# A small guide on Nautilus



## shivkumar (Dec 18, 2006)

This small tutorial, i have created from a lot of reading of references and personal experiments, since I am relatively new to Linux (especially Ubuntu where it is the default file manager), I recommend all newbies like me to read and see and explore the power of nautilus.

Nautilus is a powerful file manager and in addition to that it is a lot more, it can perform lot of other tasks as well.
Well when you open nautilus you won't find any place (or URI) to enter the location you want to browse, so you can get it by pressing {Ctrl} + {L}. This will provide you with lots of powerful tools, some of which I have explored, I have given below 
*1.  Nautilus as a CD/DVD burner *: open URI and Enter the “burn:///” and it drops you to a front-end for burning CDs and DVDs, simply drag and drop the files and folders, organise them and click on burn button and here you go. Your files are written in the optical media.
*2. Nautilus emulating Windows Explorer *: Well, I have recently shifted from Windows, so I still miss the “My Computer” Explorer look. Try entering “computer:///” in URI and you get the look of Windows Explorer with drives mounted as separate disk along with your CD/DVD drives and other devices like pen drive listed there; Enjoy browsing like windows.
*3. Nautilus as FTP browser*: Enter the following info in URI and there you go to browse ftp location: “ftp://username:password@location.domain”. The same thing can be achieved by File Menu -> Connect to server... .
*4. Nautilus as network browser*: Enter “network:///” and you can browse the Windows or linux network computers and shared drives through it .
*5. Nautilus as theme manager*: Enter “themes:///” and you can view the thumbnail of all the themes available in your pc. Well, I was able to apply the theme in one of my friends pc by simply double clicking on the theme but it didn't work for me. I can't explain why. Try it in your pc and you may be able to do it. Note: use command 

```
gksudo nautilus
```
if you plan to apply the theme directly by double clicking the theme.
*6. View Hidden files and folders *: Linux prevents viewing of lots of configuration and settings files and folders to be viewed, of course you can view them in console by command “ls -a” but you can also view them in Nautilus by pressing the key {Ctrl} + {H}. Pressing the same keys again will hide them.
*7. Create Symbolic Link / Short-cut quickly *: Just hold {Ctrl} + {Shift} button and drag the selected file to desired location say desktop and you have a symbolic link made instantaneously. 
*8. Use scripts to work faster*: Lot of scripts are available at  this place  for downloading and installing.  You can install them by copying these scripts in “/home/_username_/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/” directory and get lot of available script in context menu.

Hope this small compilation of info will be useful for you. I have done all these things in Ubuntu 6.06 LTS. I think it should work in other distros as well.


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## praka123 (Dec 18, 2006)

Good Work Shivakumar!
Nautilus is the default file manager in GNOME Desktop


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## shivkumar (Dec 18, 2006)

@prakash
Thanks for the encouragement and 


			
				praka123 said:
			
		

> Nautilus is the default file manager in GNOME Desktop


Thanks for the info

BTW can I disable smileys in the post 

```
:p
```

is getting converted into


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## mehulved (Dec 18, 2006)

Did you pick this up from LFY? Cos I surely remember reading all this in LFY.


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## shivkumar (Dec 18, 2006)

@tech_your_future: Yes part of it from LFY but I also did search on internet before writing it, some are from blogs searched by google as well. I have carried out R&D on all the info I have given. 
BTW I am still learning to use linux and can't create such an extensive info by myself. I intended to help new users on linux like myself by sharing my knowledge gained till now.


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## mediator (Dec 18, 2006)

Good work man. Repped u up!


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## Vishal Gupta (Dec 18, 2006)

shivkumar said:
			
		

> BTW can I disable smileys in the post
> 
> ```
> :p
> ...


Put that URL in 
	
	



```
;)
```


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## gary4gar (Dec 19, 2006)

Vishal Gupta said:
			
		

> Put that URL in
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## shivkumar (Dec 19, 2006)

@gary: see your post above. You have quoted vishal and qoute box contains smiley.

