FileCommander – manage files

FileCommander manages files and directories. Unlike MovieSelection or EMC, it is not primarily organized around programme titles, playback progress and a movie library. It also displays configuration files, recording sidecars, archives and scripts. Being able to open media does not make it another EMC interface.

The menu entry is File Commander. If missing, look for FileCommander in plugin installation; the checked package is enigma2-plugin-extensions-filecommander. Open it in Plugins. Its settings can add main/extension menu entries.

Two columns: source and destination

The left column contains a real test recording and its sidecars. The right shows a dedicated example folder under /tmp; it is temporary and disappears after a reboot. Open original image ↗

The active column is the source; the opposite column is the destination for copy/move. The left side is not always the source. Check the paths above the columns and the selection highlight. OK enters a directory or opens a file using its available handler. A mounted NAS appears as a path; FileCommander does not create an NFS/SMB connection by doing this.

Button	Action in the checked version
Red	Delete
Green	Move to the destination directory
Yellow	Copy to the destination directory
Blue	Rename
MENU	Context functions; press MENU again there or select “File Commander settings” for configuration.
INFO	Task list in the main window; file status is in the context menu.
TEXT	View/edit small files; the checked text editor limits files to under 1 MB.
HELP	Available actions and actual key assignments.

Use legacy navigation = Yes: CH+/CH− changes columns and Left/Right pages through entries. No: Left/Right changes columns and CH+/CH− changes pages. Up/Down moves one row. QuickSelect uses number keys to search names; when disabled, they become action shortcuts. The context menu is therefore a useful starting point while learning.

Copy a file

1. Open the source directory in one column and the destination in the other.
2. Activate the source column and highlight the file. For multiple selection, check every marked entry.
3. Press Yellow – Copy. If a recording group is recognized, choose all related files or only the highlighted file as appropriate.
4. Check source, destination and any overwrite warning in the confirmation, then confirm.
5. Follow the background job in the task list until it finishes. Check the destination’s size/content before removing an original.

The screenshots demonstrate views only; no recording was copied, moved or deleted for them. Practise with a disposable text file. Keep NAS or USB storage accessible while a job runs.

A recording consists of several files

For suitable filenames, FileCommander recognizes related files such as .ts, .eit, .ts.meta, .ts.cuts, .ts.ap and .ts.sc; covers and text files can also belong to the group. Copy, move and delete can explicitly ask whether to process the group or only the highlighted file. This does not guarantee recognition of every external naming convention. Read the actual filenames in the prompt.

Copying only .ts may transfer picture and sound but lose descriptions, markers or resume positions. Deleting .cuts can remove stored positions while leaving the video intact. FileCommander deletion does not automatically use EMC or MovieSelection trash.

Other context-menu functions

• Create directory or symbolic link, manage bookmarks, refresh lists and toggle/select all in multiple-selection mode.
• File status shows sizes, times and permissions; change execute permissions toggles 755/644 for files in this version. This is not a complete account/permission editor.
• Calculate hashes/checksums, for example to compare a transferred file.
• MediaInfo and ffprobe provide technical media information. Missing tools may trigger a package-installation offer; they are not required for ordinary copying.
• Text viewer/editor and image viewer/slideshow. Save text only when the change is intended; normally edit Enigma2 settings through their dedicated interface.
• Archives, installation packages and scripts have file-type-specific actions. Extraction writes files, installing packages changes software, and scripts execute commands with the receiver’s permissions. Start only the action you intend.

Starting paths, sorting and filters

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Setting	Purpose
Add to main menu / extension menu	Additional entry points.
Default side	Activate left, right or the previously used column.
Default left/right path	Fixed starting paths for each column.
Save left/right path	Remember locations on exit; fixed defaults may then not be the next starting locations.
Left/right directory sorting; left/right file sorting	Independent sort orders in both columns.
Directories first	Group folders before files.
Show current directory	Adds an entry for the current folder; reopen FileCommander after changing this.
Use legacy navigation	Column/page switching as described above.
Auto multi-selection	Yes exits multiple-selection mode after an operation. No keeps the mode active; check which entries are actually still marked before the next operation.

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Setting	Meaning
Use QuickSelect	Number keys search names instead of triggering action shortcuts.
Filter extension	Displays matching files only. (*) in the title indicates an active filter; hidden does not mean deleted.
My extensions	For the custom filter, enter comma-separated extensions without leading dots, such as txt,log.
Use viewer for unknown files	Open unknown files in the internal viewer or leave them unprocessed.
Start edit at line end	Place the cursor at the end rather than the beginning when editing.
Slide show delay / loop	Time between images and whether the sequence repeats.

Jobs, messages and scripts

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Setting	Meaning
Status message timeout	Short messages inside FileCommander.
Show task messages	Completion notification when FileCommander is no longer open during a background job.
Show script messages	Notifications on background-script completion, including captured output.
Message pop up timeout	Duration of task/script completion popups.
CPU priority for scripts	Nice value: higher means less priority. It is not a fixed CPU usage limit.
I/O priority for scripts	Uses ionice to influence I/O priority where supported; not a guaranteed transfer rate.
Saved lines in script messages	Limits captured standard-output/error lines.
Split tasks	Splits a multi-file operation into separate jobs instead of one combined job.

These are file/script jobs started now, not recording timers or a Cron schedule. Closing the interface does not automatically mean a background job has finished or been cancelled.

Sources: FileCommander and all 30 setup entries, checked against installed package 8.0.2-devel+git35442+c446c390+c446c39a38-r1. Continue with network shares and SFTP/FTP remote access.