that identifies the bookmark in the Bookmarks menu.
Location	Use this field to specify the location of the bookmark.

To delete a bookmark, select the bookmark on the left side of the dialog. Click Delete.

Managing Your Files and Folders

This section describes how to work with your files and folders.

Drag-and-Drop in the File Manager

You can use drag-and-drop to perform several tasks in the file manager. When you drag-and-drop, the mouse pointer provides feedback about the task that you perform. Table 5–4 describes the tasks that you can perform with drag-and-drop. The table also shows the mouse pointers that appear when you drag-and-drop.

Table 5–4 Drag-and-Drop in the File Manager


Task	Action	Mouse Pointer
Move an item	Drag the item to the new location.
Copy an item	Grab the item, then press-and-hold Ctrl. Drag the item to the new location.
Create a symbolic link to an item	Grab the item, then press-and-hold Ctrl + Shift. Drag the item to the location where you want the symbolic link to reside.
Ask what to do with the item you drag	Grab the item, then press-and-hold Alt. Drag the item to the location where you want the item to reside. Release the mouse button. A popup menu appears. Choose one of the following items from the popup menu: Move here Moves the item to the location. Copy here Copies the item to the location. Link here Creates a symbolic link to the item at the location. Set as Background If the item is an image, sets the image to be the desktop background. You can use this command to set the desktop background and the view pane background. Cancel Cancels the drag-and-drop operation.

To Select Files and Folders

You can select files and folders in several ways in the file manager. Table 5–5 describes how to select items in file manager windows and from the desktop background.

Table 5–5 Selecting Items in the File Manager


Task	Action
Select an item	Click on the item.
Select a group of contiguous items	In icon view, drag around the files that you want to select. In list view, click on the first item in the group. Press-and-hold Shift, then click on the last item in the group.
Select multiple items	Press-and-hold Ctrl. Click on the items that you want to select. Alternatively, press-and-hold Ctrl, then drag around the files that you want to select.
Select all items in a folder	Choose Edit -> Select All Files.

To perform the default action on an item, double-click on the item. You can set your file manager preferences so that you click once on a file to execute the default action.

To Move a File or Folder

The following sections describe the ways that you can move a file or folder.

Drag to the New Location in a View Pane

To drag a file or folder to a new location in a view pane, perform the following steps:

Open a file manager window. Choose File -> New Window to open a second file manager window.
In one window, select the folder from which you want to move the file or folder. In the other window, select the folder to which you want to move the file or folder.
Drag the file or folder that you want to move to the new location in the other window.

To move the file or folder to a folder that is one level below the current location, do not open a new window. Instead, drag the file or folder to the new location in the same window.

Cut and Paste to the New Location

You can cut a file or folder and paste the file or folder into another folder, as follows:

Select the file or folder that you want to move, then choose Edit -> Cut File.
Open the folder to which you want to move the file or folder, then choose Edit -> Paste Files.

To Copy a File or Folder

The following sections describe the ways you can copy a file or folder.

Drag to the New Location in a View Pane

To copy a file or folder perform the following steps:

Open a file manager window. Choose File -> New Window to open a second file manager window.
In one window, select the folder from which you want to copy the file or folder. In the other window, select the folder to which you want to copy the file or folder.
Grab the file or folder, then press-and-hold Ctrl. Drag the file or folder to the new location in the other window.

To copy the file or folder to a folder that is one level below the current location, do not open a new window. Instead, grab the file or folder, then press-and-hold Ctrl. Drag the file or folder to the new location in the same window.

Copy and Paste to the New Location

You can copy a file or folder and paste the file or folder into another folder, as follows:

Select the file or folder that you want to copy, then choose Edit -> Copy File.
Open the folder to which you want to copy the file or folder, then choose Edit -> Paste Files.

To Duplicate a File or Folder

To create a copy of a file or folder in the current folder perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder that you want to duplicate in the view pane.
Choose Edit -> Duplicate. Alternatively, right-click on the file or folder in the view pane, then choose Duplicate.

A copy of the file or folder appears in the current folder.

To Create a Folder

To create a folder perform the following steps:

Select the folder where you want to create the new folder.
Choose File -> Create Folder. Alternatively, right-click on the background of the view pane, then choose Create Folder.

