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GNU Midnight Commander (midnight-commander.org)

525 points by pykello · 313 days ago · 310 comments on HN

Article summary

GNU Midnight Commander is a visual, dual-pane file manager that allows users to manage files and directories in a text-mode interface. It is released under the GNU General Public License and can be installed using a system package manager. The software has various features, including an internal viewer, editor, and diff viewer, and supports theming. It is available on multiple platforms, including Linux, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD.

Main themes

  • File management
  • Orthodox File Managers
  • GNU Midnight Commander
  • Text-mode interface
  • File recovery
  • Docker containers

What commenters say

  • Some users have fond memories of using Orthodox File Managers, such as Volkov Commander and Norton Commander, and appreciate the functionality of GNU Midnight Commander.
  • GNU Midnight Commander has features that make it easier to recover deleted files, particularly on ext2 file systems.
  • There are different opinions on the usefulness of running GNU Midnight Commander in a Docker container, with some seeing it as unnecessary and others finding it convenient.
  • The term 'Orthodox File Manager' has an interesting origin and cultural connotation, particularly in Eastern Europe and the former USSR.
  • Some users prefer alternative file managers, such as Krusader or Meld, and discuss their features and advantages.
  • GNU Midnight Commander can be used to manage files in a headless, Kubernetes cluster environment, and some users find it useful for this purpose.
  • The software has a dedicated community and users appreciate its customizability and theming options.
  • There are different approaches to removing files starting with a dash, with some users using GNU Midnight Commander and others using command-line options like '--'.