[Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

jenningsthecat · 2012-05-02 02:10:13

When I try to open or save a file in a hidden folder, or want to save over top of an existing hidden file, I find that the dialog box does not show hidden files and folders. Is there a way to force hidden folders and files to be shown in file dialogs? (I have Thunar set to display hidden files and folders by default, but this setting seems not to apply to file dialogs).

Thanks

xftuxer · 2012-05-03 20:56:59

I don't use thunar, but there should be an keyboard shortcut setting in any filemanager.
So create a shortcut e.g. F12 to toggle visability of hidden files/directories.

Then in a file open dialog simple press F12 key to show your hidden entries.

That's the way I do it.

Or try Spacefm http://ignorantguru.github.com/spacefm/
An alternative multi panel filemanager with lots of customization options and user defined command inclusion for many systems.
IMHO, a must-try!

However, good luck! wink

M_Mynaardt · 2012-05-04 03:23:10

jenningsthecat wrote:

When I try to open or save a file in a hidden folder, or want to save over top of an existing hidden file, I find that the dialog box does not show hidden files and folders. Is there a way to force hidden folders and files to be shown in file dialogs? (I have Thunar set to display hidden files and folders by default, but this setting seems not to apply to file dialogs).
Thanks

Did you use Ctrl-h in the dialogue box, as you would in Thunar, to toggle the appearance of hidden files and folders?

jenningsthecat · 2012-05-07 14:07:31

Doh! Thanks M_Mynaardt, that works.

I never thought to try the obvious, because I always have my file managers set to show hidden by default.

jenningsthecat · 2012-05-07 14:11:33

Thanks xftuxer. It's always good to know about a file manager I haven't tried - I've tried most of them in the four years I've been on Linux, but I still haven't found one I like, so I keep looking...

M_Mynaardt · 2012-05-07 15:51:16

jenningsthecat wrote:

Doh! Thanks M_Mynaardt, that works.
I never thought to try the obvious, because I always have my file managers set to show hidden by default.

No problem; I've had my fair share of overlooking what should be obvious!

ibob · 2012-11-25 12:12:23

Bump: The above mentioned solution (Ctrl-H) doesn't make the change in the "Open File" window permanent.

Is there a way do make the "Open File" window to always show hidden files? I use Thunar (no desire to switch file manager at the moment) and have in ~/.config/Thunar/thunarrc

LastShowHidden=TRUE

secipolla · 2012-11-25 12:50:32

I'm not sure, but that window is the gtk file-chooser one so every gtk app uses it. This way it may not be directly related to Thunar.

LastShowHidden=TRUE i probably for the file manager window.

ibob · 2012-11-26 12:48:16

Indeed, it seems that this might be involving a global gtk configuration option. An application can set/unset the show hidden for the "GtkFileChooser" window (see http://www.gtk.org/api/2.6/gtk/GtkFileC … ow-hidden). So it could be also something that Thunar is or isn't configured to do.

Does anyone know if
a) the default gtk components behaviour can be somehow configured (I ain't familiar with gtk developing)
b) Thunar is can be configured to specifically set the show hidden files in FileChooser

PS I hope GtkFileChooser is the class associated with the open window and I am not just writing stupid things smile

secipolla · 2012-11-26 14:45:26

Look here:
$ cat .config/gtk-2.0/gtkfilechooser.ini
[Filechooser Settings]
LastFolderUri=file:///usr/share/doc/abrt-2.0.19
LocationMode=filename-entry
ShowHidden=true
ShowSizeColumn=true
GeometryX=152
GeometryY=120
GeometryWidth=720
GeometryHeight=572
SortColumn=name
SortOrder=ascending

ibob · 2012-11-26 15:42:39

Hi again secipolla! I don't have the ~/.config/gtk-2.0/ dir. How safe is it to create it manually and add the file contents you mentioned?

I am on a fresh Xubuntu 12.04 installaton. If you need any other info let me know.

secipolla · 2012-11-26 19:57:21

I don't know how safe it is :-)
It should be automatically created the first time you open a gtk-file-chooser dialogue, AFAIK.

edit - try opening some file in Firefox (ctrl+o) and see if it creates it.

Last edited by secipolla (2012-11-26 19:58:12)

ibob · 2012-11-28 10:45:55

Hi secipolla! I tried opening a file in Firefox but it wasn't created.

When I have less workload (and time to fix if anything happens) I will try create the dir manually and see what will happens smile

ibob · 2012-12-06 08:34:05

Hi, I tried creating the directory and the file with the contents you described but it made no difference. It broke nothing as far as I can see in the system's beehavior but still doesn't fix the issue with the default behavior of the open dialog. Firefox (I mention this since you had it as an example in your previous post) as well as other applications aren't affected by the presence of this conf file.

secipolla · 2012-12-06 10:11:18

What I find strange is that I remember for as long as I've been using Linux, in different distributions, ~/.config/gtk-2.0/gtkfilechooser.ini is always created.
Not saying that you have something broken but later I'll try to think a bit about it.

ibob · 2012-12-08 12:35:58

It seems I did sth wrong when initially creating the directory and the file. The presence of this ini fil does change the default behavior of the Open File dialog, so now I have the dot files always visible. Thanks for the information!

For reference:

$ cat .config/gtk-2.0/gtkfilechooser.ini
[Filechooser Settings]
LastFolderUri=file:///usr/share/doc/abrt-2.0.19
LocationMode=filename-entry
ShowHidden=true
ShowSizeColumn=true
GeometryX=152
GeometryY=120
GeometryWidth=720
GeometryHeight=572
SortColumn=name
SortOrder=ascending

PS I am sure that the dir/files and file wasn't there after the initial Xubuntu installation, as their creation time is different than the rest of the conf dirs/files.

secipolla · 2012-12-08 17:10:45

And doesn't it update after you perform some operation with the GTK file chooser?
Because Xubuntu doesn't have /usr/share/doc/abrt-2.0.19

Last edited by secipolla (2012-12-08 17:11:25)

ibob · 2012-12-18 12:13:51

Indeed the file (/usr/share/doc/abrt-2.0.19) doesn't exist.

By update you mean changing the content of the ~/.config/gtk-2.0/gtkfilechooser.ini file? After many reboots and daily destop usage the .ini file stays the same.

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#1 2012-05-02 02:10:13

[Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#2 2012-05-03 20:56:59

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#3 2012-05-04 03:23:10

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#4 2012-05-07 14:07:31

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#5 2012-05-07 14:11:33

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#6 2012-05-07 15:51:16

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#7 2012-11-25 12:12:23

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#8 2012-11-25 12:50:32

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#9 2012-11-26 12:48:16

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#10 2012-11-26 14:45:26

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#11 2012-11-26 15:42:39

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#12 2012-11-26 19:57:21

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#13 2012-11-28 10:45:55

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#14 2012-12-06 08:34:05

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#15 2012-12-06 10:11:18

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#16 2012-12-08 12:35:58

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#17 2012-12-08 17:10:45

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

#18 2012-12-18 12:13:51

Re: [Solved] Hidden Files in File Open and Save dialogs

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