DC - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

# 1.2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

## Content

1. Common questions
  1.1. What is Double Commander?
  1.2. What's new in this version?
  1.3. Is it a Total Commander® for Linux?
  1.4. What is the difference between this program and my favorite file manager (Total Commander®)?
  1.5. I have a 64-bit Operating System. Can I download Double Commander for it?
  1.6. How can I contact the developers of Double Commander?
2. Issues related to GNU/Linux
  2.1. Which version do I download?
  2.2. Where is the project repository?
  2.3. Plugins from Total Commander® do not work?!
  2.4. Can I get access to network resources like in Nautilus or Thunar?
3. Interface configuration
  3.1. How can I change color settings for the panels?
  3.2. What are buttons `R` and `All` in the color settings?
  3.3. Some text in a column overwrites another column's text!
  3.4. How to associate my own icons with some file types?
  3.5. How to create a splitter on the buttons panel?
  3.6. Does DC has other icon themes?
  3.7. How to make function keys and address bar bigger?
4. Issues related to control and navigation
  4.1. Is it possible to automatically move the cursor down one line after selecting using the `Space` key?
  4.2. Is there an ability to create a file operations queue?
  4.3. `Ctrl+A` doesn't work, how to enable it?
  4.4. How to create my own context menu in this program?
  4.5. How to customise the context menu, for example, add the item "Open With"?
5. Issues related to the built-in viewer (`F3`) and editor (`F4`)
  5.1. Editor and browser windows appear in random positions, when Compiz is enabled
  5.2. Internal editor has a strange font — horizontal characters overwrite each other
  5.3. Viewer does not work with a few images, but works with most
  5.4. On some text files lines go beyond the window's edge
  5.5. Can you add column editing feature (like in Notepad++, UltraEdit etc)?
  5.6. Is it possible to add support SVG in the viewer?
  5.7. How can I use regular expressions to search in UTF-8?
6. Issues related to the file panels
  6.1. I didn't find a suitable date format for file panels in the list! How to add my own?
  6.2. Is it possible to add support SVG thumbnails in thumbnails view?
  6.3. I want to see the filenames in the "Name" column with extensions, can I do it?

## 1. Common questions

Q: What is Double Commander?

A: Double Commander is a cross-platform, twin-panel file manager. Details see here.

Q: What's new in this version?

A: History log can be found online at this page. But the project is now under development, so later nightly builds contain many new features and improvements.

Q: Is it a Total Commander® for Linux?

A: No, this is another program from other developers. It now supports Windows®, GNU/Linux operating systems with toolkits GTK2 and Qt and Mac OS.

Q: What is the difference between this program and my favorite file manager (Total Commander®)?

A: The goal of the project is to create a program close to TC in operation and with maximum compatibility via the plugins and configuration files. However, Double Commander has some important advantages: it's free to use, works with different operating systems, and is open source.

Q: I have a 64-bit Operating System. Can I download Double Commander for it?

A: Yes, builds for x64 exist under all supported platforms.

Q: How can I contact the developers of Double Commander?

A: Just write to the project's official forum and the developers will (possibly) pay attention to your suggestions.

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## 2. Issues related to GNU/Linux

Q: Which version do I download?

A: If you have KDE - download a Qt-build; in other cases (Gnome, Xfce, LXDE) a build for GTK toolkit.

Q: Where is the project repository?

A: Repositories for GNU/Linux (CentOS, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu):

- release: Qt5 or GTK2

- alpha ("nightly") build: Qt5 or GTK2

And you can download installation packages deb, rpm or "portable" (binaries packed with bz2) from the official site. Also you can download the source code and compile DC for yourself.

Q: Plugins from Total Commander® do not work!?

A: They work, but not all of them. Plugins from TC compiled for Windows® can only be used with Windows® version of Double Commander. But if the plugins have open source code, you can try to build them for GNU/Linux (or maybe ask the plugin developer to do it :)).

Q: Can I get access to network resources like in Nautilus or Thunar?

A: Yes, DC can use Gvfs. Gvfs supports many protocols: NFS, SMB, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, MTP, mobile phones (Windows, Android, Apple), media players and other.

First, packages `gvfs` and `gvfs-backends` should be installed (also add `gvfs-fuse`, it can be useful). Keep in mind that some distributions have not packages `gvfs-backends` and `gvfs-fuse`, because they are part of package `gvfs`, or it can be several packages with names `gvfs-backends-*` or `gvfs-*`.

Now insert Gvfs path in the address bar: click by right mouse button at address bar to edit it (or call internal command cm_EditPath).

For example, access to

- Yandex.Disk (using WebDAV): `davs://webdav.yandex.ru`
- FTP: `ftp://ftpuser@ftpserver`
- SMB: `smb://servername/sharename/`

Well, for access to FTP (for SSH+SCP too) and SMB you can use default WFX plugins `ftp` and `samba`.

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## 3. Interface configuration

Q: How can I change color settings for the panels?

A: To change the color, you must do the following:

- Configurations > Options... > Colors (but first you must create your own columns style)

- Configurations > Options... > Columns, set default style, click "Edit" and configure :)

Q: What are buttons `R` and `All` in the color settings?

A: They are as follows:

- `R` — restore color to the default.

- `All` — apply selected color to all columns.

