46. Use Nautilus to Manage Folders

Nautilus makes it easy to create, delete, move, and copy folders and their contents. You can also add emblems to folders, which is a way of categorizing a folder so that you can act on the folder contents in terms of follow-up, deletion, and so on. You can also record notes related to a folder to help you keep organized.

Before You Begin

7 Navigate the GNOME Desktop

14 About File Commands

15 Use File Commands

Create a Folder

In Nautilus (select Programs, Accessories, File Manager) navigate to a particular location where you want to create a new folder. Right-click in the location (in the Nautilus window) and select Create Folder from the shortcut menu. A new folder icon appears. Type a name for the new folder.

Tip

To rename a folder, right-click on the folder and choose Rename from the menu. Type your new name and then press Enter.

Copy a Folder

To copy a folder, right-click on the folder and select Copy File from the shortcut menu. Navigate to the location where you want to place the copy of the folder. On the Nautilus menu system, select Edit, Paste Files to place a copy of the folder in the current location.

Tip

To move a folder, drag the folder from its current location to the new location. You can drag a folder from one Nautilus window to another as needed.

Delete a Folder

To delete a folder, right-click on the folder and select Move to Trash. This places the folder in the Trash.

Tip

To empty the trash, right-click on the desktop Trash icon and select Empty Trash. You are asked whether you are sure you want to empty the trash; click the Empty button to proceed.

Add Emblems to a Folder

Right-click on a folder and select Properties to open the Properties dialog box for that folder. Then select the Emblems tab. To add visual cues to a folder that help you keep track of how important a folder is or what you plan to do with a particular folder, you can use emblems. Select an emblem or emblems by clicking on the appropriate check box.

Add Notes to a Folder

Select the Notes tab. You can enter descriptive or other text on the folder's Notes tab. This helps you keep track of the contents of the folder.

After you have finished working in the folder's Properties dialog box, click Close. This returns you to the Nautilus File Manager window.

Note

Every folder and file that you create (and all the folders and files that are part of the NLD installation) is assigned permissions. These permissions grant rights to a file or folder, and these rights provide different levels of access; the permission levels are read, write, and execute. Certain rights (read, write, and execute) are assigned to you as the owner of a file or folder. Other rights (read and execute) are assigned to the user group that you belong to. You can change the permissions for any file or folder that you create on the Permissions tab of that item's Properties dialog box. Permissions become important when you work in a networked environment or share your computer with multiple users.