I'd love to see a shameless rip of of Windows explorer for Linux
- Tree view on main panel (can expand folders without navigating into them).
- Checksum validation under "properties".
- Filter function (like search, but faster and persistent across navigation).
- When dragging and dropping, explicit distinction between "move here", "copy here", "link here", and "move into new folder".
- Browsing SFTP drives natively.
- Native Git integration.
- Well integrated notifications for long operations.
- Disk usage statistics (technically "filelight"). Like WinDirStat, but with circles.
- Press F4 to bring up a console that stays in sync with your window. Extremely powerful.
In what way is the MS Windows file explorer good? It neither has tabs, side-by-side view, pattern selection, performant search, an UI, that doesn't regularly blocks and becomes unresponsive, etc... .
What feature does it have, that some other file manager, doesn't have? I can't think of any?
This option has existed since win2k IIRC:
Tools > Folder Options > View > Launch folder windows in a separate processed
They're really bad at modernising legacy parts of the OS. Even to this day parts of the old control panel exist and it's been like a decade that they've been working on it.
That is what keeps Windows usable though. I prefer them not the rip the last bits of sanity out.
The only feature that windows maybe kinda does better is the preview pane, but even then, it regularly loses certain file types and in the latest update it started taking 5 seconds or more just to render a text file.
Anyway, still doesn't come close to Dolphin.
I upgraded back down to Win10 and plan on making it my absolute last Windows version I ever use, Win 11 is just unbelievably shit in so many ways even by M$ standards.
How come? I can't think of a single redeeming feature of windows file explorer that I need (or use).
Heck, it effectively doesn't have text search (grep -R) and b/c it's so bad there is the "window search" service that even worse. It has the absolutely worst imaginable zip file (erm folder) reader as a side bonus. Security file permissions management is just horrid (along with the fact some of them are coupled with registry paths)
I don't recall seeing a correct file system operation time estimation.
Edit - since explorer.exe is both the shell and the file manager, and the former craps itself often enough (task manager or taskkill /im explorer.exe), it's another negative point.
For me the perfect file manager is Total Commander or Midnight Commander or Double Commadner.
Maybe the crashes could be solved with a more stable os like debian, but the explorer shell integration is on windows on another level with network storage.
Good joke, made my day! : )
(very sorry, it is late, would love to collect and expand in a dedicated thread later. a prime reason for hating to turn on my work computer - no Windows at home! -, me, the tech enthusiast since learned how to hold a screwdriver, is Windows Explorer. so many senseless inconsistencies with unfinished junk petrified into unmutable practicies that changing line of work where never ever need to use Windows again is getting increasingly attractive very fast. even goat herding sounds a sensible alternative sometimes)