BTW, I just wanted to know bout disabling smileys alltogether in any of the post. I have seen this option in few other forums.


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## gary4gar (Dec 19, 2006)

hey quote altother is a special tag, but to avoid similes in links u can use


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## eddie (Dec 20, 2006)

shivkumar said:
			
		

> BTW, I just wanted to know bout disabling smileys alltogether in any of the post. I have seen this option in few other forums.


 Just click on "Disable smilies in text" under "Additional Options"
*img217.imageshack.us/img217/350/snapshot10od9.th.jpg


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## JGuru (Dec 20, 2006)

@Mehul you are right. he just "Copy + Pasted" the whole thing from the LFY mag!!!
 I do know most of these things. Been using Linux for a long time.


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## mediator (Dec 20, 2006)

@Jguru and @Mehul, So what man even if he picked and copied the things?  Everyone is copying in the world. @Jguru I know u are good in java, u also learned from books na! @Vishal is bond in registry hacking he also copies and pastes stuff released be microsoft and registry hack experts. People become bond in Linux only by copying the knowledge and learning it and posting their copied knowledge to other places. I have experience in java,shells,linux etc. I learnt from sites and post the copied knowledge everywhere. There is nothing of my own or something created indegeniously by me except some program codes.


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## mehulved (Dec 20, 2006)

I was just asking. It's just like the summary of what was posted in LFY, nothing extra added.


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## subratabera (Dec 20, 2006)

BTW, nice info indeed.


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## sariq (Dec 20, 2006)

this guide is usefull for linux newbies, i have not read it anywhere earlier. 

regarding copy pasting :whenever i find something by long searching, i put it in the forms i go frequently, if even anybody other doesnt use it, i can still search it easily


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## Vishal Gupta (Dec 20, 2006)

mediator said:
			
		

> @Vishal is bond in registry hacking he also copies and pastes stuff released be microsoft and registry hack experts.


Excuse Me!
Buddy! who told u that I copy/paste the stuffs?
I post what I know, otherwise I don't post...


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## mediator (Dec 20, 2006)

^^ Ok sorry man! Everybody is not a bond like u. I just wanted to say, that the guy is doing good stuff and helping others, but he is being scolded here instead!


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## Vishal Gupta (Dec 20, 2006)

There is no need to sorry buddy  
But u shouldnt hv included my name for no reason  
neway its OK...


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## desertwind (Dec 20, 2006)

mediator said:
			
		

> @Jguru and @Mehul, So what man even if he picked and copied the things?  Everyone is copying in the world. @Jguru I know u are good in java, u also learned from books na! @Vishal is bond in registry hacking he also copies and pastes stuff released be microsoft and registry hack experts. People become bond in Linux only by copying the knowledge and learning it and posting their copied knowledge to other places. I have experience in java,shells,linux etc. I learnt from sites and post the copied knowledge everywhere. There is nothing of my own or something created indegeniously by me except some program codes.



No problem is copying and pasting things. It's a good way of sharing the info you found somewhere. But you've to give proper credits to the original author. Giving source is a good idea.


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## Vishal Gupta (Dec 20, 2006)

^^
absolutely right.


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## phreak0ut (Dec 21, 2006)

I agree with all the people who have posted here  and thanks for the tut


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## JGuru (Dec 21, 2006)

desertwind said:
			
		

> No problem is copying and pasting things. It's a good way of sharing the info you found somewhere. But you've to give proper credits to the original author. Giving source is a good idea.



 @Riyaz, I fully agree with you.
 @Mediator, There is nothing wrong with the "Copying & Pasting". As long as you
 give credit to the original author (who wrote the stuff). Mention the Source.


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## praka123 (Dec 21, 2006)

^^ that was right.give the credit to original authors.