An untitled folder is added to the view pane. The name of the folder is selected.
Type a name for the folder, then press Return.

To Rename a File or Folder

To rename a file or folder perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder that you want to rename in the view pane.
Choose Edit -> Rename. Alternatively, right-click on the file or folder in the view pane, then choose Rename.

The name of the file or folder is selected.
Type a new name for the file or folder, then press Return.

Templates and Documents

You can create templates from documents that you frequently create. For example, if you often create invoices, you can create an empty invoice document and save the document as invoice.doc in the $HOME/Templates folder.

You can also access the templates folder from a file browser window. Choose Go -> Templates.

The template name is displayed as a submenu item in the Create Document menu.

You can also create subfolders in the template folder. Subfolders display as submenus in the menu.

You can also share templates. Create a symbolic link from the template folder to the folder that contains the shared templates.

To Create a Document

If you have document templates, you can choose to create a document from one of the installed templates.

To create a document perform the following steps:

Select the folder where you want to create the new document.
Choose File -> Create Document. Alternatively, right-click on the background of the view pane, then choose Create Document.

The names of any available templates are displayed as submenu items from the Create Document menu.
Double-click on the template name for the document that you want to create.
Rename the document and save to the appropriate folder.

To Move a File or Folder to Trash

To move a file or folder to Trash perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder that you want to move to Trash in the view pane.
Choose Edit -> Move to Trash. Alternatively, right-click on the file or folder in the view pane, then choose Move to Trash.

Alternatively, you can drag the file or folder from the view pane to the Trash object on the desktop background.

Note –

When you move a file or folder from a removable media to Trash, the file or folder is stored in a Trash location on the removable media. To remove the file or folder permanently from the removable media, you must empty Trash.

To Delete a File or Folder

When you delete a file or folder, the file or folder is not moved to Trash, but is deleted from your file system immediately. The Delete menu item is only available if you select the Include a Delete command that bypasses Trash option in the Folders Preferences dialog.

To delete a file or folder perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder that you want to delete in the view pane.
Choose Edit -> Delete. Alternatively, right-click on the file or folder in the view pane, then choose Delete.

To Create a Symbolic Link to a File or Folder

A symbolic link is a special type of file that points to another file or folder. When you perform an action on a symbolic link, the action is performed on the file or folder to which the symbolic link points. However, when you delete a symbolic link, you delete the link file, not the file to which the symbolic link points.

To create a symbolic link to a file or folder, select the file or folder to which you want to create a link. Choose Edit -> Make Link. A link to the file or folder is added to the current folder.

Alternatively, grab the item to which you want to create a link, then press-and-hold Ctrl + Shift. Drag the item to the location where you want to place the link.

By default, the file manager adds an emblem to symbolic links.

Note –

The permissions of a symbolic link are determined by the file or folder to which a symbolic link points.

To View the Properties of a File or Folder

To view the properties of a file or folder, perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder whose properties you want to view.
Choose File -> Properties.
Use the properties dialog to view the properties of the file or folder.
Click Close to close the properties dialog.

To Change Permissions

Permissions are settings assigned to each file and folder that determine what type of access users can have to the file or folder. The following table lists the permissions that you can set for files and folders, and the effect of the permission on files and folders:

Permission	File	Folder
Read	Permission to read the file.	Permission to list the contents of the folder.
Write	Permission to make changes to the file.	Permission to create and delete files in the folder.
Execute	Permission to run the file as a program. This is only relevant if the file is a program or script.	Permission to access files in the directory.

You can set permissions for different types of user. The following table lists the types of user that you can set for which you can set permissions:

User Category	Description
Owner	The user that created the file or folder.
Group	The group to which the owner belongs.
Others	All other users who are not in the group to which the owner belongs.

To change the permissions on a file or folder perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder that you want to change.
Choose File -> Properties.

Click on the Permissions tab. In the Permissions tabbed section, use the drop-down lists and check boxes to change the permissions for the file or folder. The following table describes the dialog elements on the Permissions tabbed section:

Element	Description
File owner	To change the owner of the file or folder, select the owner from the drop-down list.
File group	To change the group to which a file or folder belongs, select the group from the drop-down list.
Owner	Select the permissions that you want to apply to the owner of the file or folder.
Group	Select the permissions that you want to apply to the group to which the owner of the file or folder belongs.
Others	Select the permissions that you want to apply to all other users who are not in the group to which the owner belongs.
Text view	Displays the permissions that you select from the Read, Write, and Execute options, in text format.
Number view	Displays the permissions that you select from the Read, Write, and Execute options, in text format.
Last changed	Displays the date and time that the file or folder was last modified.

