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A clean rewrite of the Filer file manager for helloSystem, inspired by John Siracusa's descriptions of "Spatial Orientation"

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# Filer [![Build Status](https://api.cirrus-ci.com/probonopd/helloSystem/Filer.svg)](https://cirrus-ci.com/github/probonopd/Filer) [![Ubuntu Build Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/probonopd/Filer/ubuntu.yml?branch=main)](https://github.com/probonopd/Filer/actions/workflows/ubuntu.yml)

A clean rewrite of the Filer for [helloSystem](https://hellosystem.github.io/) (but not limited to it), inspired by [John Siracusa's descriptions of "Spatial Orientation"](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/) and the Spatial Classic Finder ([Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAOF83yCb6E)).

To try it out, run the latest [experimental helloSystem ISO](https://github.com/helloSystem/ISO/releases/) build and press the "V" key for verbose boot (this will cause this new, work-in-progress Filer to be loaded).

![](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2480569/206650534-a035fc64-5993-41dd-8753-1076f47598c5.png)

* No GLib dependency
* No libfm dependency
* Minimal dependencies other than Qt
* No inherited code
* Uses [launch](https://github.com/helloSystem/launch/) "database"
* Runs on FreeBSD (developed for [helloSystem](https://hellosystem.github.io/)) and on Linux (occasionally tested on Lubutnu)

## Features

|Other file managers|Filer|DONE|
|---|---|---|
|Do not natively support `.app` bundles, `.AppDir` and `.AppImage` formats|Natively supports `.app` bundles, `.AppDir` and `.AppImage` formats|DONE|
|Do not show the correct icons for Windows applications|Shows the correct icons for Windows applications|DONE using `icoextract` (must be installed)|
|Use XDG standards that have prevented *nix desktops from working well for all too long|Engineered from first principles to be a great desktop file manager|WIP|
|Assume applications are at fixed locations, e.g., in `/usr/bin`|Assumes applications can be anywhere including external disks and file shares, and can be freely moved around|WIP based on `launch` "database"|
|Show icons for files based on their MIME type|Show icons for files based on the application that opens them|DONE based on `launch` "database"|
|Do not allow individual files of the same MIME type to be opened with different applications|Allows individual files of the same MIME type to be opened with different applications (using the `can-open` extended attribute)|DONE by `launch`|
|Do not persist window location and size for each window|Persists window location and size for each window|DONE|
|Do not persist the view type for each window|Persists the view type for each window|DONE|
|Do not persist icon coordinates in windows|Persists icon coordinates in windows|WIP using `coordinates` extended attribute|
|Do not persist the size of each icon|Persists the size of each icon|For consideration|
|Cannot use copy and pasted icons for documents and folders|Can use copy and pasted icons for documents and folders|DONE using `user-icon` extended attribute holding a base64 encoded PNG|
|Open files with whatever application if there is more than one that can handle a file|Asks the user which application to use if there is more than one that can handle a file|DONE by `launch`|
|Do not know which application created a file|Knows which application created a file and by default opens it with that application|TODO; how? Using DTrace or similar?|
|Do not allow drag-and-drop of files onto applications|Allows drag-and-drop of files onto applications|DONE|
|No animation when applications, documents, or folders are opened|Animation when applications, documents, or folders are opened|DONE (using QTimeLine Property Animation)|
|Opened applications, documents, and folders are not shown as open|Opened applications, documents, and folders are shown as open|DONE for folders, TODO for the other types|
|Use technical jargon like "executables", "files", "directories", "properties", "wallpaper"|Uses familiar desktop terminology like "applications", "documents", "folders", "info", "desktop picture"|DONE|
|Do not show volumes (disks) on the desktop|Shows volumes (disks) on the desktop|DONE|
|Cannot eject disks by dragging them to the Trash|Ejects disks by [dragging them to the Trash](http://www.mackido.com/Interface/TrashingDisks.html)|DONE|
|Use controls designed for mobile devices like ![image](https://github.com/probonopd/Filer/assets/2480569/596e92c1-ac20-4212-9ac4-9fe3c6c7c5e2)|Only uses controls designed for the desktop (e.g., real checkboxes like ![image](https://github.com/probonopd/Filer/assets/2480569/326e6bc8-d669-42d3-a983-cd9380ae6df4)|DONE|
|When you double click an application and it fails to run, nothing happens because the error goes to `/dev/stderr`, which is invisible|When you double click an application and it fails to run, the error is shown in a dialog on the screen|DONE via `launch`|
|Are not optimized for managing and launching applications|Is optimized for managing and launching applications|DONE|
|Cannot rename disks|Can rename disks|DONE via `renamedisk` helper command line tool|
|Do not have spring-loaded folders|Has spring-loaded folders|DONE|
|Use Gtk-centric dependencies like Glib, Gdk, Gio, polkit|Does not use Gtk-centric dependencies|DONE|
|Refuse to copy/move/delete items which the user doesn't have access to|Asks user for root password to copy/move/delete items which the user doesn't have access to|DONE for copy/move, TODO for delete|
|Use weird locations like `computer://` and `network://` that are nowhere in the filesystem|Uses proper paths in the filesystem for everything|DONE|

My conclusion is that most "desktop environments" are made by people who don't actually love the desktop. Or else, those basic things would work.

## Developer documentation (Doxygen)

https://probonopd.github.io/Filer/annotated.html

## Q&A

__Q: Can this run on Linux?__

A: It does build and it can run, but in order to give the full experience, you might want to consider using [helloSystem](https://hellosystem.github.io/), which comes with additional tools and careful preconfiguration to make Filer work as intended.

## References

* https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/

* https://daringfireball.net/2003/04/siracusa_on_the_finder

* https://www.asktog.com/columns/038MacUITrends.html

* https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/106681/is-there-software-that-implements-john-siracusas-spatial-finder-concept

* https://dfeldman.medium.com/about-the-spatial-debate-4ccb8064f1df

* https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12484241

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