Browser Mode

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This section describes how to browse the system using the file manager, when configured in browser mode. In browser mode, opening a folder updates the current file manager window to display the contents of the new folder.

Browser Windows

You can access the file browser in the following ways:

Choose Applications → System Tools → File Browser.
In spatial mode, you open a folder in browser mode by right-clicking that folder and choosing Browse Folder. A new file browser window opens and displays the contents of the selected folder.
If the file manager is set to always open browser windows, double-clicking any folder will open a browser window. See Files and Folders Behavior.

Figure 17 File Browser Window

The following table describes the components of a file browser window.

Table 11 File Browser Window Components

Component	Description
Menubar	Contains menus that you use to perform tasks in the file manager. You can also open a pop-up menu from a file manager window by right-clicking the window. The items in this menu depend on where you right-click. For example, when you right-click a file or folder, you can choose items related to the file or folder. When you right-click the background of a view pane, you can choose items related to the displayed items in the view pane.
Toolbar	Contains buttons that you use to perform various tasks in the file manager. Back – Returns to the previously visited location. The adjacent drop-down list also contains a list of the most recently visited locations to enable you to return to them faster. Forward – Performs the opposite function to the Back toolbar button. If you have previously navigated back, then this button returns you forward. Up – Moves up one level to the parent of the current folder. Reload – Refreshes the contents of the current folder. Browse Snapshots – Enables you to browse the contents of ZFS snapshots that exist for a folder using Time Slider. For more information on Time Slider, see Using Time Slider. Home – Opens the Home folder. Computer – Opens the Computer folder. Search – Opens the search bar.
Location bar	The location bar enables you to navigate the computer. It has three different configurations depending on the selection. For more information, see Using the Location Bar. In all three configurations, the location bar contains the following items: Zoom buttons – Enables you to change the size of items in the view pane. View as drop-down list – Enables you to choose how to display the items in your view pane.
Side Pane	The side pane performs the following functions: Shows information about the current file or folder Enables you to navigate through the files To display the side pane, choose View → Side Pane. The side pane contains a drop-down list that enables you to choose the items to be displayed in the side pane: Places – Displays places of particular interest. Information – Displays the icon and information about the current folder. Buttons might appear in the side pane. These buttons enable you to perform actions on the current folder other than the default action. Tree – Displays a hierarchical representation of the file system. You can use the Tree to navigate through the files. History – Contains a history list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URIs that you recently visited. Notes – Enables you to add notes to your files and folders. Emblems – Contains emblems that you can add to a file or folder. To close the side pane, click the X button at the top right of the side pane.
View pane	The view pane displays the contents of the following: Folders FTP sites Windows shares WebDAV servers Locations that correspond to special URIs
Statusbar	Displays the status information.

Showing and Hiding File Browser Window Components

To show or hide any of the components of the file browser select the component from the view menu. The menu options are toggles that can alternately show or hide the component.

Tip - You can press F9 to toggle the visibility of the side pane.

Using the Location Bar

The file browser's location bar can show either a location field, a button bar, or a search field. The following table describes the fields in the Location bar.

Table 12 Fields in the Location Bar

Field	Description
Button bar	The button bar is displayed by default. It contains a row of buttons representing the current location's hierarchy, with a button for each folder. Click the button to switch between folders in the hierarchy. You can return to the original folder, which is shown as the last button in the row. You can also drag buttons, for example, to another location, to copy a folder.
Text location bar	The text location bar shows the current location as a text path, for example, `/home/user/Documents`. The location field is useful to navigate to a known folder. To go to a new location, type a new path or edit the current one, and then press Return. The path field automatically completes what you are typing when there is only one possibility. To accept the suggested completion, press Tab. To always use the text location bar, click the toggle button at the left of the location bar. To switch to the text location bar while using the button bar, press Ctrl+L, choose Go → Location, or press / (Leading Slash) to type a path from the root directory. The location bar shows the location buttons again after you press Return or press Esc to cancel.
Search bar	Press Ctrl+F or select the Search toolbar button to display the search bar. For more information about the search bar, see Searching Files.

Displaying Home Folder

To display the Home folder, perform one of the following actions from a file browser window:

Choose Go → Home
Click the Home toolbar button
Click the Home button in the Places side pane

The file browser window displays the contents of your Home folder.

Displaying a Folder

The contents of a folder can be displayed in either list or icon view in any one of the following ways. For more information about the list and icon view, see Using Views to Display Files and Folders.

Double-click the folder in the view pane.
Use the Tree in the side pane. For more information, see Using the Tree From the Side Pane.
Click the Location buttons in the location bar.
Press Ctrl+L to show the text Location field. Type the path of the folder that you want to display, and then press Return. The Location field includes an autocomplete feature. As you type a path, the file manager reads the file system. When you type enough characters to identify a directory, the file manager completes the name of the directory in the Location field.
Use the Back and Forward buttons in the toolbar to browse through the navigation history.

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

Displaying a Parent Folder

The parent folder of the current folder which you are browsing is the one which exists, in a hierarchical representation, one level above the current folder. To display the contents of parent folder, perform one of the following steps:

Press the Up button on the toolbar.
Choose Go → Open Parent from the menubar.
Press the Backspace key.

Using the Tree From the Side Pane

The Tree view is one of the most useful features of the side pane. It displays a hierarchical representation of the file system and provides a convenient way to browse and to navigate the 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 view, open folders are represented by arrows facing downwards. The following table describes the tasks you can perform with the Tree.

Table 13 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.
Expand a folder in the Tree	Click the arrow next to the folder in the Tree.
Collapse a folder in the Tree	Click 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.
Open a file	Select the file in the Tree.

You can set the preferences so that the Tree does not display files. For more information, see File Manager Views.

Using Navigation History

The file browser window maintains a history list of files, folders, FTP sites, and URI locations you have recently visited. You can use the history list to return to these places. Your history list contains the last ten items that you viewed.

To clear your history list, choose Go → Clear History.

Navigating History List Using the Go Menu

To display a list of previously viewed items, open the Go menu. The history list is displayed in the lower part of the Go menu. Click an item in the history list to open it.

Navigating History List Using the Toolbar

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

Click the Back or Forward toolbar button to open a folder or URI in the history list.
Click the down arrow to the right of the Back toolbar button to display a list of previously viewed items.
Click the down arrow to the right of the Forward toolbar button to display a list of items that you viewed after you viewed the current item.

Navigating 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 the previously viewed items. To display an item from the history list in the view pane, double-click the item in the History list.