Click Close to close the properties dialog.

Adding Notes to Files and Folders

You can add notes to files or folders. You can add notes to files or folders in the following ways:

From the Properties dialog
From Notes in the side pane

To Add a Note Using the Properties Dialog

To add a note to a file or folder, perform the following steps:

Select the file or folder to which you want to add a note.
Choose File -> Properties.
Click on the Notes tab in the properties dialog. In the Notes tabbed section, type the note.
Click Close to close the properties dialog. A note emblem is added to the file or folder.

To delete a note, delete the note text from the Notes tabbed section.

To Add a Note Using Notes in the Side Pane

To add a note to a file or folder, perform the following steps:

Open the file or folder to which you want to add a note in the view pane.
Choose Notes from the drop-down list at the top of the side pane. To display the side pane, choose View -> Side Pane.
Type the note in the side pane. A note emblem is added to the file or folder in the view pane, and a note icon is added to the side pane. You can click on this icon to display the note.

To delete a note, delete the note text from Notes in the side pane.

Using Trash

You can move the following items to Trash:

Files
Folders
Desktop background objects

If you need to retrieve a file from Trash, you can display Trash and move the file out of Trash. When you empty Trash, you delete the contents of Trash permanently.

To Display Trash

You can display the contents of Trash in the following ways:

From a file manager window

Choose Go -> Trash. The contents of Trash are displayed in the window.
From the desktop background

Double-click on the Trash object on the desktop background.

To Empty Trash

You can empty the contents of Trash in the following ways:

From a file manager window

Choose File -> Empty Trash.
From the desktop background

Right-click on the Trash object, then choose Empty Trash.

Modifying the Appearance of Files and Folders

The file manager enables you to modify the appearance of your files and folders in several ways, as described in the following sections.

To Add an Emblem to a File or Folder

To add an emblem to an item perform the following steps:

Select the item to which you want to add an emblem.
Right-click on the item, then choose Properties.
Click on the Emblems tab in the properties dialog to display the Emblems tabbed section.
Select the emblem to add to the item.
Click Close to close the properties dialog.

To Add a New Emblem

To add a new emblem, perform the following steps:

Choose Edit -> Backgrounds and Emblems.
Click on the Emblem button, then click on the Add a New Emblem button in the Backgrounds and Emblems dialog.
Type a name for the emblem in the Keyword text box of the Create a New Emblem dialog.
Click on the Image button.
Click Browse in the Select an image file for the new emblem dialog. When you choose an emblem, click OK.
Click OK in the Create a New Emblem dialog.

To Change the Icon for a File or Folder

To change the icon that represents an individual file or folder, perform the following steps:

Select a file or folder.
Choose File -> Properties.
On the Basic tabbed section in the properties dialog, click on the Select Custom Icon button.
Use the Select an icon dialog to choose the icon to represent the file or folder. Click Ok.
Click Close to close the properties dialog.

To restore an icon from a custom icon to the default icon specified in the File Associations preference tool, right-click on the icon then choose Remove Custom Icon. Alternatively, click on the Remove Custom Icon button on the properties dialog.

To change the icon that represents a file type, use the File Associations preference tool.

To Change the Size of Items in a View

You can change the size of items in a view. You can change the size if the view displays a file or a folder. You can change the size of items in a view in the following ways:

To enlarge the size of items in a view, choose View -> Zoom In.
To reduce the size of items in a view, choose View -> Zoom Out.
To return items in a view to the normal size, choose View -> Normal Size.

You can also use the zoom buttons on the location bar to change the size of items in a view. Table 5–6 describes how to use the zoom buttons.

Table 5–6 Zoom Buttons


Button	Button Name	Description
	Zoom Out button	Click on this button to reduce the size of items in a view.
	Normal Size button	Click on this button to return items in a view to normal size.
	Zoom In button	Click on this button to enlarge the size of items in a view.

