File managers...what's the diffrence?

my question was what makes them different to the user, not the computer, is their one that stands out (aka that a lot would recommend over others) compared to the rest? For having good extra features, extremely stable, or something else of the sort.

This makes the difference. Konqueror can be used as a file manager with other capabilities. Nautilus opens files in new windows.
How does the user want to use the manager is the question.

To download them all for free, to try them all for unlimited time for free and chose your own favorite. And even if you are bored to do all this then you can simply use what you get by default with your distro. They all can do the job.

I was just wondering if their was one that people liked more then others from personal preference or if their was one that's obviously better then others is all. I'll start trying some in the next few minutes though.

For long time I was Thunar fan it is very fast, but on powerful PC really no difference. So now I use Konqueror - I like idea file and web browser 2 in 1.

thanks for all the info, I learned a lil about windows, but my question was what is the best file manager for Ubuntu (either by opinion or proven (proven meaning it has an outstanding feature over the other file managers)). To simplify that question even more; is their a file manager better then the default that comes in GNOME or are they all basically the same?

I do not like GNOME, so I use KDE. IMHO is easier to use than GNOME. It has Konqueror and on KDE version 4 has Dolphin. Still, they are all great, just that I learned with KDE and I like it better. You can install Konqueror browser and does work just fine under GNOME.

Konqueror looks more like IE when you Explore your computer.

When you open Konqueror press F9 it will split a window for you like MS does on IE. There is so much that I can say, but is a lot for small post

Anyway, in the Linux world, they say KDE is too much like MS and is dumbed down, well I like it that way.

If you want to experience KDE, use Kubuntu. Or download Mandriva One, Knoppix, or PCLOS (these ones are live distros, they run off your DVD/CD ROM without installing. Great tools for recovery!

I don't really have a preference yet, though I like Xfce because it seems to be lightweight while being just as good at KDE and GNOME, but obviously it has some weaknesses I haven't noticed yet otherwise everyone would be defending Xfce instead. So now I'm Googling "GNOME vs KDE vs Xfce" and see what I can learn. xD

Anyways, with the file browsers, I figured that most of them would be the same, I'm just not used to having a choice of what I want to use to browse my files so I guess it was like a new toy for me that I wanted to test out.

Is a lightweight and I love that, but still some bugs to brush on. Not bashing it, just perhaps making excuses for it.

What people does not seems to grasp is that MS has only one Desktop Environment that we all see all the time on any system. Linux is more like Windows 3.11 for Workgroups. Windows was an application that ran on DOS all the way to Windows ME. But was defaulted to fire up once you logged on.

So Linux is pretty much the same but with more flavors, more choices on what your desktop works.

KDE got bigger and GNOME too, that is why Xfce is around, to minimize the heaviness of the Desktop Environment eating resources. As PC grew more capable, so the Desktop too.

Lets take Vista for example, it was a resource hugger, why? Trying to be so cool, so nice that hinder performance. How MS masked the issue? Get a newer PC, bigger and faster.

Lets say, you want Beril or Compiz on your Mandriva Linux system. Let me tell you... having a desktop like Cube that you can rotate and do all sorts of neat things is nice (google it, youtube has some demos) but in my opinion the WOW factor went down the tubes. Same with the Aero Interface on MS, ok cool, but not a must have. Does not make the PC better, just looks better.

Is called Eye Candy.

(board covered in switches, not a phone switchboard) Each flavor is only a certain list of which switches are turned on/off, and Linux itself is the power outlet the board runs off of. At least that's my "fun" way of looking at it. Sure would be cool to see someone build a GUI program like that, though you'd need the screen the size of Rhode Island to see all the switches and a mousepad to match if you wanted to click them. xD
On another note I've had Compiz running on Xubuntu and it did good on my laptop even though it has Intel graphics installed.
The main thing I want to figure out is the whole thing that controls what's on the screen... Theirs the window manager, desktop environment, xorg server (I think?), and a ton more and I'm clueless what most of them do/are.

Just use the system like you would in MS.

Seems that you are trying to hard to dominate it. Go with the flow and you catch up one step at the time. Is a lot to gobble at once.

Linux is different, not hard.

Is like learning some all over again. So do not treat it like MS, you will get frustrated and hate life.

The biggest thing is installing stuff. Try to learn what is installed on the 1st time. MS nothing is installed for you, so you are determine to mess with all of it.

Linux is that easy, once is installed, there is nothing to mess with.

A good analogy is a Windows install that is Imaged with Norton Ghost or the restore disc to factory specs. You do nothing once is installed. That is how Linux is.

Use first what is on hand, learn the other tricks later. I learned the hard way but my patience paid at the end. All my PC runs Linux except for one that is Dual Boot for those MS applications that have no Linux equivalent. The rest is all Linux.

Once you learn how it works, you will see how much sense does.

and you're probably right about me sometimes, but most of the time I'm just sitting here in my room with nothing to do and I want to learn this stuff because it interests me deeply, thus messing with this stuff occupies my time. My dream is to be able to build a computer from scratch all the way from the motherboard up to the user interface, to build the perfect computer that was built by learning from all the other computers mistakes. But... unfortunately that dream will most likely never come true, as I will never be able to get that level of knowledge to do such a thing (I'm on a verge of being a highschool freshman dropout due to school problems). Plus the concept itself however wonderful would be near impossible.

