xnc - File manager for X Window

xnc [-display xdisplay] [-geometry geom] [-/+rv] [-fn fontname] [-/+ls] [-/+sb] [-sl number] [-/+vb] [-C] [-/+si] [-/+fl] [-/+shared] [-plugin plugin_name] [-help]

This manual page describes the xnc program, the file manager for X Window. It provides many operations with files in Virtual File System, such as copy, move, delete, rename, view, edit ... Currently Virtiual File System in xnc can work with normal disk filesystem, with various archives in popular formats and with FTP sessions on remote machines. xnc is highly and easily configurable with xncsetup, that allow color changing, hot keys redefinitions, fonts choosing etc.

Short description of xnc features:

o

View two directories in two panels with highlighting.

o

Copy, move, rename, delete files and directories recursivly.

o

View or edit files with internal ives or external editors.

o

File execution in built-in xterminal.

o

File association with applications by file extension.

o

Operations with files inside archives.

o

User menu for quick command execution.

o

HotDir bookmark for quick changing to useful directories.

o

Processes information/Signal sending.

o

Memory infromation.

o

Disk summary infromation.

o

Quick ScanDir infromation.

o

And more...

Full description of all internal xnc commands with default hot keys for them:

o

Move cursor up/down on the panel [Up/Down] - MoveUp/MoveDown. This command moves cursor one file up or down in the active panel.

o

Move cursor one column up/down [Left/Right] - MoveLeft/MoveRight. This command moves cursor one column up and down or left and right according to number of columns.

o

Move cursor page up/down [PageUp/PageDown] - MoveCursorPageUp/MoveCursorPageDown. This command moves cursor one page up or down if number of files in current directory are more that for one page.

o

Move cursor home [Home] - MoveCursorHome. This command moves cursor to the beggining of the directory list where '..' is shown.

o

Move cursor to the end [End] - MoveCursorEnd. This command moves cursor to the last file in the current directory listing.

o

Switch between panels [Tab] - SwitchPanels. This action allows you to change focus between panels and makes one active. You can also switch between panels by clicking with mouse on the panel or its header.

o

Switch between Xterminal and Panels window [Crtl-O] - SwitchToTerm. Allow you to switch between panels window and xterminal window to view xterminal output of running programs in it and then return back to your panels and continue browsing your file system tree.

o

Set inactive panel directory to current one [Ctrl+j] - SetPanelToCurrent. This command takes directory path from active panel and sets the same path to inactive one. Usefull if you want to copy to the same directory.

o

Swap directories in the panels [Ctrl+u] - SwapPanels. This command exchanges directory paths between two panels.

o

Execute in foreground or changing directory [Enter] - Execute. Double left click on file or pressing hotkey will execute file in foreground with output to built in xterminal. If file has no execute permission, association menu appears and you can choose command from it to execute with current file as a parameter. If current file is a directory then xnc changes current directory to those one under cursor and shows dir contents.

o

Execute in background [Shift-Enter] - Execute. This operation allowed only if file has execute permission. File executed in background using built in xterminal shell ('&' will be auto added by xnc).

o

File insertion to command line [Ctrl-Enter] - Execute. Pressing this combination or dragging file to command line and xnc will insert this file in command. Very useful for constructing command line parameters.

o

Insert left panel directory path [Ctrl+[] - InsertLeftDir. If this command is activated, then xnc will insert into the command line full path from left (top) panel. This command is usefull if you want combine filename with it full path.

o

Insert right panel directory path [Ctrl+]] - InsertRightDir. If this command is activated, then xnc will insert into the command line full path from right (bottom) panel. This command is usefull if you want combine filename with it full path.

o

Insert previous executed command from history [Shift+Up,Ctrl+e] - CmdLineCommandUp. Take previous command from history and put it into the command line. You can also view all history and choose your remembered command by clicking on the icon in the left corner of the command line.

