5 ms·

I just want a Finder that actually works. It’s pretty incredible just how bad Finder is. It’s by far the worst piece of software I’m forced to use on a daily ba

I just want a Finder that actually works. It’s pretty incredible just how bad Finder is. It’s by far the worst piece of software I’m forced to use on a daily basis.

reddalo 2y ago
I honestly think that Explorer on Windows 11 is way worse than Finder. But I'd love a FilePilot [1] for macOS... [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43091466 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43091466
- nottorp 2y ago
  On Windows you have Total Commander at least :) I've tried some clones for mac os, but they all missed some important (at least to me) functions. Like typing not going to the command line editor, or not having a command line at all. So it's midnight commander from macports for most complex file operations for me.
- madeofpalk 2y ago
  For the shit people give Finder, it's astonishing how bad Explorer is. I miss Finder's tree view in Explorer so much.
- zanderwohl 2y ago
  Anyone who thinks finder is the worst file browser hasn't used Windows for 25+ years. Explorer can't even search files on the hard drive of the computer it's running on. Explorer has its thumbnail processor on the same thread as the UI so if you have a lot of pictures in a directory it'll just hang indefinitely. Sometimes if you have too many files it won't display any at all. If explorer crashes, it's the same process as your desktop and taskbar, so that disappears too.
- cosmic_cheese 2y ago
  I’ve never really understood the love for Explorer in any of its iterations. It was just alright at its best in the Win7 era and somewhere between mediocre and bad in other eras.
  - reddalo 2y ago
    I think peak Explorer was like back in Windows 98. Snappy and easy to use. With Windows 7 it became a mess with the ribbon thing. On Windows 11 it got even worse, it's slow.
colddevil 2y ago
Yes, I was thinking the same.. For several years, I'm pretty happy with PathFinder by Cocoatech: https://cocoatech.io/ https://cocoatech.io/ The things I miss the most when I accidentically open a Finder window: Cut files wit CMD+X to move them (never understood this when coming from Windows), cycle the files in a folder (start on top if you reach bottom and vice versa) and the comprehensive info bar on the right for files and folders. Give it a try :)
- etrautmann 2y ago
  I used it for years and got so fed up with its pain points, including frequent crashes, a licensing system that never worked and nagged me despite legitimate purchase, and updates which reset and lost my preferences and sidebar organization. I’m now galaxy brained back to Finder again.
- ctippett 2y ago
  There's an app from Sindre Sorhus that adds CMD+X functionality to Finder. https://sindresorhus.com/command-x https://sindresorhus.com/command-x
  - ttepasse 2y ago
    ”There is an app from Sindre Sorhus” is a complete sentence. :) (Command-X is nice, even for a long time Mac user)
- LimeLimestone 2y ago
  Instead of CMD + X you can do CMD + C and paste with CMD + Option + V
pindab0ter 2y ago
What exactly is so bad about Finder? I've never had any issues with it.
- bowsamic 2y ago
  Same, honestly. I find it very pleasant to use. Especially compared to a lot of Linux file browsers
- etrautmann 2y ago
  Things that are hard: launching a terminal at a location, viewing or copying a files path, navigating a deep file system, column width in the column view, searching for files, finding file info, and lots of other.
  - spinningarrow 2y ago
    > launching a terminal at a location A workaround for this (especially if you have a terminal always open) is to drag the file/folder you want to operate on into an open terminal window, which will paste in its path.
    - setopt 2y ago
      This is what I do as well. Note that nearly every MacOS app shows a file or folder icon in its title bar if you hover the mouse over it – this icon can be dragged into a terminal to open the current file or folder there. Also useful if I e.g. want to grep something in a currently open text file in the terminal, or something like that. (There is a system setting to always show this in the title bar without hovering, which was the old default behavior before Big Sur if I recall correctly. I’m a bit annoyed that it’s now hidden away by default.)
    - WillAdams 2y ago
      Also, remember the commands pbcopy and pbpaste which along with pipes allow one to do a myriad of tasks.
  - johncoltrane 2y ago
sujee 2y ago
The frustration with Finder led me to building my own tool. Not trying to replace Finder but more like a companion app - https://www.fileminutes.com/ https://www.fileminutes.com/
