5 ms·

> Why, in 2021, does every single Linux desktop require me to open a file first to see what's inside it? KDE's file manager has a previewpane that you can ena

by brnt 5y ago

> Why, in 2021, does every single Linux desktop require me to open a file first to see what's inside it? KDE's file manager has a previewpane that you can enable if you wish.

bitwize 5y ago
Why should I have to enable it? There shouldn't be any goddamn high places!!!
- michaelmrose 5y ago
  It's not hidden in a disused lavatory behind a sign bearing the words "beware the leopard". Click menu button view panels "Information" Also F11 If remembers the state globally so if you leave it open it will always be there when you open a file manager window if you toggle it off it will be hidden next time too. It's not open by default perhaps because not everyone regards it as maximally useful. Say I open a file manager and have it sized to 1/4 of a 24" 1080p screen. On the left hand side of the screen is a panel which lists common and places and other items. This leaves a space for 15 icons on the screen at 48px size big enough to comfortably read and note some details in a preview. Opening the information pane reduces that to 10 icons greatly reducing the space available for the main purpose of the application. What if I open it to the full size of the screen? I can now view 56 icons at 80px where now they actually are a pretty decent size to see whats in them in their own icon. I think most of the time having the info panel shown would decrease the utility of the window.
  - distances 5y ago
    > It's not open by default perhaps because not everyone regards it as maximally useful. Indeed, I don't have any use for information or preview panes, I disable them all when encountering. IMHO they are a distraction from the content itself and make the view arrangement clumsy.
- brnt 5y ago
  Because I would hate for it to take up screen real estate. On my machine, starting apps to look into files isnt slow.
mananaysiempre 5y ago
... And in GNOME’s Nautilus, Sushi https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/sushi https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/sushi does popup previews on spacebar more or less like the GP describes. (Though the whole thing, while useful in practice, feels like essentially a workaround for unnecessarily heavy and app-centric UIs. Having both an “Open” command and an “Open, but faster and does less” command feels like humans succumbing to the needs of computers, not computers providing an additional convenience for humans. But that is a much more complicated problem that I don’t think has ever been solved in a GUI context.)
- michaelpb 5y ago
  > Though the whole thing, while useful in practice, feels like essentially a workaround for unnecessarily heavy and app-centric UIs. Right, I'm sometimes puzzled by how people approach their personal "deal-breakers" that prevent Mac->Lin (or Win->Lin) switch. Many of the issues are presented as though they are bugs or clear-cut missing features, but are in fact subjective preference statements. In this case the "spacebar to preview" feature might be a must-have for some, but to others it might not be important, and maybe even to some be perceived as an anti-feature. I personally see this particular feature as redundant (given there is already thumbnailing and a means to open files) and unintuitive, and thus just more clutter. But I also don't care too much, since I could always disable it if it came pre-enabled. The worst cases of this is when some insist that not only is their particular preference the The One Way, but that stubborn Linux DE developers are somehow at fault for not implementing The One Way, and that's why Linux will never be popular. There are plenty of things that might keep "normies" from switching, but random obscure DE features are not them. People tolerate FAR worse UX disasters than any major Linux DE.
  - lordgroff 5y ago
    I always feel like I'm in a different plane from the rest of the universe when discussing these things. When I read how Linux DEs are "obviously" garbage, I just generally throw up a thought bubble with few question marks above my head in confusion and go on with my day. I find Mac OS a frustrating experience personally, but assume it's mostly a result of not being used to it.

by brnt 5y ago

> Why, in 2021, does every single Linux desktop require me to open a file first to see what's inside it? KDE's file manager has a previewpane that you can enable if you wish.

bitwize 5y ago

Why should I have to enable it? There shouldn't be any goddamn high places!!!

michaelmrose 5y ago
It's not hidden in a disused lavatory behind a sign bearing the words "beware the leopard". Click menu button view panels "Information" Also F11 If remembers the state globally so if you leave it open it will always be there when you open a file manager window if you toggle it off it will be hidden next time too. It's not open by default perhaps because not everyone regards it as maximally useful. Say I open a file manager and have it sized to 1/4 of a 24" 1080p screen. On the left hand side of the screen is a panel which lists common and places and other items. This leaves a space for 15 icons on the screen at 48px size big enough to comfortably read and note some details in a preview. Opening the information pane reduces that to 10 icons greatly reducing the space available for the main purpose of the application. What if I open it to the full size of the screen? I can now view 56 icons at 80px where now they actually are a pretty decent size to see whats in them in their own icon. I think most of the time having the info panel shown would decrease the utility of the window.
- distances 5y ago
  > It's not open by default perhaps because not everyone regards it as maximally useful. Indeed, I don't have any use for information or preview panes, I disable them all when encountering. IMHO they are a distraction from the content itself and make the view arrangement clumsy.
brnt 5y ago
Because I would hate for it to take up screen real estate. On my machine, starting apps to look into files isnt slow.

mananaysiempre 5y ago

... And in GNOME’s Nautilus, Sushi https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/sushi https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/sushi does popup previews on spacebar more or less like the GP describes. (Though the whole thing, while useful in practice, feels like essentially a workaround for unnecessarily heavy and app-centric UIs. Having both an “Open” command and an “Open, but faster and does less” command feels like humans succumbing to the needs of computers, not computers providing an additional convenience for humans. But that is a much more complicated problem that I don’t think has ever been solved in a GUI context.)

michaelpb 5y ago
> Though the whole thing, while useful in practice, feels like essentially a workaround for unnecessarily heavy and app-centric UIs. Right, I'm sometimes puzzled by how people approach their personal "deal-breakers" that prevent Mac->Lin (or Win->Lin) switch. Many of the issues are presented as though they are bugs or clear-cut missing features, but are in fact subjective preference statements. In this case the "spacebar to preview" feature might be a must-have for some, but to others it might not be important, and maybe even to some be perceived as an anti-feature. I personally see this particular feature as redundant (given there is already thumbnailing and a means to open files) and unintuitive, and thus just more clutter. But I also don't care too much, since I could always disable it if it came pre-enabled. The worst cases of this is when some insist that not only is their particular preference the The One Way, but that stubborn Linux DE developers are somehow at fault for not implementing The One Way, and that's why Linux will never be popular. There are plenty of things that might keep "normies" from switching, but random obscure DE features are not them. People tolerate FAR worse UX disasters than any major Linux DE.
- lordgroff 5y ago
  I always feel like I'm in a different plane from the rest of the universe when discussing these things. When I read how Linux DEs are "obviously" garbage, I just generally throw up a thought bubble with few question marks above my head in confusion and go on with my day. I find Mac OS a frustrating experience personally, but assume it's mostly a result of not being used to it.