o

Move cursor one step right in the command line [Shift+Right] - CmdLineCommandRight.

o

Move cursor one step left in the command line [Shift+Right] - CmdLineCommandLeft.

o

Manual Selectection/Deselection files and directories on the panels. [Insert] - ManualSelectFile. Use right mouse button to do this operation with mouse.

o

Selection/Deselection by mask. [Gray+ or Gray-] - AddMaskSelection/DelMaskSelection.You can type any file mask with '*' and '?' in wildcard. Use 'Gray +' for select files by mask and 'Gray -' for deselect or choose these operations from 'Operations' menu.

o

Invert selection of the files. [Gray*] - InvertMaskSelection. Make currently selected files deselected and select others.

o

Select file by extension [Shift+Gray+] - SelectFileMask. Takes the extension of the file under cursor and selects all files with the same extension.

o

Deselect file by extension [Shift+Gray-] - DeselectFileMask. Takes the extension of the file under cursor and deselects all files with the same extension.

o

Copy s [F5] - CopyFile. With this function you can copy files and directories to destination file system, where destination file system may be disk, archive or ftp session. Directories are copied recursively. Links are copied as files if opposite option is not set in a confirmation copy window. This window appears only if your option 'prompt on copy' is on. You can enter another directory in this window. Use Tab key for directory name completion on normal disk file system. If you copy single file not a selection then you can add new file name to directy path in the confirmation window and file will be copied with another name.

o

Move s [F6] - MoveFile. Same as copy files but this function move files i.e delete it from source panel after 'copying'.

o

Delete s [F8] - DelFile. Delete files and directories from the active panel. Directories are deleted recursively. Use mouse to drag files and drop it on recycle bin icon for activating the same delete command.

o

Create archive from s [Shift+F5] - CreateArchive. If you want to create an archive from some files or directories in the active panel, then select them and activate this command. Dialog window apperas and the default name or the archive is displayed. Default arhiver is TAR+GZIP, and if you want any other that xnc supports then just change extension in name of the archive and xnc will automatically use necessary arhiver. For exmaple if you type 'my_first_one.zip' then zip archiver will be used and my_first_one will be created. Note that removing directoty name from the name of the archive will push xnc to create archive in the current directory of the active panel. XNC can create archives only on normal disk file system, but from files from any type of virtual file system.

o

Rename file [Shift+F6] - RenameFile. Rename file command pop ups the dialog window this the old file name in it. Change this name to any other you want and the file will be renamed. Command works only with one file under cursor.

o

Change attributes [F9] - AttributeFile. Change owner/group/other read/write/execute permissions of file or set/clear these permissions for selected files and directories.

o

Change owner [Shift-F9] - ChangeOwner. Change owner and group of s. Pops up dialog window and you can choose new owner and group from list or type it on keyboard in 'owner.group' format. After that owner and/or group will be updated for selected files of for file under cursor.

o

Make directory [F7] - MakeDir. Create directory with given name in current one.

o

View file [F3] - ViewFile. View current file (not selected) with IVES or specified viewer.

o

Simple View [Shift-F3] - SimpleViewFile. Work only with IVES and allow you to view file in simple raw/HEX mode even it is an image.

o

Edit file [F4] - EditFile. Edit current file with IVES or specified editor.

o

New file for edit [Shift-F4] - NewFileEdit. Create new file and give it to editor.

o

Print current file [Ctrl+F9] - Print. This command sends current file to the default printer via 'lpr' command.

o

Memory information [Ctrl-M] - MemoryInfo. Shows memory information window with output from by 'free' or 'vmstat' command.

o

Disk information [Ctrl-L] - DiskInfo. Shows window with information about each mounted partition in system (executes 'df' command).

o

Processes information [F11] - KillMenu. Shows working processes and allow you to send signal to selected process.

o

Quick ScanDir [Ctrl-Q] - QuickDir. Switch on/off summary information window about current directory and its files and subdirectories.