The file manager remembers the size of items in a particular folder. The next time that you display the folder, the items are displayed in the size that you selected. In other words, when you change the size of items in a folder, you customize the folder to display the items at that size. To return the size of the items to the default size specified in your preferences, choose View -> Reset View to Defaults.

Using Views to Display Your Files and Folders

The file manager provides several ways to display the contents of your files. The file manager includes viewer components that enable you to display particular types of file in the view pane. For example, you can use a web page viewer to display HTML files in the view pane. You can use a text viewer to view plain text files in the view pane.

You can also use the file manager to open a file in an appropriate application. For more information, see Opening Files.

The file manager includes views that enable you to show the contents of your folders in different ways. For example, you can show the contents of a folder in the following types of view:

Icon view

Shows the items in the folder as icons.
List view

Shows the items in the folder as a list.

Use the View menu to choose how to display a file or folder. You can also use the View as drop-down list to choose how to display a file or folder. When you display a folder, you can specify how you want to arrange or sort items in the folder. You can modify the size of the items in the view pane. The following sections describe how to work with icon view, list view, and views of files.

To Choose a View in Which to Display a File or Folder

Choose the type of view in which to display the contents of a file or folder from the View menu.

Alternatively, to choose a view, choose View -> View as. Select the view that you want to use from the Open with Other Viewer dialog, then click on the Choose button.

You can also choose the type of view from the View as drop-down list. The View as drop-down list is located at the right side of the location bar.

You can display different folders in different views. The file manager remembers the view that you choose for a particular folder. The next time that you display the folder, the file manager displays the folder in that view. To return the view for the folder to the default view specified in your preferences, choose View -> Reset View to Defaults.

To Arrange Your Files in Icon View

When you display the contents of a folder in icon view, you can specify how to arrange the items in the folder. To specify how to arrange items in icon view, choose View -> Arrange Items. The Arrange Items submenu contains the following sections:

The top section contains an option that enables you to arrange your files manually.
The middle section contains options that enable you to sort your files automatically.
The bottom section contains options that enable you to modify how your files are arranged.

Choose the appropriate options from the submenu, as described in the following table:

Option	Description
Manually	Select this option to arrange the items manually. To arrange the items manually, drag the items to the location you require within the view pane.
By Name	Select this option to sort the items alphabetically by name. The order of the items is not case sensitive. If the file manager is set to display hidden files, the hidden files are shown last.
By Size	Select this option to sort the items by size, with the largest item first. When you sort items by size, the folders are sorted by the number of items in the folder. The folders are not sorted by the total size of the items in the folder.
By Type	Select this option to sort the items alphabetically by object type. The items are sorted alphabetically by the description of their MIME type in the `File Associations` preference tool. The MIME type identifies the format of a file, and enables applications to read the file. For example, an email application can use the `image/png` MIME type to detect that a PNG file is attached to an email.
By Modification Date	Select this option to sort the items by the date the items were last modified. The most recently modified item is first.
By Emblems	Select this option to sort the items by any emblems that are added to the items. The items are sorted alphabetically by emblem name. Items that do not have emblems are sorted after items with emblems.
Compact Layout	Select this option to arrange the items so that the items are closer to each other.
Reversed Order	Select this option to reverse the order of the option by which you sort the items. For example, if you sort the items by name, select the Reversed Order option to sort the items in reverse alphabetical order.

The file manager remembers how you arrange the items in a particular folder. The next time that you display the folder, the items are arranged in the way that you selected. In other words, when you specify how to arrange the items in a folder, you customize the folder to display the items in that way. To return the arrangement settings of the folder to the default arrangement settings specified in your preferences, choose View -> Reset View to Defaults.

To Resize an Icon in Icon View

In icon view, you can change the size of the icon that represents an item that is displayed. To change the size of an item in icon view, perform the following steps:

Right-click on the item that you want to resize, then choose Stretch Icon. A rectangle appears around the item, with a handle at each corner.
Grab one of the handles, then drag the icon to the size that you want.

To return the icon to the original size, right-click on the icon, then choose Restore Icon's Original Size.

You can also resize objects on the desktop background.

