If you've read our reviews of lightweight and beginner-friendly file managers, you might want to explore further. Most of these file managers come with powerful keyboard shortcuts that can significantly speed up your workflow. Here's a detailed guide covering useful tricks and shortcuts for Nautilus, Thunar, Dolphin, Nemo, PCManFM, and Caja.
Some shortcuts might do pretty much the same thing, but to keep things clear, they're all listed separately so you can easily tell them apart when using them in different situations.
1. Nautilus (GNOME Files)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + L | Focus on location bar (type path manually) |
| Ctrl + H | Show/hide hidden files |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new folder |
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| Ctrl + PageUp / PageDown | Switch between tabs |
| Alt + ↑ | Go up one directory |
| Alt + ← / → | Go back/forward in history |
| F2 | Rename selected file or folder |
| Delete | Move to trash |
| Shift + Delete | Permanently delete |
| Ctrl + A | Select all files |
Tip: Install nautilus-admin to enable right-click actions like "Open as Administrator".
2. Thunar (XFCE)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| Ctrl + PageUp / PageDown | Navigate between tabs |
| F9 | Toggle sidebar |
| Ctrl + 1 ~ 4 | Switch between icon/list/compact/detailed view |
| Alt + ↑ | Go up one directory |
| Alt + ← / → | Navigate back/forward |
| Ctrl + H | Show or hide hidden files |
| F2 | Rename file |
| Delete | Delete to trash |
| Shift + Delete | Delete permanently |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark current folder |
Tip: Use Edit → Configure custom actions to add powerful right-click menu entries like "Open Terminal Here", "Resize Image", or even "Convert to PDF".
3. Dolphin (KDE)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| F4 | Show/hide built-in terminal panel |
| F3 | Split view (dual-pane) |
| F11 | Toggle fullscreen mode |
| Ctrl + T | New tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen closed tab |
| Ctrl + PageUp / PageDown | Switch tabs |
| Ctrl + H or . | Show hidden files |
| Ctrl + I | Toggle information panel |
| F7 | Toggle Places panel |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New folder |
| Ctrl + B | Bookmark current location |
Tip: Dolphin supports tons of panels. Right-click any sidebar or view to enable or disable terminal, information pane, and device sections. Drag folders into the sidebar to create bookmarks instantly.
4. Nemo (Cinnamon)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| F3 | Enable split view (dual-pane) |
| Ctrl + H | Toggle hidden files |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New folder |
| Ctrl + PageUp / PageDown | Switch tabs |
| F2 | Rename file or folder |
| Alt + ↑ | Go up a directory |
Tip: Install nemo-preview and press Space to preview text, images, and media files. Add nemo-admin to unlock "Open as Root" from context menu.
5. PCManFM (LXDE / LXQt)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close tab |
| Ctrl + H | Toggle hidden files |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new folder |
| Ctrl + A | Select all files |
| F2 | Rename selected item |
| Alt + ↑ | Go to parent directory |
Tip: PCManFM is very lightweight. Run pkexec pcmanfm to open it as root when needed.
6. Caja (MATE)
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| Ctrl + L | Show path bar |
| Ctrl + H | Toggle hidden files |
| F3 | Enable split view |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New folder |
| F2 | Rename |
| Alt + ↑ | Up one level |
Tip: Caja supports plugins. Install caja-admin for right-click admin access and caja-open-terminal to open terminal via context menu.
Final Thoughts
No matter which desktop environment or distro you use, learning a few key shortcuts in your file manager will save time and make your workflow more efficient. These six file managers cover most mainstream Linux setups — and now you’ve got the edge in navigating them like a pro.
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