---
name: "emelfm"
section: "1x"
platform: "linux"
package: "emelfm"
version: "0.9.2-7"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/emelfm/1x"
---

# emelfm(1x)

file manager for X/gtk

## NAME

emelFM - file manager for X/gtk

## SYNOPSIS

emelFM is a file manager that implements the popular two-pane design. It features a simple GTK+ interface, a flexible filetyping scheme, and a built-in command line for executing commands without opening an xterm.

## USAGE

### Keyboard Shortcuts

```
Open         Enter, Right  Open/Close        Ctrl+W
Updir        BS, Left      output window
Change Windows SP, Tab
Tag          Ctrl+T, INS   Switch focus      Ctrl+Z
Find         Ctrl+F        between command
                           line and active
Copy         Ctrl+C        filelist, opening
Copy As      Ctrl+A        or closing the
Move         Ctrl+M        output window
Rename       Ctrl+R
Delete       Del           Maximize/Minimize Ctrl+, (left)
SymLink      Ctrl+S        File Views        Ctrl+. (right)
Make Dir     Ctrl+D
Refresh      Ctrl+L        Popup Menu        Ctrl+P
Sync Dirs    Ctrl+X        Special Menu      Ctrl+[
Quit         Ctrl+Q        User Menu         Ctrl+]
```

Typing 'help' at the command line will list these shortcuts.

### Vi Keys

```
Updir      h            Find       /
Open       l            Tag        t
Up         k            Top        g
Down       j            Bottom     G
```

### Drag & Drop

Drag and drop is activated by selecting the files you want to copy/move/link, and then clicking the middle mouse button and dragging to another location in either of the directory lists. If you drag to a directory the files will be copied/moved/linked to that directory, otherwise they will be copied/moved/ linked to the directory of the list. When you release the button, a menu will prompt you for the operation you want to perform (copy/move/link). I find that this is most useful for moving files into a subdirectory of the current directory, since you can avoid changing the other directory. It is also possible to drag and drop between different instances emelFM and some other gtk+ apps like Gnome Midnight Commander and GQView.

### Command Line Tricks

- **Ctrl+Enter**

  Copies the selected filenames to the command line

- **Ctrl+D**

  Copies the active directory name to the command line

- **Ctrl+O**

  Copies the inactive directory name to the command line

- **Ctrl+Z**

  Close output window and change focus to current file list

(Note: Command line shortcuts also work with Alt+\<letter\>)

Appending an '&' to the end of a command will start the process in the background. emelFM will not capture the output of the process. This was more useful before I started using threads.

If you prefix a command with an 'x', emelFM will open an xterm and execute the command from there. For example 'x man fopen', will open an xterm with the manpage for fopen. This is useful for interactive programs that the emelFM command line can't handle.

If you prefix a command with 'su', emelFM will open an xterm and su to root to execute the command. For example 'su make install', will open an xterm, prompt for the root password, and then execute the 'make install' in the current directory.

Typing 'help' at the command line will list the keyboard shortcuts. To get at your regular 'help' command, just prefix a space like this ' help'.

Typing 'clear' at the command line will clear the output field

### Filetype/User Command Notes

Prefixing an action with 'x' will open an xterm to execute the action. Prefixing an action with 'su' will open an xterm and su to root to execute the action.

### Macros

```
%f = The selected filename(s)
%d = The active directory name
%D = The inactive directory name
%{Prompt message} = Prompt for input with "Prompt message"
```

## EXAMPLES

  x rpm -qlip %f \| less

This opens an xterm and executes an rpm query command and pipes the output to 'less'. If the output were not piped to 'less', the xterm would exit after the query finished and the user would not be able to see the results for very long.

  su rpm -Uvh %f

This opens an xterm and su's to root, prompting for the root password. Then it executes the RPM install command which would probably fail if done as a normal user.

  tar xzvf %f -C %D

This unpacks a tarball from the active directory into the inactive directory.

  diff -c %d %D \> %{Filename for patch:}

This runs the diff command to create a patch for the current directory, prompting for the filename for the patch.

### Other Notes

Shift+Right Click: Right Clicking on the file listing while holding down the Shift key will activate the special functions menu.

Ctrl+Right Click: Right Clicking on the file listing while holding down the Ctrl key will activate the User Commands menu.

Right Clicking on the "Up Dir" button will take you to the home directory Right Clicking on the "\<" button will copy the directory to the opposite directory (Like Sync Dirs)

Typing 'help' at the command line will list the keyboard shortcuts. Typing 'clear' at the command line will clear the output field

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

emelFM is essentially just a compilation of some of the features that I have found most useful in other file managers. An abbreviated "thank you" list:

  \* Henrik Harmsen for FileRunner\
\
   \* Pixel for sfm\
\
   \* Emil Brink for gentoo\
\
   \* GNU for Midnight Commander.

## AUTHOR

Copyright (C) 1999 Michael Clark \<macst92@imap.pitt.edu\>\
 http://www.pitt.edu/~macst92/emelfm/\
 http://emelfm.sourceforge.net/