To Modify the Behavior of a View

You can modify the behavior of a view in the following ways:

Specify that the view is the default view for a particular file or folder.
Specify that the view is the default view for a file type or all folders.
Specify that the view is an item in the View as submenu for a particular file or folder.
Specify that the view is an item in the View as submenu for all of a particular file type or for all folders.
Specify that the view is not an item in the View as submenu for a particular file or folder.

To modify the behavior of a view perform the following steps:

Choose View -> View as.
Select the view that you want to modify from the table in the Open with Other Viewer dialog.

Click on the Modify button. The following table describes the options on the Modify dialog:

Option	Description
Include in the menu for `item-name` items	Select this option to include the view in the View as submenu for this type of item.
Use as default for `item-name` items	Select this option to use the view as the default for this type of item.
Include in the menu for `item-name` only	Select this option to include the view in the View as submenu for this item only.
Use as default for `item-name` only	Select this option to use the view as the default for this item only.
Don't include in the menu for `item-name` items	Select this option to exclude the view from the View as submenu for this type of item.

Click OK, then click Cancel to close the Open with Other Viewer dialog.

Note –

You can also modify the actions that are associated with a file type in the Edit file type dialog in the File Associations preference tool. To open the Edit file type dialog, click on the Go There button.

Assigning Actions to Files

When you open a file, the file manager performs the default action for that file type. The File Associations preference tool contains a table of file types, their associated file extensions, and their default actions. This table specifies what happens when you double-click on a file in the file manager.

You can also use the file manager to modify the actions that are associated with a particular file or file type.

You can use the File Associations preference tool to perform the following tasks:

Specify the default action for a file type. You can also change the default action for a file type in the file manager.
Associate a file type with one or more applications. The default action might specify to open the file in an application that is associated with the file type.
Associate a file type with one or more viewers. The default action might specify to open the file in a viewer that is associated with the file type.
Associate a file extension with a MIME type. The MIME type specifies the format of the file so that Internet browsers and email applications can read the file.

To Modify Actions

You can modify the actions associated with a file or file type. You can do the following:

Specify that the action is the default action for a particular file.
Specify that the action is the default action for a particular file type.
Specify that the action is an item in the Open With submenu for a particular file.
Specify that the action is an item in the Open With submenu for a particular file type.
Specify that the action is not an item in the Open With submenu for a particular file type.

To modify the actions associated with a file or file type, perform the following steps:

In the view pane, select the file for which you want to modify an action. If you want to modify an action associated with a file type, select a file of that type.
Choose File -> Open With.
Choose Other Application. An Open with Other Application dialog is displayed.
From the table in the dialog, select the application or viewer for which you want to modify the behavior.

Click on the Modify button. The following table describes the options on the Modify dialog:

Option	Description
Include in the menu for `filetype` items	Select this option to include the application or viewer in the Open With submenu for this file type.
Use as default for `filetype` items	Select this option to use the application or viewer as the default action for this file type.
Include in the menu for `filename` only	Select this option to include the application or viewer in the Open With submenu for this file, and not for other files of this type.
Use as default for `filename` only	Select this option to use the application or viewer as the default action for this file, and not for other files of this type.
Don't include in the menu for `filetype` items	Select this option to exclude the application or viewer from the Open With submenu for this file type.

Click OK, then click Cancel to close the dialog.

Note –

Writing CDs

The file manager provides a special location where you can copy files and folders that you want to write to a CD. You can easily write the contents of the location to a CD.

To write a CD, perform the following steps:

From a file browser window, choose Go -> CD Creator. The file manager opens a special location, burn:///, from which you can write CDs.
From a file browser window, copy the files and folders that you want to write to CD into the burn:/// location.
Insert a writable CD into the CD writer device on your system.
Choose File -> Write to CD. Alternatively, click on the Write to CD button on the toolbar.

Use the Write files to a CD recorder dialog to specify how you want to write the CD, as follows:

Dialog Element	Description
Target to write to	Use the drop-down list to select the device to which you want to write the CD. To create a CD image file for the files and folders, select the File image option.
Write speed	Use the drop-down list to select the speed at which you want to write the CD.
CD name	Type a name for the CD in the text box.
Erase CD	Select this option to erase the current contents of the CD.
Eject CD when done	Select this option to eject the CD from the drive when the CD is written.
Reuse these files for another CD	Select this option if you want to write the files and folders to another CD. If you select this option, the files and folders are not removed from the burn:/// location after the CD is written.

