Using bash as your file manager?

Question

Hello,
My belief is that all file managers suck. There are no exceptions to this. So, for the past few months, I've been sourcing a file with a bunch of tricks I've invented / found through browsing the web to make using just bash as a file manager much more convenient.
Here's what I currently use:
# fm v1.9.1 by Kiah Morante
# A very simple file manager.
# Depends on pycp/pymv, http://github.com/yannicklm/pycp and feh
# 'source' this file in a BASH shell
showHidden=0 # Hidden files not shown
showDetails=0 # ls is replaced with ls -lh if showDetails is 1
shopt -s autocd # cd to a dir just by typing its name
PROMPT_COMMAND='[[ ${__new_wd:=$PWD} != $PWD ]] && list; __new_wd=$PWD' # ls after cding
# Shortcuts
source ~/.config/fm/shortcuts # Call all custom shortcuts
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias ....='cd ../../..'
alias h='cd ~'
alias n='cd "$n"'
# Keybindings
bind '"\C-l":"list\C-m"'
bind '"\C-h":"hide\C-m"'
bind '"\C-o":"details\C-m"'
bind '"\C-f":"makedir\C-m"'
bind '"\C-n":"n\C-m"'
bind '"\C-y":"cpwd\C-m"'
bind '"\C-p":"cd "$OLDPWD"\C-m"' # Hint: You could also type '~-'
# FM prompt appearance
if [[ $(whoami) == 'root' ]]; then
# So that the user knows if they have root privileges:
PS1="\[\e[0;32\]mf\[m\e[m\] \[\e[0;31m\]root\[\e[m\] \[\e[0;34m\]\w \[\e[m\]\[\e[0;31m\]> \[\e[m\]"
else
PS1="\[\e[0;32\]mf\[m\e[m\] \[\e[0;34m\]\w \[\e[m\]\[\e[0;31m\]> \[\e[m\]"
fi
# Functions
# Usage
fmhelp () {
echo "hide - toggle hidden (hidden by default)
ls - lists contents of dir(s) passed in args.
lsd - list directories
cd - changed to directory \$1
cp \$@ \$2 - copies file from \$1 to \$2
mv \$@ \$2 - moves file from \$1 to \$2
rm \$@ - deletes \$@
sc \$1 \$2 - make a shortcut called \$1 pointing to \$2. If no \$2 is passed, it is evaluated as \$PWD
cpwd - copy current working directory
.., ..., .... - cd .. etc.
o \$1 - opens \$1 with xdg-open
hm - how many files are in the current directory
details - show file details (ls -lh)
fmhelp - this help menu
n - Intelligent guess of the next dir you wish to cd to. Last $1 in open, list, or makedir; last argument in copy or move; pwd before a cd
~- - BASH shortcut for \$OLDPWD
img - feh frontend with the following usage:
img -t \$2 - views the dirs/images specified in \$2..\$n as clickable thumbnails
img -s \$2 \$3 - views the images specified in \$3..\$n as a slideshow with a slide change speed of \$2 seconds
img \$@ - views the dirs/images specified
Shortkeys:
Ctrl-f - mkdir
Ctrl-h - hide
Ctrl-l - ls
Ctrl-n - cd \$n
Ctrl-o - details
Ctrl-p - cd \$OLDPWD
Ctrl-y - cpwd
Ctrl-u - clear line # urxvt default"
# Toggle display hidden files
# If $showHidden is 1, hidden files are shown
hide () {
showHidden=$(( 1 - $showHidden ))
list
# Toggle display file details
# If $showDetails is 1, file details are shown
details () {
showDetails=$(( 1 - $showDetails ))
list
# ls
listToggle () {
if [[ $showHidden == 1 && $showDetails == 1 ]]; then
ls -C --color -A -lh "$dir"
elif [[ $showHidden == 1 && $showDetails == 0 ]]; then
ls -C --color -A "$dir"
elif [[ $showHidden == 0 && $showDetails == 1 ]]; then
ls -C --color -lh "$dir"
else
ls -C --color "$dir"
fi
list () {
clear # Unclutter the screen
# List pwd if no $1
if [[ $@ == "" ]]; then
set '.'
fi
# List multiple folders:
for dir in "$@"
do
listToggle
done
n="$1" # See 'n' in fmhelp
# use feh to view thumbnails/images/slideshow
img () {
case "$1" in
-t) nohup feh --thumbnails "${@:2}" --thumb-height 120 --thumb-width 120 -S filename -d --cache-thumbnails -B black > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
