How to open a folder in Ubuntu default file manager via terminal?

Question

I am using Ubuntu.

From my terminal, how can I open my OS default file manager on a certain folder (e.g. on a folder that I view at current directory)?

say I change my current directory to:

cd /root/dir/

then I list all the files there:

ls folder1 folder2 folder3

Now I want to open folder1. If I type ./ I get:

./folder1 bash: ./folder1: Is a directory

What is the command to make the file manager to open on folder1?

If you want to change directory you should use cd folder1. you used ./folder1 it wont work './' is used to execute an executable file but folder is a directory. — Sudheer, May 11 '14 at 13:02
@user280447 : Mention exact method that you want to open (CLI or GUI) and Linux os: Ubuntu or other? — Pandya, May 11 '14 at 13:08
What do you mean by "open" it? List the contents? Open it in graphical file manager? — terdon, May 11 '14 at 13:16
xdg-open "/your/path" - This is what I was looking for that got me to this page (I'm using a raspberry pi with debian linux) — JxAxMxIxN, Apr 17 '16 at 17:27

score 54 · Answer 1 · answered May 11 '14 at 13:39

54

If you want to open the folder via the nautilus file manager, you can move to the wanted directory like you've mentioned cd /root/dir/ , check the folders under that path using ls and then if you want to open folder1 type:

nautilus folder1

answered May 11 '14 at 13:39

M. Dahmani

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I'm on debian and it's nemo instead of nautilus for me – Barry McNamara Aug 29 '19 at 16:52
nautilus . to open current folder – Javier Claros Nov 13 '23 at 18:56

Pandya · Answer 2 · 2014-05-14T14:37:04.877

17

./ is used to execute file (Not to open directory).

(In)CLI Method: You can open folder in terminal by cd folder1 or dir folder1 or ls folder1.

(To)GUI Method: If you want to open with file-manager (ex:nautilus) then typenautilus folder1 (for Ubuntu nautilus is default file-manager)

edited May 14 '14 at 14:37

answered May 11 '14 at 13:02

Pandya

35,771
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188

score 7 · Answer 3 · answered May 11 '14 at 23:11

7

I have found that simply typing gnome-open "any-oject" opens any folder or file in the default program on Ubuntu. If this happens to be a folder, it uses your default folder-explorer :)

answered May 11 '14 at 23:11

Hme

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gnome-open /path works for Redhat (RHEL) as well. – Ivan Chau Aug 22 '17 at 04:06
kd-open /path is the equivalent for Kubuntu. – BrianD Jul 01 '18 at 14:25

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 09 '22 at 11:16

3

xdg-open /path/to/folder

will open the folder /path/to/folder in the default file manager.

answered Aug 09 '22 at 11:16

mook765

15,925

Emmanuel · Answer 5 · 2014-05-11T23:41:30.430

zsh shell can do that with the AUTO_CD option.

bob@tp ~ % setopt AUTO_CD
bob@tp ~ %
bob@tp ~ % ./Documents
bob@tp ~/Documents % 
bob@tp ~/Documents % pwd
/home/bob/Documents

Just put setopt AUTO_CD in your .zshrc file (start zsh one time first to create the zsh environment files). You can invoke directly zsh at the terminal prompt to start a zsh session or you can change your default shell to be zsh with the chsh command.

Btw this is not a strange feature, crossable directories do have the "execute" attribute so it makes sense to able to execute a directory like any standard commands.

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered May 11 '14 at 13:01

1

You could specify the directory using ls, it will give you a list of that contents without moving from your directory

ls -al /path/to/directory

answered May 11 '14 at 13:01

Drac Noc

2,133

Zenford · Answer 7 · 2022-08-09T11:03:37.183

0

Ubuntu 22 : To open the current directory use command below (or just nau and TAB then .)

nautilus .

edited Aug 09 '22 at 11:03

answered Aug 09 '22 at 11:02

Zenford

1

How to open a folder in Ubuntu default file manager via terminal?

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