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I'd like to know if there is a way to open a file or a folder from terminal using the mouse?

When I wrote a URL LINK in terminal, it's allows me to open that link on my default browser. So I'd like to do the same with my files and folders.

I know that there is a way via cli using gnome-open or xdg-open, but I'd like a solution that uses the mouse by clicking on the path or the url.

Eg. when I write "pwd" the path allows me to click and open with Nautilus

It's the inverse of what "nautilus-open-terminal" does.

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  • when i want to open a file in gedit i simply type, gedit path_to_the_the file or if i'm already in the folder i type gedit name_of_the_file
    – Uri Herrera
    Jun 19, 2011 at 19:20
  • The comment from @elmicha is the right answer so it seems (works for me). Requires holding down CTRL while clicking the mouse over the hyperlink though, unless you fiddle the terminal configuration as per askubuntu.com/questions/174596/…
    – matanster
    Aug 4, 2014 at 4:46
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    Being used to iTerm2 in OS X, I definitely miss this feature.
    – krookedking
    May 8, 2015 at 13:28
  • There is also an official feature request regarding this: gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-terminal/-/issues/7054
    – alexanderadam
    Aug 22, 2021 at 17:45

2 Answers 2

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Gnome-terminal doesn't do this, as you are aware; unlike Nautilus, it doesn't have those sorts of extensions like open-terminal here. This is probably an undesirable feature anyway; URL recognition can be annoying as it is, but can you imagine doing a find and having everything clickable?

For your pwd example, 

nautilus `pwd`

works, (but then so does nautilus .) For this task, I have a bash alias:

alias n="nautilus ."

so that whenever I type n, it opens nautilus wherever I am.

Otherwise, the format:

nautilus `<insert command that prints a directory here>`

works, but doesn't get you the feature you're looking for.

A workaround would be:

  1. highlight the path with the mouse (which stores it in the buffer)
  2. type nautilus<space> at the prompt
  3. middle-click somewhere in the terminal (which pastes the buffer to the end of the prompt).
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gnome-terminal creates a link when it detects a url in the terminal output. I don't think it has the ability to recognize paths the same way and I don't know of any terminal emulators that do either. You'd probably have to make a patch for gnome-terminal to make that happen.

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    Besides that, file URIs like file:///etc/passwd work in gnome-terminal and in konsole.
    – elmicha
    Jun 19, 2011 at 21:42
  • I already know that using "file://" gnome-terminal will allow, but there is a way to put this URI Scheme and don't show them?
    – vhbsouza
    Jun 19, 2011 at 22:18

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