-s) nohup feh "${@:3}" -S filename -d -B black --slideshow-delay "$2" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*) nohup feh "$@" -S filename -d -B black > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
esac
list
# cp
copy () {
if [[ $showHidden == 1 ]]; then
pycp --interactive --all "$@"
else
pycp --interactive "$@"
fi
list
n="${@:(-1)}" # n is the last argument (where stuff is moved to)
# mv
move () {
if [[ $showHidden == 1 ]]; then
pymv --interactive --all "$@"
else
pymv --interactive "$@"
fi
list
n="${@:(-1)}"
makedir () {
if [[ $1 == "" ]]; then
read -e n
set "$n"
fi
if mkdir -- "$1"; then
list # Update pwd to show new dir(s) that have been made.
n="$1"
fi
# rm
remove () {
rm -rfI "$@"
list
# open files
o () {
# To use xdg-open
#nohup xdg-open "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 &
if [ -f "$1" ] ; then
case "$1" in
*.tar.bz2) tar xjf "$1" ;;
*.tar.gz) tar xzf "$1" ;;
*.bz2) bunzip2 "$1" ;;
*.rar) rar x "$1" ;;
*.gz) gunzip "$1" ;;
*.tar) tar xf "$1" ;;
*.tbz2) tar xjf "$1" ;;
*.tgz) tar xzf "$1" ;;
*.zip) unzip "$1" ;;
*.Z) uncompress "$1" ;;
*.7z) 7z x "$1" ;;
*.pdf) nohup zathura "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.html) nohup luakit "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.blend) nohup blender "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.avi) nohup mplayer "$1" ;;
*.wmv) nohup mplayer "$1" ;;
*.rmvb) nohup mplayer "$1" ;;
*.mp3) nohup urxvtc -si -sw -sh 30 -e mplayer "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.flv) nohup mplayer "$1" ;;
*.mp4) nohup mplayer "$1" ;;
*.ogg) nohup urxvt -si -sw -sh 30 -e mplayer "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.wav) nohup audacity "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*.jpg) img "$1" ;;
*.jpeg) img "$1" ;;
*.JPG) img "$1" ;;
*.png) img "$1" ;;
*.gif) nohup gpicview "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
*) nohup urxvt -si -sw -sh 30 -e vim "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 & ;;
esac
else
echo "'$1' is not a valid file"
fi
n="$1"
# Add shortcuts
makeShortcut () {
if [[ $2 == "" ]]; then
set $1 .
fi
echo ""$1"=\""$2"\"
alias "$1"='cd \""$2"\"'
" >> ~/.config/fm/shortcuts
source ~/.config/fm/shortcuts
# Copy pwd to clipboard
cpwd () {
echo \"$(pwd)\" | xclip
# List directories
lsd () {
ls -F "$@" | grep \/$
# Command aliases
alias mv="move"
alias sc="makeShortcut"
alias cp="copy"
alias ls="list"
alias rm="remove"
alias mkdir="makedir"
alias hm="ls -l . | egrep -c '^-'"
list # ls when fm starts
Could all of you fellow file manager-haters post your little tricks, whether just a few lines added to ~/.bashrc or fully fledged files that you source like mine?
Last edited by greenmanwitch (2011-02-07 19:58:40)

Answer 1

3]) wrote: once you have video files cluttered all throughout your hard drive and folders all over, thats where the 'bash' filemanager system lacks its use in terms of effectiveness.
Actually, I found this to be one of the best advantages of using bash is that it forces a user to think about file organization and making useful naming schemes for files.
For example, instead of having 1000+ media files in one directory I subcategorize theme by genre or whatever, and then probably subcategorize them again.
Then I usually rename the files to something meaningful, like if I have 50 pictures of my kids birthday, just do a for each loop on the directory and rename all the files donovan_birthdayX.jpg where X is an integer incrementation.
essentially. just don't "have files cluttered all throughout you hard drive and folders all over". and your life will be much happier regardless of how you manage your files.