I am 45 years of age. A US Army Retired, now I work as a Manufacturing Engineer for lets say, Boeing and I have an AS in Electrical Engineering with 2 jobs in the Army as Aircraft Mechanic and IT. I have 2 sons, one is in the Army one is High School.

Both I encourage them to finish high school.

Nobody with a exception of the few are stupid. Just focus on what you want and make the best of it. Sometimes life is hard, get over it, make the best of it. If you do not endure hardship you will never appreciate what you have.

You want to build a PC bullet proof?

I will suggest Mandriva Linux, forget the K-Ubuntu crap. Pay the 60 Euros (for one year and renew as you wish) and get the Power Pack.

You will see how Linux is so darn easy. I am a GUI guy and hate the command console. So I tried Linux since 2000 and Mandriva (formerly known as Mandrake) made me get back to it. Gael Duval wanted to make a User Friendly Distro and made Mandriva, now he is on the Ulteo project.

Do not want to preach History but Mandriva is the MOST user friendly distro, is about 98% Graphical Interface, hardly not command console.

That is why I am preaching Mandriva, is so easy to use that is well made.

I can get you later with the Webadmin and how to bulid a FTP sever on your own house with a Web Base application using SAMBA and is all GUI.

Mind blowing but is true.

First I wanna say it's cool to hear you were in the Army. I always sorta wondered what it'd be like to be in something like that but my father says I can't join because they don't take Diabetics (have been Diabetic since 2years old) or something, so I never even looked into it.

With completing high school I *am* trying to complete I'm just having problems concentrating, I'm not going into full details of my stress, and my mental problems it causes, on a public forum so enough said, want to talk private that's different.

As far as my "dream" to make an operating system I'm not sure if it would be Linux based at all, it's plan was to be built from scratch but "why reinvent the wheel?" so I'm unsure. This idea is in no planning stage... I'm only a 16year old guy that knows nothing more then "sudo apt-get install" in the terminal window.

I have yet to try Mandriva, I generally like Ubuntu as it's friendly to use but has an advanced side to it whenever you want to "look under the hood".

Also I think I fixed all my spelling errors but if not then sorry, one the battery on my keyboard is low and two I haven't slept in a few days.

Do not give up. Try hard, is rewarding at the end.

As far Linux, is all depends on what you will like to do... If you want a space probe Linux was there. Is that deep.

You want a PC, I have tried myself and teach other. My 16 year son was my Guinea Pig when he was 10, he is a Mandriva User and plays online games. I tell him online how to fix his PC and is a Dell Optiplex GX 260 ancient but is way capable with a Pentium 2.7 GHz

Linux is such a great OS that takes any old PC works so great.

The worst part is people using the system. There are a lot of people that are so narrow minded that does not want to learn nothing.

Life itself is about adjusting and learning. With my sons I told them that I know so much. When they are almost out of high school all is changed since I grew up. So what I know might not work.

But I can give you a general idea.

The more you know the best educated guess can you make.

My oldest is 22 and I told him that now he is on his own. As a family, he can count on me, but all his girlfriends and social life is for him to figure out. Times are different, but I am here to listen.

I am an old soldier that served on different times, my son has better choices that I did, so get them.

You want the military? Just ask the recruiter, since they need people badly, it might be some for you to do. Asking is not going in neither a waste of time.

The problem with the schools is that there is not real orientation on what you like or do, so is up to you to figure out. Try different things, keep an open mind.

Whatever you do, be the best !!!!!!!!!!!!

but still as I said it was only a random idea that popped into my head that I will want to try in the future. I want to create the first "perfect" operating system. That will require minimal on the user to set it up/keep it running and will simply be there to do what you need it to do; run your programs, true that Linux flavors like Ubuntu can do that now for the most part but I want to bring it to a whole new level. I could write a few pages on the plans of what would be in it but I am extremely tired and want to rush off to bed. Lol.

As for the military I said I always wondered what it was like, but I know I am no army material, I'm not saying that in a "I have a low self esteem" way but as in I literally would be no good at it, unless I got something with working on their computers or something, I'd love that.

And my problem with my school is that I am in online schooling and have a possibility of having ADHD. (Online schooling plus not being able to concentrate equals no work at all done because theirs a million other things I could be doing since I'm at home/on the computer.)

I just ran it on my KDE desktop. Since I had no Icon, I went to my MCC and was there installed (I have GNOME and KDE in the same system) so I ran it via Console, just typed nautilus and hit enter, it comes out

It like MS IE on your computer, just right click on the files and you find more stuff to do with them.

Seems that F9 key does the same as Konqueror, splits the window like IE does. Does helps to navigate

Another trick on the Console, once you fire up, use the Up Arrow key, it keeps a record of what you previously typed. Also, when you see a command on the web that you need to use, right click and highlight it. On the Console, right click and paste... neat ! No syntax errors Save the commands on a Text File and all you do is copy and paste

Once you get the handle on KDE and GNOME, try using Fluxbox. More lightweight. I like it more in my opinion, and it's lighter on the system. It just requires a little linux/bsd experience.