Is there a way to restore Nautilus' split screen (F3) feature?

Question

I am using Ubuntu 13.04 since today and I am missing the split screen function in Nautilus. Is there any way to patch Nautilus so that this amazing function is usable again?

Answer 1

Among other features that were unfortunately removed in Nautilus 3.6 (used by Ubuntu 13.04 by default) was the extra pane/split screen, invoked using F3. It was removed because the GNOME developers thought it didn't work well on touch screens and that placing one Nautilus to one side of the screen with another to the opposite side fulfilled the same purpose. It doesn't, but I'm not a developer! Links to the bug and the commit.

One way to get the feature back is to install a patched version of the older Nautilus 3.4. The easiest way to do so is to add a PPA managed by the good people at webupd8.org. Unfortunately this patch version is only available for Ubuntu 12.04 and the now-unsupported 12.10 and 13.04 releases.

Run these commands in a terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/experiments
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
killall nautilus

N.B.: The instructions contain a warning, namely that if the dist-upgrade command attempts to remove packages, there is a problem and you should not continue. Otherwise things should be fine.

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For Ubuntu 14.04 you'll need to patch Nautilus manually. This answer can get you started, but unfortunately I can't find what to patch exactly.

The simplest option is to change file managers. Nemo is quite similar to what Nautilus used to be. Yet Another User mentions below that it is in the repositories, but this webupd8.org PPA will install the newest version:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/nemo
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nemo nemo-fileroller

Answer 2

There are two workarounds I've found to approximate this feature.

• Using the tiling features in Unity:

  • Open Nautilus.
  • Hit Super-Ctrl-Left Arrow to tile the window to the left edge of the screen.
  • Hit Ctrl-N to open a new window and navigate to the target directory.
  • Hit Super-Ctrl-Right Arrow to tile the window to the right edge of the screen.
  • Drag and drop your files back and forth.

• You can also select the folder you want to "split" into and do a Ctrl-T to open a new tab. Then either drop files into the tab or tear off the tab into a new window.

Answer 3

To restore all of the features that they "rem(impr)oved" in nautilus 3.6, the simplest way is to install Nemo, which was forked by the Mint developers because of the removed features. Because it's included in ubuntu 13.04, you don't need to add any extra apt repository. Just sudo apt-get install nemo is enough. It uses the same icon we used to see for nautilus 3.4.

Answer 4

The version of Nautilus that came with Ubuntu 12.10 had the split screen. So you can consider to downgrade Nautilus to that older version.

You will need Synaptic Package Manager. If you don't have it, because normally it comes not with a default Ubuntu installation, you can download it from the Ubuntu Software Center.

But there's a little problem. If you've only one version of a package, you can't force another version. So, if you're in Ubuntu 13.04 (raring) you need to add the software repository from Ubunt 12.10 (quantal).

The easiest way to add that repository is with the Software & Upgrades Programs. In that program you choose the tab 'Other Software' and 'Add'. In the popup screen you add on the APT line:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu quantal main

and save. Now you have to open Synaptic Package Manager and hit the Reload button.

Select the Nautilus Package, and hit Ctrl-E or in the menu select Package - Force version. Then select the version of Nautilus that came with Ubuntu 12.10 You will see other packages that have to be downgraded.

To keep that downgraded version, so it's not updated anymore, you have to lock it. So in the menu choose Package - Lock Version.

To start Nautilus in its downgraded version, you have to logout, and to login.

That's all!

I used information that I found originally on this page.

Answer 5

I think that The Gnome Developers are not in correct path. I use Nautilus in PC, no in a tablet!

My workaround: I installed "SunFlower File Manager" :

Answer 6

Googling around I found a couple of interesting links:

a patch to bring back some nautilus features. (This this patch is only intended for use with Ubuntu 12.04 and Nautilus 3.4.2)

Some discussion about it at Ubuntu

a fork from mint guys

a list of missing features (and a poll)

So it seems that the nautilus affaire has been discussed in lenght, I wonder what decision the Ubuntu dev team finnally made...

Answer 7

There's been a nice article at webupd8 with a tutorial how.

Long story short: Install the (SolusOS) patched Nautilus 3.4

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/experiments
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
killall nautilus

Answer 8

The quickest workaround approximation I have found in 13.04 is a two step process:

1) drag title bar of open nautilus window to an edge of the screen (left or right)

2) hit Ctrl + N

The default behaviour of the New window is to open in the remaining space.

Still twice as many steps as F3 but tolerable if you don't want to go through a downgrade or patch.