Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-16 15:52:49

Hi, I have installed Zorin OS 11 64-bit on my DELL Inspiron 5559 laptop.

Every time I open File Manager it defaults to "View items as a grid of icons" and I would like to change the default view to "View items as a list".

So far I haven't seen any way to change this so I was going to install Thunar file manager but wondered if this would be OK with my current distro. I haven't been able to find out the name of the default file manager for Zorin OS 11.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

MountainDewManiac · 2016-04-16 17:34:22

When you are running your file manager, try Help/About. That should give you its name (and version number).

Regards,
MDM

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-16 20:54:45

MountainDewManiac wrote:

When you are running your file manager, try Help/About. That should give you its name (and version number).
Regards,
MDM

Thanks for reply. The strange thing is there is no menus along the top. Only the option to change from icon view to list view and a hamburger menu with new tab, new folder, new document, open in terminal. I have checked everywhere but there is no sign of the usual Help About.

I wondered if there was a way to find out the file manager using the terminal. I'm quite new to linux but if I know what to enter, I can run a few commands to try to find out the default file manager that comes with Zorin.

I don't think installing Thunar will be a problem but I'm not an expert in Linux. I'm still learning I'm afraid, so just being careful I don't break anything.

Jerry3904 · 2016-04-16 21:04:19

I wonder if this would work:

exo-preferred-applications

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-16 22:25:33

Jerry3904 wrote:

I wonder if this would work:
exo-preferred-applications

Thanks again. I entered the command but got following message...

hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$ exo-preferred-applications
The program 'exo-preferred-applications' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install exo-utils
hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$

Do you think it will be ok to install on Zorin? I'm not sure how it will integrate with my desktop.

MountainDewManiac · 2016-04-17 01:26:45

fracmo2000 wrote:

MountainDewManiac wrote:
When you are running your file manager, try Help/About. That should give you its name (and version number).
Regards,
MDM
Thanks for reply. The strange thing is there is no menus along the top. Only the option to change from icon view to list view and a hamburger menu with new tab, new folder, new document, open in terminal. I have checked everywhere but there is no sign of the usual Help About.

Huh. Are you using GNOME 3 for the desktop environment? You can try holding the Alt key and pressing the h key. That may or may not work. I am not familiar with oddball DEs, lol. I just had a look at the website for Zorin OS and was able to discern what DE it uses. It almost put me in mind of a Microsoft OS roll . Have you tried asking how to install and integrate Thunar (assuming that's possible) in their support forum?

Regards,
MDM

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-17 10:14:04

MountainDewManiac wrote:

Hugh. Are you using GNOME 3 for the desktop environment? You can try holding the Alt key and pressing the h key. That may or may not work. I am not familiar with oddball DEs, lol. I just had a look at the website for Zorin OS and was able to discern what DE it uses. It almost put me in mind of a Microsoft OS . Have you tried asking how to install and integrate Thunar (assuming that's possible) in their support forum?
Regards,
MDM

Thanks for reply, there is nothing when open file manager then try holding the Alt key and pressing the h key. every other distro I try this on it opens an option to click on either Contents or About. So looks like it's been disabled like the menu along the top.

I have chosen the 'Gnome 2' look from the 'Zorin Look Changer' so perhaps the desktop is Gnome, I did enter a couple of commands in a terminal ....

hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$ ls /usr/bin/*session
/usr/bin/dbus-run-session  /usr/bin/gnome-session
hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$

hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
Unity
hugh@DELL-INSP-ZORIN:~$

... but not sure if that tells me anything about which file manager I'm using as I'm still learning Linux.

Jerry3904 · 2016-04-17 12:17:58

Why don't you just install it and see what happens? It's not going to wreck anything...

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-17 22:48:59

Jerry3904 wrote:

Why don't you just install it and see what happens? It's not going to wreck anything...

Thanks for the advice. I don't know enough about linux to install new file manager, as I understand the file manager in zorin is supposed to be baked into the desktop. I'm a bit nervous in case I create a conflict.

But I did find out what the default file manager is for Zorin OS11. I opened a terminal and typed nautilus and a new file manger window popped up. So Nautilus it is. Before I go ahead and install Thunar, do you know if there is any history of conflict between the two?