Click on the Write files to CD button.

If you selected the File image option from the Target to write to drop-down list, a Choose a filename for the cdrom image dialog is displayed. Use the dialog to specify the location where you want to save the CD image file. By default, CD image files have a .iso file extension.

A Writing CD dialog is displayed. When the CD is written or when the CD image file is created, a message is displayed in the dialog to indicate that the process is complete.

If you created a CD image file, you can write this file to a CD. To write a CD image file to CD, right-click on the CD image file, then choose Write to CD from the popup menu.

If you did not select the Reuse these files for another CD option, the files and folders are removed from the burn:/// location.

Using Removable Media on Linux Systems

The file manager supports all removable media that have the following characteristics:

The removable media has an entry in the /etc/fstab file. The /etc/fstab file describes the file systems that the computer uses.
The user option is specified in the entry for the removable media in the /etc/fstab file.
A hotplug daemon detects and auto mounts USB mass storage devices such as cameras, sticks, and flash memory readers inside the /mnt or /media locations.

The file manager supports the following removable media:

Floppy diskette
CD-ROM
Digital Video Disc (DVD)
USB devices

When the file manager detects a new media, an object for the media is added to the desktop. You can display the contents of the media in a file manager window. You can drag-and-drop files and folders between removable media. You cannot format media that is read-only, such as CD-ROM.

To Access Media on Linux Systems

When you access media, the file system of the media is attached as a subdirectory to your file system. An object that represents the removable media device is present on the desktop background. Systems that have removable media devices installed always display the relevant object on the desktop, regardless of whether any media is detected in the device.

To access media, perform the following steps:

Insert the media into the appropriate device.
Double-click on the device object in the desktop background to access the media.

Alternatively, perform the following steps:

Double-click on the This Computer object.
Double-click on the device containing the media from the This Computer window.

Hotplug automatically configures USB removable storage devices when you connect them to your computer. An object that represents the device is added to the desktop background and inside This Computer. You can double-click these objects to access the USB removable storage devices.

Note –

You cannot change the name of a removable media object.

To Display Media Contents on Linux Systems

You can display media contents in any of the following ways:

Double-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background.
Right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background, then choose Open.

A file manager window displays the contents of the media. To reload the display, click on the Reload button.

To Display Media Properties on Linux Systems

To display the properties of removable media, right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background, then choose Properties. A dialog displays the basic properties of the media.

To close the properties dialog, click Close.

The following table describes the Basic elements on the Media Properties dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
Name	Displays the name assigned to the media.
Type	Displays the type of media.
Contents	Displays the contents of the media.
Location	Displays the file path assigned to the media.
Volume	Displays the name of the volume assigned to the media.
Free Space	Displays the free space available on the media.
Modified	Displays the date that the media was last modified.

Select the Emblems tab to assign an emblem to the media icon.

To view permissions information on the media, select the Permissions tab. The following table describes the Permissions elements on the Media Properties dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
File Owner	Displays the name of the user that owns the file.
File Group	Displays the name of the group that owns the file.
Read/Write/Execute check boxes	Displays the read/write/execute permissions for Owner/Group/Others.
Special Flags	Displays the Set user ID, Set group ID, and Sticky check boxes set for the media.
Text view	Displays the `drwxrwxrwx` string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes.
Number view	Displays the octal string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes.
Last changed	Displays the date that the media was last modified.

Select the Notes tab to assign a note to the media icon.

Click Close to close the Media Properties dialog.

To Format a Floppy Diskette on Linux Systems

To format media is to prepare the media for use with a particular file system. You can use the Floppy Formatter utility to format floppy diskettes.

Caution –

When you format media, you overwrite any existing information on the media.

To format a floppy diskette, perform the following steps:

Insert the diskette in the diskette drive.
To access the Floppy Formatter utility, click Launch, then choose Applications -> Utilities-> Floppy Formatter. A Floppy Formatter dialog is displayed.

