This article will cover a list of free and open source dual-pane and multi-pane file managers available for Linux. These file managers provide a broader look at various files and folders stored on your storage devices. They also improve overall productivity and file handling experience, especially if you regularly navigate through a lot of files using keyboard shortcuts.
Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander is an open source file manager that runs in text mode in terminal emulators. It lists files and directories in a dual-pane layout where users can switch between panes using <TAB> key. It also supports mounting of remote file systems. Most of its text based user interface elements can be navigated through arrows keys and other keyboard shortcuts. However, some elements of the file manager can be accessed using mouse clicks as well. The bottom row shows frequently used file manager commands for easier accessibility.
You can install Midnight Commander in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
Midnight Commander can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
You can launch Midnight Commander by executing the command below:
Double Commander
Double Commander is a dual-pane, graphical file manager that can be installed in both GTK and Qt user interfaces. Its main features include customizable panes, user defined columns, batch rename tool, a built-in text editor, file previewer, support for compressed archives, simple and full text search options, background operations, customizable toolbar and so on.
You can install GTK or Qt versions of Double Commander in Ubuntu by running the commands specified below:
$ sudo apt install doublecmd-qt
Double Commander can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
Krusader
Kruaser is an open source, dual-pane file manager written using Qt and KDE libraries. Inspired by other other multi-pane file managers like Midnight Commander and Double Commander, Krusader features local and remote filesystem mounts, remote file transfers, compressed archives, powerful search tools, a built-in text editor, file previewer, batch rename tool, customizable panes and a robust plugin system.
You can install Krusader in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
Krusader can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
Sunflower
Sunflower is an open source, dual-pane file manager for Linux. Written in Python3 and GTK3, Sunflower features customizable panes, tabbed browsing, user sessions, embedded terminal, keyboard-only navigation, batch rename tool, bookmarks, detailed file transfer dialogs and so on.
You can install Sunflower in Ubuntu by downloading the “.deb” package from here. Sunflower can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
Vifm
Vifm is an ncurses based, dual-panel file manager that runs in a terminal emulator. It features user modes and keyboard shortcuts identical to Vi or Vim text editor. Other features of Vifm include color schemes, user sessions, remote commands, mount points, background operations, tree comparisons, markers, bookmarks, batch rename tool, advanced search tool, miller column view, trash bin and so on.
You can install Vifm in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
Vifm can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
You can launch Vifm by executing the command below:
SpaceFM
SpaceFM is an open source file manager that features tabbed browsing and multi-pane layouts upto four panes. Other main features of SpaceFM include tree view, bookmarks, drag and drop navigation, media thumbnails, real-time search tool, archive management, batch rename tool, advanced sort and filter tools, extensions, a dedicated task manager, mount point management, daemon mode, remote mount points and so on.
You can install SpaceFM in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
SpaceFM can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
4Pane
4Pane is an open source file manager that allows you to use two dual-pane layouts at once. These panes work in pairs, the first two panes complement each other and the other two panes also work in tandem. You can hide any set of panes to have only one dual-pane layout. Other features of 4Pane include remote file management, archive management, embedded terminal emulator, batch rename tool, advanced search tools, undo and redo operations, and so on.
You can install 4Pane in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
4Pane can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
Last File Manager
Last File Manager or LFM is an open source, console based file manager inspired by Midnight Commander. It features a built-in text editor, bookmarks, search functionality, virtual file systems, filters, customizable user interface elements, color schemes, embedded CLI shell, custom keyboard shortcuts and so on.
You can install Last File Manager in Ubuntu by running the command specified below:
Last File Manager can be installed in other Linux based distributions from the package manager or from its official website.
You can launch Last File Manager by executing the command below:
Conclusion
These are some of the most popular dual-pane and multi-pane file managers available for Linux. While these file managers may seem cluttered and a little verbose at times, they are really useful if you want to quickly navigate through multiple files at once and run simultaneous file operations.
