Nautilus is the default Ubuntu file manager for good reason: it is feature-filled and easy-to-use.

But even though I’ve used Nautilus for years there are a couple of keyboard shortcuts I only learnt about recently.

So I figured I’d share a short list of Nautilus shortcuts just incase it helps you do what you normally do, but a bit quicker.

My list isn’t exhaustive and does not include “common” key combos like Ctrl+C , Ctrl+V , etc. If there’s a keyboard shortcut you love that isn’t on my list do feel free share to share it in the comments below!

9 Nautilus Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Rename Files

I take a lot of screenshots for this site, typically in batch.

I need to rename these shots to something intelligible file names before I upload them because, as great as the auto-named ‘screenshot-2016-05-01-14-19-PM.jpeg‘ is for telling me when I took it, if I want to find screenshots of, say, Geart, the title ‘Geary-Menu.jpg‘ is far more intuitive.

In Nautilus you can Right-Click > Rename to change a file or folder name.

Using the keyboard you can reduce the number of required clicks to one: just select the file you want to rename and hit F2 to instantly open the title editor.

2. View File Information

You may need to mark an app with permissions, see its file size or change its emblem. To view a file’s properties press Alt+Enter/Return with the item selected, or press `ctrl` + I .

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3. Create a New Folder

Need to create a new folder? Don’t mouse up to the File menu; tap Ctrl + Shift + N.

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4. Open a folder in new tab

To view the contents of a folder in a new tab you can select it and press Shift+Enter/Return.

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5. Duplicate a file

I’ve taken a great photo of my cat Penelope, but I want to edit it before I upload it. I don’t want to replace the existing file so, before I drag and drop it on the gimp, I’m going to duplicate it. How?

Select the file you wish to duplicate and drag it while holding Ctrl .

6. Show Hidden Files

It’s surprising how many people don’t know this easy way to view hidden files and folders in Nautilus. For adding themes, icons packs, fonts and conky scripts it’s invaluable.

Simple focus your nautilus window and press Ctrl + H to toggle hidden files on or off.

7. Make a quick link/shortcut

If you want to put an app shortcut on your desktop, or have a quick link to a folder buried deep within a file tree, you can always quickly create a file/folder/app link by selecting the item to link to and pressing Ctrl + M .

8. Close all Nautilus Windows

I sometimes end up with multiple nautilus windows spread out over my desktop, particularly if I’ve been experimenting with Conky or GKT themes.

One way to quickly close all Nautilus windows using the keyboard is to press Ctrl +Q. To close only the Nautilus window on focus press Ctrl+W.

9. Switch View

To switch between icon view (gridded icons, thumbnails) to the simpler list view press Ctrl + 1 . To go back to the icon view press Ctrl + 2 .

What are you favourite Nautilus keyboard shortcuts?