(Enh) Finder Mods Tracker Issue

[RedBearAK]

This issue thread will be dedicated to tracking the current state and additions/fixes for the "Finder Mods". This is a set of keymaps and an app class group that cause several Linux file managers (or "file browsers" as some call them) to behave like the Finder in macOS when using common keyboard shortcuts for things like:

• Folder tree navigation (Up to parent/Down into folder)
• History navigation (Back/Forward)
• Tab opening/closing/navigation/movement
• Changing view modes (Icon/List/Detail/Gallery)

The Finder Mods attempt to "normalize" about 20 different common functions across all the different supported Linux file managers. How well the keymaps can make any specific Linux file manager conform to Finder responses for the same key combo depends on whether the file manager has support for a specific behavior, or has a shortcut set for that function. Some have very limited sets of shortcuts, or missing view modes, etc.

Current state of the support for different functions in each supported Linux file manager (and Windows File Explorer, for the Windows version of Kinto) will be kept updated in this spreadsheet document:

Finder_keyboard_shortcut_mapping_project_2024-07-15.ods

Currently supported file managers (and where they are commonly found as the default):

--- File Manager ---	---- Desktop Environment ----	---- Known As ----
Caja	MATE	"File Browser"
COSMIC Files	Pop!_OS COSMIC desktop	"COSMIC Files"
DDE File Manager	Deepin	"File Manager"
Dolphin	KDE Plasma	"Dolphin"
Krusader	Alt/old KDE Plasma	"Krusader"
Nautilus	GNOME	"Files"
Nemo	Cinnamon	"Files"
Pantheon Files	Pantheon (elementary OS)	"Files"
PCManFM	LXDE	"PCManFM"
PCManFM-Qt	LXQt	"PCManFM-Qt"
Peony	UKUI (Ubuntu Kylin)	"Peony"
SpaceFM	Independent/Unknown	"SpaceFM"
Thunar	Xfce	"Thunar"

Note

The file open/save dialogs are related to this, and with keyszer/xwaykeyz supporting matching on WM_NAME (window title) rather than just WM_CLASS (application class), there is a little progress toward fixing how keyboard shortcuts work in those dialogs as Linux DEs transition to Wayland and "portals", but there is still a lot of work to do in this area.

[RedBearAK]

Added "Peony" (peony-qt) file manager from Ubuntu Kylin's UKUI desktop environment.

UKUI and Peony have some truly weird problems with keyboard focus and task switching, that I've never seen in any other desktop environment. In the VM where I'm testing I usually have to click on the Peony window to get it to obtain the keyboard focus (and get the Toshy keymapper to see the correct app class instead of the app class of the window you switched away from).

Peony has no preferences/settings dialog that I can find, so Cmd+Comma is blocked because it was trying to rename files as "n" for some reason. Otherwise Peony seems to conform to most of the usual shortcuts, so its keymap is only overriding the tab navigation shortcuts from the general keymap and the general Finder Mods keymap. And a fix for the shortcut to zoom in/enlarge icons.

[RedBearAK]

Why Cmd+R for refreshing the folder view wasn't working in Dolphin:

Because the Finder Mods apparently never had a remap for Cmd+R to F5.

Why I thought there was a Finder Mods remap for Cmd+R:

Refreshing works in web browsers because they respond to Ctrl+R, not just F5. There's also no remap to F5 for web browsers, but it was never needed. I just assumed it was there.

So, we will need to check all supported file managers (eventually) to make sure they all work with a new general file manager remap of Cmd+R to F5. And update the mapping spreadsheet to add this "Refresh" shortcut in a new column.

Dolphin definitely works with F5 and does not have a native Ctrl+R shortcut defined. The alternate shortcut apparently wants a literal "Refresh" key code. Might be found on some keyboards (Chromebooks?) as a special key.

It's probably worth noting that this doesn't actually correspond to anything in the Finder, which generally has not needed to be "refreshed". But it will get Linux file "browsers" to be more in line with the behavior of web browsers. Which is a good usability goal.

Never really seemed to have a problem with refreshing in Nautilus (GNOME default) as much as I need to in Dolphin (KDE Plasma default).

Ah, Nautilus has both as native shortcuts (F5 and Ctrl+R), which is why I was confused when Dolphin did not respond.

Probably should make this a specific shortcut for each file manager that needs it. Starting with Dolphin.

[RedBearAK]

Started adding support for COSMIC Files, the default file manager on Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS and the COSMIC desktop environment.