timrichard 2y ago
I use Forklift instead : https://binarynights.com/ https://binarynights.com/ I can use it as an orthodox file manager (with the f keys I remember from Norton Commander). I also like using it to access remote filesystems over nfs and sftp, and also S3 buckets. It also works well with Dropbox and iCloud. There is a great sync feature to keep source and target directories synchronised. It's also good for diffing directories at a glance. It's good at managing archive files too. Plus the regex file rename feature is often handy for me - I have a few presets saved for various purposes. It's also my go-to MacOS uninstaller, as it gathers the related files.
- rtp4me 2y ago
  Same. I tried to use Finder for a while but landed on Forklift. I consider it the best choice of file manager tools for MacOS.
chrisweekly 2y ago
I recommend Alfred to replace Finder, Divvy for window management, iTerm2 for terminal, and homebrew to manage CLI utils. This combination has served me well for many years.
- 2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago
  And Linux Mint Cinnamon to replace MacOS ... how bout that?
  - chrisweekly 2y ago
    OT. I like Linux, but this thread is about macOS.
    - 2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago
      you're in denial.
nyarlathotep_ 2y ago
I gained a reputation at my workplace for complaining about this. Nonsense default behavior, slow as heck, search barely works, keybindings are totally illogical. It's totally unacceptable.
- sbuk 2y ago
  Whenever I read comments like this, I know that it is someone that has switched from another OS. macOS is neither Windows, KDE or Gnome. An awful lot of the functionality that you deem 'nonsense' comes from the days of classic Macintosh and even from NeXTSTEP. In fact, nearly all the complaints I see in this and similar threads come down to people expecting macOS to behave like their previous OS did, and being surprised that it doesn't.
  - greatgib 2y ago
    It is just people being used to efficiency and interface improved over years to be ergonomic for users. OS-X is surprising because there is a lot of marketing pretending that it is the most ergonomic when it is in fact the worst, and mostly it does not really improve other time.
    - sbuk 2y ago
      "when it is in fact the worst" That's very subjective. As a near 40-year user of Mac's, the consistency is quite remarkable. Mac OS 9 -> X was the biggest change, and even that was pretty consistent given just how different it actually was. After using Linux on and off for the last 20 or so years, I still prefer macOS when it comes to the crunch. It's not perfect, but to me at least, the best of a bad bunch. Here's the thing; GNOME and KDE copied some bits from Mac OS, some bits from CDE/Motif, and a whole lot from Windows. The reason is obvious - familiarity and that IBM AT was largely the hardware people were installing these desktops on to. The "grandma test" (i.e. I taught my Gradma/Mum to use ${desktop}) is pointless. Instead, observe young children who have never seen a desktop computer interact with them. None of them fair well. IOS and to a very slight lesser degree, Adroid fair much better. All anecdotal, but do try it out - opens you're eye to just how bad the desktop is. Real men prefer IRIX...
copypasterepeat 2y ago
I always feel like I'm missing something, but I find the creation of new folders really awkward. I'd like to just be able to right-click on a folder or even on a file or between two files and have it create a new folder there. But the new folder option is not available in those cases. I have to go to File->New Folder or click on the empty bottom of the screen, create the new folder there, and then drag it. Would love to hear if someone can offer tips for this.
- everettp 2y ago
  Command-Shift-N
  - copypasterepeat 2y ago
    Thanks but that doesn't really solve any of the issues. It still just creates a new folder on the bottom instead of the current selection.
sleepybrett 2y ago
I've been using Pathfinder for years (https://cocoatech.io/ https://cocoatech.io/)
2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago
i mean ... is it possible to move a file? the context menu doesn't seem to have a corresponding entry. currently have a weird situation where a bunch of folders are arranged horizontally and go beyond the right border of the window. but there is no horizontal scroll bar indicating that. the windows xp/nt/2000 file explorer is the pinnacle of file exploring experience. basically every linux file explorer just more or less copied it - for good reason. but no - apple has to reinvent the wheel and came up with a messed up hexagon.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]

