How To Show Both Path Bar and Address Bar in Nautilus

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to display both the path bar and address bar in Nautilus, the default file manager in GNOME desktop environments. We’ll also cover some alternatives and workarounds you can use to achieve similar functionality.

Understanding Nautilus

Nautilus, also known as GNOME Files, is a powerful and flexible file manager used in GNOME desktop environments. It provides a simple and intuitive interface for managing files and directories, and includes features such as drag-and-drop support, integrated search, and preview functionality.

The Path Bar and Address Bar

The path bar and address bar are two different ways of displaying your current location in the file system. The path bar shows your location as a series of clickable buttons, each representing a directory in the path. The address bar, on the other hand, displays your location as a text string that can be edited directly.

Switching Between Path Bar and Address Bar

Unfortunately, Nautilus does not support displaying both the path bar and address bar simultaneously. This is due to design considerations and the fact that most users prefer one or the other.

However, Nautilus does provide a shortcut to switch between the two. You can press Ctrl + L to switch from the path bar to the address bar, and Esc to switch back.

Permanently Enabling the Address Bar

If you prefer the address bar and want to enable it permanently, you can do so using dconf-editor or the gsettings command.

Using dconf-editor

1. Install dconf-editor using the command sudo apt install dconf-editor if it’s not already installed.
2. Open dconf-editor and navigate to org > gnome > nautilus > preferences.
3. Check the always-use-location-entry option.

This will enable the address bar by default in Nautilus.

Using gsettings

You can achieve the same result using the gsettings command in the terminal. The command gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry true will enable the address bar, and gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry false will revert back to the path bar.

In these commands, org.gnome.nautilus.preferences is the schema, always-use-location-entry is the key, and true or false is the value.

Alternative File Managers

If you need to display both the path bar and address bar simultaneously, you might want to consider using an alternative file manager. Thunar, XFE, and gnome-commander are all capable of displaying both at the same time.

Conclusion

While it’s not possible to display both the path bar and address bar simultaneously in Nautilus, there are several workarounds and alternatives available. Whether you prefer the clickable convenience of the path bar or the direct editability of the address bar, you can customize Nautilus to suit your preferences.