o

Inode file information [Crtl+i] - InodeInfo. Shows information window with specific information about file taken from 'stat' structure.

o

Quick file information [GrayInsert] - QuickFileInfo. If you activate this command the xnc will show 'magic' file information in status bar area of the current panel. If any files are selected the instead of magic file information, ordinary information about file under cursor will be shown.

o

Add entry to bookmark [Ctrl-a] - AddtoBookMark. Add current directory to empty place in the bookmark. If bookmark is full then addition is failed. If this directory already exists in the bookmark then folder with that dir starts flushing. Use drag and drop from the panel header to empty bookmark area if you want to add new bookmark folder by mouse.

o

Switch to folder [Alt-1..9] - SwitchToBook. Switch active panel to directory stored in specified bookmark folder. If the bookmark folder does not exist it will be created with current directory and no switching will be made. Click on choosen bookmark folder with mouse to make it visible on active panel.

o

Delete current folder from the bookmark [Alt-Delete] - DelCurrentBook. Delete highlighted folder from the bookmark (not from file system). Also You can drag any bookmark folder to Recycle bin to delete it.

o

Find files [Ctrl-F] - FindFile. This command opens a find file window where file name or mask need to be specified and find results will be shown. Allow recursive directories scanning from current or from '/' directory. You can click on one of the found files you are interested in and xnc will switch active panel to the directory where this file is located and set cursor to it.

o

Open FTP session [Ctrl+H] - ActivateFtpLink. This command open FTP connection window, where you can choose one of your favorite sites to connect to or add one and connect to it via FTP. You can also open FTP session by typing the following command in the command line: 'cd ftp://[user@]hostname[:port][/path]'.

o

User Menu [F2] - UserMenu. Show user menu with commands and hotkeys defined for it and allow activate menu item.

o

Man pages [F1] - ManPage. Popup window asks you for man page name and options then execute 'man'. If you are using IVES as a viewer then it shows man pages in IVES HighLight View window otherwise in xterminal using your PAGER environment.

o

Clean archive file system cache [Ctrl+C] - CleanAFSCache. This command cleans archive cache on your disk. XNC uses this cache for speed up browsing your archives.

o

Remount current directory [Shift+F1] - RemountCurrent. This command tries to remount current directory. Often useful only if you are root.

o

Remount device from the list [Ctrl+F1] - RemountList. This command show list of all mountable device and allow you to choose and then mount/remount selected device. Useful from cdrom disks changing on the fly.

o

Reread current directory [Ctrl+R] - RereadDir. This command forces xnc to reread directory contents from virtual file system.

-display xdisp

Connect to X Server xdisp.

-geometry geom

Set geometry of xnc windows to geom.

-/+rv

Turn on/off reverse video in xterminal (default is nonreverse).

-fn fontname

Set font named fontname in xterminal window.

-/+ls

Turn on/off login shell mode.

-/+sb

Turn on/off scrollbar in xterminal window.

-sl number

Number of scrolled line to save in xterminal window.

-/+vb

Turn on/off visual bell.

-C

Intercept console massages.

-/+si

Turn on/off startup logo (default is on).

-/+fl

Turn on/off fast loading mode. (default is off). There are no directory icons, file icons and startup logo in fast loading mode.

-/+to

Turn on/off rxvt terminal (default is on).

-/+su

Turn on/off 'system' call, works when terminal is off (-to).

-/+shared

Turn on/off shared resource using with xncloader.

-plugin plugin_name

plugin name for load different look.

-help

Shows help options screen.

The xnc program requires some configuration files in your HOME/.xnc directory, so run xncsetup before first start of xnc.

xncsetup, ives, iview, iedit, xjpegroot

There may be bugs in the xnc package, but that's not very likely. But if you'll find the bug then please, send complete description to the author.

Leonid Khramov (leo@xnc.dubna.su) Russia, St.Petersburg 2002