I just want a Finder that actually works. It’s pretty incredible just how bad Finder is. It’s by far the worst piece of software I’m forced to use on a daily basis.

reddalo 2y ago

I honestly think that Explorer on Windows 11 is way worse than Finder. But I'd love a FilePilot [1] for macOS... [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43091466 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43091466

nottorp 2y ago
On Windows you have Total Commander at least :) I've tried some clones for mac os, but they all missed some important (at least to me) functions. Like typing not going to the command line editor, or not having a command line at all. So it's midnight commander from macports for most complex file operations for me.
madeofpalk 2y ago
For the shit people give Finder, it's astonishing how bad Explorer is. I miss Finder's tree view in Explorer so much.
zanderwohl 2y ago
Anyone who thinks finder is the worst file browser hasn't used Windows for 25+ years. Explorer can't even search files on the hard drive of the computer it's running on. Explorer has its thumbnail processor on the same thread as the UI so if you have a lot of pictures in a directory it'll just hang indefinitely. Sometimes if you have too many files it won't display any at all. If explorer crashes, it's the same process as your desktop and taskbar, so that disappears too.
cosmic_cheese 2y ago
I’ve never really understood the love for Explorer in any of its iterations. It was just alright at its best in the Win7 era and somewhere between mediocre and bad in other eras.
- reddalo 2y ago
  I think peak Explorer was like back in Windows 98. Snappy and easy to use. With Windows 7 it became a mess with the ribbon thing. On Windows 11 it got even worse, it's slow.

colddevil 2y ago

Yes, I was thinking the same.. For several years, I'm pretty happy with PathFinder by Cocoatech: https://cocoatech.io/ https://cocoatech.io/ The things I miss the most when I accidentically open a Finder window: Cut files wit CMD+X to move them (never understood this when coming from Windows), cycle the files in a folder (start on top if you reach bottom and vice versa) and the comprehensive info bar on the right for files and folders. Give it a try :)

etrautmann 2y ago
I used it for years and got so fed up with its pain points, including frequent crashes, a licensing system that never worked and nagged me despite legitimate purchase, and updates which reset and lost my preferences and sidebar organization. I’m now galaxy brained back to Finder again.
ctippett 2y ago
There's an app from Sindre Sorhus that adds CMD+X functionality to Finder. https://sindresorhus.com/command-x https://sindresorhus.com/command-x
- ttepasse 2y ago
  ”There is an app from Sindre Sorhus” is a complete sentence. :) (Command-X is nice, even for a long time Mac user)
LimeLimestone 2y ago
Instead of CMD + X you can do CMD + C and paste with CMD + Option + V

pindab0ter 2y ago

What exactly is so bad about Finder? I've never had any issues with it.

bowsamic 2y ago
Same, honestly. I find it very pleasant to use. Especially compared to a lot of Linux file browsers
etrautmann 2y ago
Things that are hard: launching a terminal at a location, viewing or copying a files path, navigating a deep file system, column width in the column view, searching for files, finding file info, and lots of other.
- spinningarrow 2y ago
  > launching a terminal at a location A workaround for this (especially if you have a terminal always open) is to drag the file/folder you want to operate on into an open terminal window, which will paste in its path.
  - setopt 2y ago
    This is what I do as well. Note that nearly every MacOS app shows a file or folder icon in its title bar if you hover the mouse over it – this icon can be dragged into a terminal to open the current file or folder there. Also useful if I e.g. want to grep something in a currently open text file in the terminal, or something like that. (There is a system setting to always show this in the title bar without hovering, which was the old default behavior before Big Sur if I recall correctly. I’m a bit annoyed that it’s now hidden away by default.)
  - WillAdams 2y ago
    Also, remember the commands pbcopy and pbpaste which along with pipes allow one to do a myriad of tasks.
- johncoltrane 2y ago

sujee 2y ago

The frustration with Finder led me to building my own tool. Not trying to replace Finder but more like a companion app - https://www.fileminutes.com/ https://www.fileminutes.com/

timrichard 2y ago

I use Forklift instead : https://binarynights.com/ https://binarynights.com/ I can use it as an orthodox file manager (with the f keys I remember from Norton Commander). I also like using it to access remote filesystems over nfs and sftp, and also S3 buckets. It also works well with Dropbox and iCloud. There is a great sync feature to keep source and target directories synchronised. It's also good for diffing directories at a glance. It's good at managing archive files too. Plus the regex file rename feature is often handy for me - I have a few presets saved for various purposes. It's also my go-to MacOS uninstaller, as it gathers the related files.