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## mediator (Dec 21, 2006)

*I agree with everyone here*!!
The source should be given when it is a ditto copy. But I dont think anybody needs to give the source when the person has typed the things and copied partially from magazine and copied the stuff from various different sources or individual lines of a book.



			
				shivkumar said:
			
		

> This small tutorial, i have created *from a lot of reading of references and personal experiments*, since I am relatively new to Linux (especially Ubuntu where it is the default file manager), I recommend all newbies like me to read and see and explore the power of nautilus.





			
				shivkumar said:
			
		

> Yes *part of it from LFY* but *I also did search on internet before writing it, some are from blogs searched by google as well*. I have carried out R&D on all the info I have given.


Atleast read what the person has said!

I hope u got my point! There are stickies in this forums compiled by individual members. How can they give the source for all of it?? And nobody asked the source from them!! People posted info on linux commands. Should I say "I saw that posted exactly in Orielly tutorials but nobody gave the source??"

If a person took no pain in creating and compiling the stuff then he oughta give the source or else I dont think anyone should constantly remind him of that and demoralise him instead of repping and appreciating his work!

What all I see here usually is people reminding the person to give the source. Thats ok! But if he copied entirely. But I rarely see anyone appreciating here for helping others. All the people say here is "I knew that" or "Talk something new" or "That is old info"!

What all I urge others is to have some friendly and encouraging attitude towards other's work. If u knew of the information, then ignore it or add more of it if u know more. But please dont demoralise others.

I hope I was clear! I didn't mean any offence to anyone!


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## shivkumar (Dec 21, 2006)

Guys, Sorry I was not here for last few days to clarify the situation from my side.  Well, I have definitly copied a large part of it from LFY but I have also read the Nautilus Help and some blogs as well. The whole thing I have formatted into a more easy language. The so referred source itself seemed to me as a copy and paste of Nautilus help file, check it yourself. Secondly many things given in LFY magazine didn't work for me, I have omitted them from my post, such as "applications:///" and "start-here:///"
Secondly, I intended to provide ready help to all the new users of linux like me. I think my intention was right in sharing the knowledge.

I hope I have not hurt anyone, next time I will take care to mention all the references in future posts.

No hard feelings here 

PS: thanks mediator for understanding my point.


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## Vishal Gupta (Dec 21, 2006)

@mediator
Completely agree  
If the post is completely copy/paste from somewhere, the source is must.
But if some1 posts, what he knows, like posting some linux commands, some registry tricks, etc. There is actually no source for these things coz we also don't know when we came to know about them, these informations come after experience


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## mediator (Dec 21, 2006)

^^I'm glad u understand! I dunno about Registry coz I'm least interested in it, but as far as Linux is concerned, u gain knowledge by copying the commands from books, or net sources , to ur mind. U may call that experience and thats right, no one knows when he/she learns it. But neways its "copying" indeed and u cannot give the source of it even if the exact is available in several other tutes! Many people compile tutes on such things from their "experience" and most of em are somewhat identical!!  
Neways it seems my simple request became a debate zone here. So just think about it! I didn't know I'll have to explain on such simple thing but neways I dont want to carry on this further! Lets talk Open source share the knowledge!


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## shivkumar (Dec 21, 2006)

mediator said:
			
		

> Neways it seems my simple request became a debate zone here. So just think about it! I didn't know I'll have to explain on such simple thing but neways I dont want to carry on this further! Lets talk Open source share the knowledge!



Totally Agree with you.


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## shankar_ganesh (Dec 28, 2006)

good job, shivkumar.
continue your good work........


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## saurabh.sauron (Jan 4, 2007)

nice info...
BTW, i remember reading in Fasttrack that nautilus can be used as a web browser. but how?

also, not everybody reads LFY. so nice piece of info.


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## mehulved (Jan 4, 2007)

Press ctrl + L and type the url there.


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## JGuru (Jan 4, 2007)

To view the location textfield permanently. Go to the menu *Edit->Preferences*
 This opens up the "File Management Preferences" dialog. Here Click on the tab
 "Behavior", Select *Always use text-entry location bar*. Click on 'Close'.


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