nautilus

default file manager for the GNOME desktop environment

TLDR

Launch Nautilus file manager

$ nautilus

Open a specific directory

$ nautilus [path/to/directory]

Open as root user

$ nautilus admin:/

Open with a file or directory selected

$ nautilus --select [path/to/file_or_directory]

Open in a new window

$ nautilus --new-window

Close all Nautilus instances

$ nautilus --quit

SYNOPSIS

nautilus [--new-window] [--select] [--quit] [URI...]

Nautilus (GNOME Files) is the default file manager for the GNOME desktop environment. It provides graphical file browsing, management, and navigation with support for local and remote filesystems.Features include tabbed browsing, bookmarks, file previews, search, and integration with GNOME services. The admin:// URI scheme allows privileged file operations with polkit authentication.

PARAMETERS

--new-window

Open a new window instead of using existing instance

--select

Select specified file or directory in parent folder

--quit, -q

Close all Nautilus instances

--version

Display version information

--help, -h

Display help information

URI SCHEMES

file://

Local filesystem paths

admin://

Browse filesystem as root (polkit authentication)

trash://

View trash contents

recent://

View recently accessed files

sftp://

Browse remote SSH/SFTP servers

smb://

Browse Windows/Samba shares

ftp://

Browse FTP servers

INSTALL

sudo apt install nautilus

sudo dnf install nautilus

sudo pacman -S nautilus

sudo apk add nautilus

sudo zypper install nautilus

nix profile install nixpkgs#nautilus

CAVEATS

Running as root with admin:// requires polkit authentication. Remote filesystem support depends on GVFS backends being installed. Some features require GNOME desktop integration.

HISTORY

Nautilus was originally developed by Eazel in 1999-2001 and named after the submarine in Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." After Eazel's closure, it became the standard GNOME file manager, now officially called GNOME Files.