rtp4me 2y ago
Same. I tried to use Finder for a while but landed on Forklift. I consider it the best choice of file manager tools for MacOS.

chrisweekly 2y ago

I recommend Alfred to replace Finder, Divvy for window management, iTerm2 for terminal, and homebrew to manage CLI utils. This combination has served me well for many years.

2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago
And Linux Mint Cinnamon to replace MacOS ... how bout that?
- chrisweekly 2y ago
  OT. I like Linux, but this thread is about macOS.
  - 2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago
    you're in denial.

nyarlathotep_ 2y ago

I gained a reputation at my workplace for complaining about this. Nonsense default behavior, slow as heck, search barely works, keybindings are totally illogical. It's totally unacceptable.

sbuk 2y ago
Whenever I read comments like this, I know that it is someone that has switched from another OS. macOS is neither Windows, KDE or Gnome. An awful lot of the functionality that you deem 'nonsense' comes from the days of classic Macintosh and even from NeXTSTEP. In fact, nearly all the complaints I see in this and similar threads come down to people expecting macOS to behave like their previous OS did, and being surprised that it doesn't.
- greatgib 2y ago
  It is just people being used to efficiency and interface improved over years to be ergonomic for users. OS-X is surprising because there is a lot of marketing pretending that it is the most ergonomic when it is in fact the worst, and mostly it does not really improve other time.
  - sbuk 2y ago
    "when it is in fact the worst" That's very subjective. As a near 40-year user of Mac's, the consistency is quite remarkable. Mac OS 9 -> X was the biggest change, and even that was pretty consistent given just how different it actually was. After using Linux on and off for the last 20 or so years, I still prefer macOS when it comes to the crunch. It's not perfect, but to me at least, the best of a bad bunch. Here's the thing; GNOME and KDE copied some bits from Mac OS, some bits from CDE/Motif, and a whole lot from Windows. The reason is obvious - familiarity and that IBM AT was largely the hardware people were installing these desktops on to. The "grandma test" (i.e. I taught my Gradma/Mum to use ${desktop}) is pointless. Instead, observe young children who have never seen a desktop computer interact with them. None of them fair well. IOS and to a very slight lesser degree, Adroid fair much better. All anecdotal, but do try it out - opens you're eye to just how bad the desktop is. Real men prefer IRIX...

copypasterepeat 2y ago

I always feel like I'm missing something, but I find the creation of new folders really awkward. I'd like to just be able to right-click on a folder or even on a file or between two files and have it create a new folder there. But the new folder option is not available in those cases. I have to go to File->New Folder or click on the empty bottom of the screen, create the new folder there, and then drag it. Would love to hear if someone can offer tips for this.

everettp 2y ago
Command-Shift-N
- copypasterepeat 2y ago
  Thanks but that doesn't really solve any of the issues. It still just creates a new folder on the bottom instead of the current selection.

sleepybrett 2y ago

I've been using Pathfinder for years (https://cocoatech.io/ https://cocoatech.io/)

2-3-7-43-1807 2y ago

i mean ... is it possible to move a file? the context menu doesn't seem to have a corresponding entry. currently have a weird situation where a bunch of folders are arranged horizontally and go beyond the right border of the window. but there is no horizontal scroll bar indicating that. the windows xp/nt/2000 file explorer is the pinnacle of file exploring experience. basically every linux file explorer just more or less copied it - for good reason. but no - apple has to reinvent the wheel and came up with a messed up hexagon.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]