Select your format options in the Floppy Formatter dialog. The following table describes the elements on the dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
Floppy device	Displays the name of the floppy device.
Floppy density	Use the drop-down list to select the density of the diskette. The density is the amount of data that the diskette can store.
File system type	Use the drop-down list to select the type of file system in which you want to format the diskette. Select one of the following options: Linux Native (ext 2): Select this option to format a diskette for use on Linux systems. Most non-Linux systems cannot read diskettes with this file system type. DOS (FAT): Select this option to format a diskette for use on Windows systems. Most UNIX-based systems can read diskettes with this file system type.
Volume name	Type the name of the diskette in this text box.
Quick	Select this option to create only the file system on the diskette. A quick format does not check for bad blocks. Select this option if the diskette has been formatted before.
Standard	Select this option to create the file system on the diskette and format the diskette. A standard format does not check for bad blocks. Select this option if the diskette has not been formatted before.
Thorough	Select this option to create the file system on the diskette, check for bad blocks, and format the diskette. Select this option if you want to verify that the diskette has not been damaged.

Click Format to format the diskette.

To Eject Media on Linux Systems

To eject CD-ROMs and DVDs, right-click on the media object, then choose Eject.

To remove a floppy diskette from the drive, wait until the data is written, then eject the media manually from the drive.

To disconnect USB devices, right-click on the media object, then choose Prepare for Removal to sync the data to the device. This ensures that all data on the media is synchronized and no data is lost. You can now disconnect the USB device from your computer.

Using Removable Media on Solaris Systems

The file manager supports the following removable media:

Floppy diskette
CD-ROM
Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Note –

Removable media works on Solaris 9 and Solaris 10 only.

To Display Media Contents on Solaris Systems

You can display media contents in any of the following ways:

Double-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop.
Right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop, then choose Open.

A file manager window displays the contents of the media. To reload the display, click on the Reload button.

To Display Media Properties on Solaris Systems

To display the properties of removable media, right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop, then choose Properties. A Media Properties dialog is displayed.

To view basic information on the media, select the Basic tab. The following table describes the Basic elements on the Media Properties dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
Name	Displays the name assigned to the media.
Location	Displays the file path assigned to the media.
Volume	Displays the name of the volume assigned to the media.
Free Space	Displays the free space available on the media.
Modified	Displays the date that the media was last modified.

Select the Emblems tab to assign an emblem to the media icon.

To view permissions information on the media, select the Permissions tab. The following table describes the Permissions elements on the Media Properties dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
File Owner	Displays the name of the user that owns the file.
File Group	Displays the name of the group that owns the file.
Read/Write/Execute check boxes	Displays the read/write/execute permissions for Owner/Group/Others.
Special Flags	Displays the Set user ID, Set group ID, and Sticky check boxes set for the media.
Text view	Displays the `drwxrwxrwx` string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes.
Number view	Displays the octal string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes.
Notes	Displays a note that you previously assigned to the media using the File Manager. The note is not visible to other users.

Click Close to close the Media Properties dialog.

To Format Media on Solaris Systems

To format media is to prepare the media for use with a particular file system.

When you format media, you overwrite any existing information on the media. To format media, perform the following steps:

Right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop, then choose Format. A Media Format dialog is displayed.

Select your format options in the Media Format dialog. The following table describes the elements on the dialog:

Dialog Element	Description
Quick Format	Select this option to format without certification, or with limited certification of certain tracks on the media.
Long Format	Select this option to perform a complete format. For some devices this might include certification of whole media by the drive.
File System Type	Use the drop-down list to select the type of file system in which you want to format the media. Select from the following options: PCFS (DOS): Select this option if you want to use the media on an MS-DOS operating system. UFS (UNIX): Select this option if you want to use the media on a UNIX operating system. UDFS (UNIX): Select this option if you want to format the media in Universal Disk File System (UDFS). NEC (DOS): Select this option if you want to format the media in the NEC file system.
Volume Label	Type the name for the media in the text box.

Click Apply to format the media.

To Eject Media on Solaris Systems

To eject a floppy, right-click on the floppy object on the desktop, then choose Unmount Volume. If the drive for the media is motorized, the media is ejected from the drive. If the drive for the media is not a motorized drive, a message is displayed when you can manually eject the media.

To eject a CD-ROM, right-click on the CD-ROM object on the desktop, then choose Eject. When you use the Eject command to eject media, the media is automatically unmounted.