i.File is a Linux-based file manager designed for users transitioning from Windows. It aims to help these individuals navigate the Linux environment while managing their files.
As a former Windows user, I found the Linux file manager interface to be lacking, especially as a power user. Both the KDE and Gnome file managers, while popular, are riddled with bugs and usability issues that have yet to be resolved even after three years. This is why I was excited to try out i.File, a file manager made specifically for those coming from a Windows background.
The i.File project is targeted towards developers who can help improve its functionality and speed. The basic code structure is already in place, and it's up to contributors to iron out the bugs and improve the overall performance.
One key feature of i.File is its speed. It doesn't load icons for every file by its mime type, which can be time-consuming. The use of hashtables is also pervasive to ensure fast operation, without sacrificing usability. Startup and shutdown time should be sub-second, and drag and drop should have latencies no more than 100ms.
i.File also ensures that views of the same inode (file/dir/etc) point back to the same object, so that any changes made to the object are automatically reflected in all views. Network accesses and other time-consuming tasks are also threaded to prevent locking up the GUI thread.
i.File's design is minimalistic, without any unnecessary features such as thumbnail viewing. Instead, applications are left to handle viewing tasks. Every file is typed with a mime type, which is better than associating files with applications based on their extension.
Finally, the Win2k implementation of Windows Explorer is used as the basis for some of i.File's user interface design, since it is a familiar and well-liked standard. The experiments with file manager UI in Linux have not been successful, hence the creation of i.File.
To use i.File, you'll need GCC 3.2/Visual C++ 6 or better and Lgi. Overall, i.File is a promising file manager that fills a necessary gap in the Linux ecosystem, and I look forward to seeing its continued development.
The i.File project is targeted towards developers who can help improve its functionality and speed. The basic code structure is already in place, and it's up to contributors to iron out the bugs and improve the overall performance.
One key feature of i.File is its speed. It doesn't load icons for every file by its mime type, which can be time-consuming. The use of hashtables is also pervasive to ensure fast operation, without sacrificing usability. Startup and shutdown time should be sub-second, and drag and drop should have latencies no more than 100ms.
i.File also ensures that views of the same inode (file/dir/etc) point back to the same object, so that any changes made to the object are automatically reflected in all views. Network accesses and other time-consuming tasks are also threaded to prevent locking up the GUI thread.
i.File's design is minimalistic, without any unnecessary features such as thumbnail viewing. Instead, applications are left to handle viewing tasks. Every file is typed with a mime type, which is better than associating files with applications based on their extension.
Finally, the Win2k implementation of Windows Explorer is used as the basis for some of i.File's user interface design, since it is a familiar and well-liked standard. The experiments with file manager UI in Linux have not been successful, hence the creation of i.File.
To use i.File, you'll need GCC 3.2/Visual C++ 6 or better and Lgi. Overall, i.File is a promising file manager that fills a necessary gap in the Linux ecosystem, and I look forward to seeing its continued development.
What's New
Version 0.2 Alpha: N/A