MountainDewManiac · 2016-04-18 04:11:47

Unity... That seems like Ubuntu's Unity / GNOME3 to me. I know nothing about it (other than my early impressions were almost universally negative - a first for me in relation to almost any experience, lol), but others will have more - or at least some - experience with it and, presumably, something positive/helpful to say. Therefore, I will back out of this discussion now in hopes that those others will step forward and/or make suggestions about where to find the knowledge you seek. I wish you luck.

Regards,
MDM

Jerry3904 · 2016-04-18 10:38:26

Just do it already--if it conflicts, which I seriously doubt, take it back out. IMHO you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

A Google search might give you more information, if you really need it, or follow MDM's suggestion of asking on the Zorin forum.

Like MDM, I will exit from this thread, having nothing further to contribute. Good luck.

fracmo2000 · 2016-04-18 11:00:30

MountainDewManiac wrote:

Unity... That seems like Ubuntu's Unity / GNOME3 to me. I know nothing about it (other than my early impressions were almost universally negative - a first for me in relation to almost any experience, lol), but others will have more - or at least some - experience with it and, presumably, something positive/helpful to say. Therefore, I will back out of this discussion now in hopes that those others will step forward and/or make suggestions about where to find the knowledge you seek. I wish you luck.
Regards,
MDM

Jerry3904 wrote:

Just do it already--if it conflicts, which I seriously doubt, take it back out. IMHO you're making a mountain out of a molehill.
A Google search might give you more information, if you really need it, or follow MDM's suggestion of asking on the Zorin forum.
Like MDM, I will exit from this thread, having nothing further to contribute. Good luck.

thanks for your input. The main reason I am hesitant (apart from being a linux novice) is I read online that installing a second file manager is not recommended....
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux … almistakes
here is the section I was reading....

Don't install a second full-blown file manager
5.1. Related to the "don't mix desktop environments" issue: it's not advisable to install a full-blown second file manager. It's best to stick to the file manager that comes by default with your desktop environment.
The reason is, that full-blown file managers are deeply interwoven with the desktop environment for which they were designed. That means that they can cause problems after installation in a "foreign" desktop environment: they simply engrain themselves too deeply in that "foreign" desktop and tend to clash sometimes with its primary file manager.
Exceptions are stand-alone simple file managers like GNOME Commander and Midnight Commander. They don't interweave themselves with the desktop environment at all, and only do their primary limited task: basic file management.

I notice it mentions GNOME Commander and Midnight Commander as an option to install. Would either of these be OK? If not I'll just leave it alone. Thanks again for your advice and guidance.

Jerry3904 · 2016-04-18 11:06:13

Not sure. I have used SpaceFM alongside Thunar, but other than that have no experience.

Sideburns · 2016-05-23 01:34:06

One way to find out what your File Manager is is to open up a terminal and run the program top. This will give you a real-time view of what programs are currently running, with the most active ones (in terms of cpu and RAM usage) at the top of the list. Move the terminal to someplace that won't be covered up, open up your file manager and see what new program appears in the terminal. Once you've found out what you need, you can either stop top with ^C or simply close the terminal, which will kill the program. Or, if you're uncomfortable with that, you can always go to the Zorin forum at http://zoringroup.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 and ask there.

Lengendary · 2016-06-01 17:53:40

Thunar doesn't conflict with any DE it doesn't bring xfce4 session files.
Just don't install caja because they'll bring mate desktop session file & screw gnome3 desktop
Nemo as well they'll bring cinnamon desktop files with you.

But if I'm OP I'll drop Zorin for ChaletOS.

cmcanulty · 2016-07-29 14:42:56

I use several different file managers in xubuntu. Each one has a particular feature I like. No issues at all with this.

Xfce Forum

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#1 2016-04-16 15:52:49

Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#2 2016-04-16 17:34:22

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#3 2016-04-16 20:54:45

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#4 2016-04-16 21:04:19

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#5 2016-04-16 22:25:33

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#6 2016-04-17 01:26:45

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#7 2016-04-17 10:14:04

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#8 2016-04-17 12:17:58

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#9 2016-04-17 22:48:59

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#10 2016-04-18 04:11:47

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#11 2016-04-18 10:38:26

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#12 2016-04-18 11:00:30

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#13 2016-04-18 11:06:13

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#14 2016-05-23 01:34:06

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#15 2016-06-01 17:53:40

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

#16 2016-07-29 14:42:56

Re: Is it OK to install Thunar on Zorin OS 11?

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