To keep this question specific and on-topic, let me preface this by stating my intent is not to go into pros and cons of using one type of file manager over another. However, it is clear a significant group of people use console-based file managers, such as Midnight Commander or Ranger. I'd like to know their reasons for doing so.
2 Answers
There may be several reasons:
- They do not depend on X Window, thus can be used even if there are no desktop environment such as a server.
- They are fast and consume less resources (also say above), can be good for old or slow computers.
- They can be powerful and flexible, though you need to learn a bit more than Nautilus.
I'm a Midnight Commander addict, so let me add a few more points:
I find dual pane layout to be very efficient for file operations
Console keyboard managers are more keyboard-friendly, i.e. it is possible to navigate/select files/perform file operations without using mouse. When working in console, switching to mouse is a hindrance
Console keyboard managers are... well, console-friendly, i.e. it is easy to navigate the filesystem and issue commands in console at the same time. Or even assemble commands from file names you see in
mc
etc.Muscular memory. Midnight Commander's commands are largely the same as Norton Commander used to have ages ago.