The Konqueror Handbook
Prev |  | Next

# Chapter 2. Konqueror the File Manager

In Linux® all directories are arranged in a simple inverted tree structure descending and branching down from from a single top level "root" directory. This means that you can get from any directory to any other by going "up" until you reach a common point then "down" through the appropriate sub-directories until you reach your target.

The position of any file or directory in the tree can be described by its "path", which is a simple list of the directories you would have to descend through to get to the target directory. For example `/home/pam` is the subdirectory `pam` of the subdirectory `home` of the top level directory, which is represented by the leading "/".

Note that every accessible drive on your system, including your floppy and cdrom, will appear in the tree descending from /. Their exact paths will depend on how your system was set up, but will usually be something like `/mnt/floppy` and `/mnt/cdrom`. See also the section on Floppy and CD-ROM Drives.

# 2.1. Navigation

Konqueror is basically a file manager, and as such will display the names of the files and sub-directories held in a directory. The "path" of the directory you are looking at is shown in the Titlebar and also in the Locationbar.

Sub-directories are usually displayed with an icon that looks a little like a folder, although some special directories, such as `Trash` and `Desktop`, may have different, distinctive, icons. Files have their own icons, which may indicate what type of file it is - or at least what Konqueror thinks it is.

You can "select" a file or sub-directory by using the keyboard arrow keys to move through the displayed items. The appearance of the selected item will change and some information about it will be displayed in the Status Bar.

To move between directories you can simply step up and down the tree:

- To descend into a sub-directory left mouse button click on its name or icon, or if you have "selected" it then just press Enter.

- To go up the directory tree, click on the Up button in the Toolbar, or use Alt+Up Arrow, or use the Menubar Go->Up option.

You can also go directly to any directory by typing its path into the Locationbar window or into the dialog box invoked by the Menubar Location->Open Location item or by Ctrl+O. Don't forget that in Linux® file and directory names are case sensitive, although WWW URLs are not.

Once you have moved to a new directory then you can go back to your previous choice by using the Toolbar Back button, the Menubar Go->Back item, or Alt+Left Arrow.

Once you have gone back you can go forward. Use the Toolbar Forward button, the Menubar Go->Forward item or Alt+Right Arrow.

| Holding the left mouse button pressed while the mouse pointer is over the Toolbar Up, Back or Forward buttons brings up a menu of recently visited locations.

## 2.1.1. Auto Path Completion

You can get Konqueror to help you when you are typing a path into the Locationbar by enabling one of the Completion features. To do this right click on a clear part of the Locationbar text entry box and select Completion. This will let you choose between the following possibilities:

None

  What you get is what you type.

Manual

  If you type Ctrl+E while you are entering a path into the Locationbar window Konqueror will complete it as far as it can without ambiguity. For example if the directory contains the two files `testfile19.txt` and `testfile20.txt` entering `t` followed by Ctrl+E will extend the filename shown in the Locationbar window to `testfile`, you can then type `2` Ctrl+E and the complete name `testfile20.txt` will appear.

Popup

  A popup window will appear as you type, showing the possible matches to what you have typed so far. When the path that you want appears in the window use the Down Arrow and Up Arrow keys to select it then press Enter.

Automatic

  As you type into the Locationbar window Konqueror will automatically extend what you type by highlighting one possible completion or partial completion. Continue typing if that's not what you wanted or press Ctrl+E to accept the highlighted portion. When the file or directory name you want is fully shown then press Enter.

Semi-Automatic

  This is like the Automatic mode except that it restricts itself to more sensible suggestions.

## 2.1.2. The Sidebar

If you want a better view of the directory structure, or easy access to your Bookmarks, History and Network, then the Window->Show Sidebar option splits the window into two views as shown above.

The left, Sidebar, view contains five trees, labelled Bookmarks, History, Home Directory , Network and Root Directory. The right hand view shows the selected directory or web page. For this screenshot the Menubar View->View Mode... and View->Show details... options have been used to get a text listing of the directory contents in the right hand view rather than one using icons.

When Konqueror is showing more than one view, there will be a small box at the bottom right of each view. Left clicking on the box toggles an almost invisibly small icon on and off. Views showing this icon are linked so that a change of directory in one view makes the other view change to the new directory. In this way selecting any item in the Sidebar view will automatically show its contents in the other view.

To navigate through the items in the Sidebar using your mouse;

- Left click on a + symbol to show any subdirectories.

- To collapse a sub-tree left mouse button click on the - symbol.

- Once you can see the wanted item, left mouse button click on its name or icon to open it in the other window.

Or, once you have selected an item in the Sidebar, you can navigate from the keyboard;

- Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move up and down.

- The Right Arrow key will descend into a directory.

- The Left Arrow key to collapse a sub-directory.

- Once you have reached the wanted item then Enter will open it in the other view.

The Bookmarks tree in the Sidebar contains your bookmarks, just as displayed by the Bookmarks menu.

The History tree contains URLs for the most recently visited web sites.

The Home Directory shown in the Sidebar is actually your personal home directory, which will have a path such as `/home/pam2` if your username is "pam2".

The Root Directory tree has the path `/`, and is the base directory of your system's local files. If you expand the "Root" directory you will find another directory called `root`. This belongs to the system administrator or Super User and is her home directory. You will also find a directory called `home`, in which you should be able to find your own "Home" directory again.

The Network tree holds details of files or web pages you can reach over your network (if you are connected to one).

## 2.1.3. Finding Files and Directories

If you don't know or can't remember where a file or directory is within your system, then use the Toolbar Find file button or the Menubar Tools->Find file option. This will embed the file finder application KFind into Konqueror's window. See the "Finding Your Lost Files" section of the KDE User's manual for more details about KFind.

| If the name of a file or directory begins with a period (dot), then it is a "hidden" file or directory, and will not normally be shown by Konqueror. To see the hidden files or sub-directories use the Menubar View->Show Hidden Files option.

## 2.1.4. Floppy and CD-ROM Drives

Any floppy disk or CD drive that you have on your system will usually appear in the `/mnt` directory, having a path something like `/mnt/floppy` or `/mnt/cdrom`, the details will depend on how your system was set up.

Linux® requires that you mount a floppy disk or CD-ROM when you have inserted it into the drive, so that Linux® can see what's on it. You also need to unmount it before removing the disk so Linux® can register that it is no longer available.

How you do this will depend on how your system:

- You may have an Automount facility, in which case you don't have to bother about explicitly mounting and unmounting, although you may find that the CD-ROM occasionally starts up by itself for no apparent reason.

- You may have Floppy and CD-ROM icons on your desktop, in which case left mouse button click on the icon to mount a disk. Doing this should also bring up a Konqueror window showing the contents of the floppy or CD-ROM. To unmount right click on the icon and choose the Unmount item. Visit the section Create New... to see how to create such an icon.

- Or you can do it the traditional way by typing into a text console window:

       mount /mnt/floppy

  to mount, for example, the floppy drive, and

       umount /mnt/floppy

  to unmount it. Type umount not unmount.

  | Rather than having to open a text console to type the mount or umount commands, you may prefer to use Konqueror's Tools->Execute Shell Command (Ctrl+E) feature.

Prev | Home | Next
Right Mouse Button Menus |  | Deleting Files and Directories