[1]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.a...
That handle is probably good-enough for basic file management operations, like copying, moving or renaming files, but (from what I've read) if you want to, say, jump to the middle of a file, such as to read a specific file contained in the archive or seek to a specific position in a music/video file, it becomes very inefficient. If you want to read/write from a database (and need that database to be easily shared between different apps), then you also have a problem. If you use an app like Termux, which exposes the file system to standard unix utilities, and want to directly manage all your files with them, you're pretty much out of options.
Re Termux, I actively don't want any app on my phone to have direct access to the rest of the files on my phone. The fact that desktop terminal apps (cmd.exe, Terminal.app, xterm, etc.) require this access is the root cause of a bunch of security difficulties in desktop OSes that are impossible to solve in a satisfying way. I want a little workspace (potentially multiple workspaces) for stuff where a terminal is the right way to work, but I don't want the ability for any app to cd into my Signal storage directory or my email client config directory and edit files there.
As a result, I use iOS. If Android will get me the same security design plus the ability to call fork() so Termux works, I'd consider switching - it sounds like that's what they're doing.
If you don't give Termux the "storage" permission, then this is exactly how it works now.
> Signal storage directory
Signal stores its data in its private app directory, which is not exposed to either any other apps, even if you give them the "storage" permission, or to the user via MTP. The only exception is the optional back-up, which is stored (encrypted!) in the public app directory (accessible to MTP and apps having the "storage" permission), so that you can copy it to your next phone. (AFAIK Signal on iOS doesn't give you this option...).
> email client config directory
K-9 mail also stores its data in its private app directory.
OTOH files that are not super-private, like books, audiobooks, music, maps or flashcards can be stored where they're easily accessible, manageable and processable by multiple applications (but even then, only applications that I grant the requisite permission).
Is the paid version much better?
It's like a completely different app, all the cruft like ads and pushing other apps is completely gone. You're just left with all the good stuff and those features generally all work well.
(I am not affiliated with the creator)
I like its column-based view of the filesystem, and the wifi server that you can open a web browser to and upload files from your laptop/desktop.
Some of the features are paid, but frankly $5 for an app really doesn't bother me much as I try to donate at least that to the different open source projects I use a lot.
[1] https://lh3.ggpht.com/-aGrlHAFIEPCk-tusiw91bH6sn-YfzS5pNo-ng...
That said, once I tried copying/moving files around, I was sold on the 2-column layout. I recently got a new phone, which meant moving my custom ringtones and notification sounds to their correct locations. With Google Drive I downloaded them, then using X-Plore I moved them to the ~/Notifications and ~/Ringtones folders. That was fairly easy to do - you find the destination in the right hand column, then swipe back to the left column, select the files for moving, then choose copy/move.
It's kind of like the column mode in Finder on OS X, which I really wish I had on Windows 10.
I've used Amaze File Manager ever since, and I have no complaints.[2]
[0]https://www.androidpolice.com/2015/11/28/after-adding-a-bunc...
[1]https://www.androidpolice.com/2016/05/10/es-file-explorer-up...
[2]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amaze.file...
* Packing/unpacking 7z and Zip/Zip64 (splitted-encrypted), TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, WIM, Lizard, LZ4, LZ5, Zstandard.
* Root access for all advanced operations.
* SAMBA, FTP, SFTP, WEBDAV supported as well.
* Intuitive, unlimited tabbed browsing.
* Very pleasing, nice-looking, easy to use interface (I know this is silly, but as much as I like Total Commander which is good I always felt it's interface was a little clunky.)
* Developer is very active and receptive to feedback.
Give it a try, it's free on XDA with a paid version on the Play Store[1] with at the time of writing, only 5 and 4 star reviews.
[0] https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1523691
[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mixplorer....
I think I could build it from source but I don't have an Android dev environment anymore so I installed the app from Google Play. It asks surprisingly few permissions: read/modify/delete content on the SD card and access to fingerprint hardware.
Amaze is a decent file manager, follows material design, free/open source and available on F-droid.
It also includes an ftpd so it's pretty easy to connect to it even from computers you can't install stuff on.