The file manager provides a simple and integrated way to manage files and applications. You can use the file manager to perform the following actions:
Create folders and documents
Display files and folders
Search and manage files
Run scripts and start applications
Customize the appearance of files and folders
Open special locations on the computer
Write data to a CD or DVD
Install and remove fonts
The file manager manages the desktop. The desktop lies behind all other visible items on the screen.
Every user has a Home folder, which contains all files related to the user. The desktop contains special icons allowing easy access to the user's Home folder and Trash, and also to removable media such as floppy disks, CDs, and USB flash drives.
The file manager provides two modes in which you can interact with the file system. You can choose the mode which the file manager should use by selecting (or deselecting) Always Open In Browser Windows in the Behavior tab of the file manager preferences dialog. The two modes are:
Browser mode – In this mode, you can browse the files and folders. The file manager window represents a browser, which can display any location. Opening a folder updates the current file manager window to show the contents of the new folder. The browser window displays a toolbar with common actions and locations, a location bar that shows the current location in the hierarchy of folders, and a sidebar that can hold different kinds of information. For more information about using the browser mode, see Browser Mode.
Spatial mode – In this mode, you can navigate to files and folders as objects. The file manager window represents a particular folder. Opening a folder opens a new window for that folder. Each time you open a particular folder, it is displayed at the same place on the screen and with the same size as it opened the last time. In spatial mode, the file manager indicates an open folder with a different icon. Using spatial mode might lead to more open file manager windows on the screen. For more information about using the spatial mode, see Spatial Mode.