Q: Some text in a column overwrites another column's text!

A: Configurations > Options... > Columns, set checkbox "Cut text to column width".

Q: How to associate my own icons with some file types?

A: You must do the following: Configurations > Options... > File associations.

Q: How to create a splitter on the buttons panel?

A: Add a button from the category separator.

Q: Does DC has other icon themes?

A: Now we know only one small theme doubleMac, but the installation instruction is outdated (see below).
You can make icon theme yourself, it's easy (we will use the name "MyDCTheme" as an example).

How to make:
- open DC folder and see directory structure of "pixmaps/dctheme";
- make copy of "dctheme" with name "mydctheme";
- open "mydctheme/index.theme" and change the theme name: replace "Name=DCTheme" on "Name=MyDCTheme";
- now replace icons.

Notes:
1. Don't use the default icon replacement! Your icons will be replaced after DC update.
2. If you want to keep some existing default icons then just delete them in "mydctheme" and DC will use them from default theme.
3. Some nonstandard icon sizes (such as 40x40, 60x60 and so one) uses for HiDPI monitors.
4. Also see <CustomIcons>.

How to install:

1. Portable version
Copy (or move) your "mydctheme" folder to the "pixmaps" folder near `doublecmd.exe`, restart DC, go to "Configuration" in main menu > Options... > Icons > Icon theme, choose your theme and restart DC again.

2. Installed version
Go to "Configuration" in main menu > Options... > Configuration > Directories > Icon themes:, here you will see list of possible directories.
Don't use /usr/share/doublecmd/pixmaps, C:\Program Files\Double Commander\pixmaps or other system directory: this requires root/admin rights, also this would be a intervention to the packages manager's work on Linux or DC installer for Windows. DC usually suggests the following additional path (besides the "pixmaps" folder near `doublecmd.exe`):

- Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Local Settings\doublecmd\pixmaps
- Windows Vista/7-10: C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\doublecmd\pixmaps
- Unix-like OS: /home/<UserName>/.local/share/doublecmd/pixmaps

If the directory doesn't exist, create it.
Now restart DC, go to "Configuration" in main menu > Options... > Icons > Icon theme, choose your theme and restart DC again.

Q: How to make function keys and address bar bigger?

A: The size depends on the font size, three ways exists:

1. Simple and fast: you can use Ctrl+mouse wheel, it works for the following interface elements or part of DC:
- file list in left and right panels;
- current directory (address) bar;
- function key buttons bar;
- TreeView menu;
- search results in find files dialog;
- internal editor;
- internal viewer (if viewer shows text then this action will change font size, if image then action will work as zoom in/zoom out commands).

2. Go to "Configuration" in main menu > Options... > Fonts.
Note: all possible are available in version 1.0.0+ only, for 0.9.x and below additionally see the third item.

3. Close DC > open `doublecmd.xml` > find tag `<Fonts></Fonts>` and change `<Size>` of the interface element manually.

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## 4. Issues related to control and navigation

Q: Is it possible to automatically move the cursor down one line after selecting using the `Space` key?

A: You must do the following: Configurations > Options... > File views > When selecting file with spacebar, move down to next file (as with insert).

Q: Is there an ability to create a file operations queue?

A: A file operations queue was implemented in version 0.4.6 alpha, and will be added to the next stable release.

Q: `Ctrl+A` doesn't work, how to enable it?

A: You must do the following: Configurations > Options... > Keys > Hot keys > In the category "Main", scroll to see command cm_MarkMarkAll and set `Ctrl+A` shortcut key for it.

Q: How to create my own context menu in this program?

A: Add button to the toolbar of the category "menu". See this section for an example.

Q: How to customize the context menu, for example, add the item "Open With"?

A: This can been incorporated into Double Commander; however, it's easy to add a command to the Actions item of the context menu. Here is an example of how to open any directory with root privileges:

1. Under File Types, click Add, then enter, e.g. dir in the popup.
2. Under Extensions, click Add, and enter, e.g. folder in the popup.
3. Under Actions, click Add, then in the Action: edit line below, enter the action desired, e.g. Open as root
4. In the Command edit line, enter the desired command: eg. gksu doublecmd %p
5. After this just right click on any folder, choose Open as root and enter root's password. :)

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## 5. Issues related to the built-in viewer (`F3`) and editor (`F4`)

Q: Editor and browser windows appear in random positions, when Compiz is enabled.

A: Edit Compiz settings: place windows > windows with fixed positions and window rules > fixed size windows.

    Code: (class=Doublecmd) & (title=/)

Q: Internal editor has a strange font — horizontal characters overwrite each other.

A: You must use monospace fonts in the viewer and editor.

Q: Viewer does not work with a few images, but works with most.

A: A component used to view the images did not support some JPG files.

Q: On some text files lines go beyond the window's edge.

A: Use "Show as Wrap text" option in the viewer.

Q: Can you add column editing feature (like in Notepad++, UltraEdit etc)?

A: Internal editor supports column and line selection modes and multi-carets, see keyboard shortcuts here.

Q: Is it possible to add support SVG in the viewer?

A: Supported via librsvg:

- Linux: install package `librsvg`.

- Windows: needs `libcairo-2.dll`, `librsvg-2-2.dll` and `libgobject-2.0-0.dll` (+ all dependencies), for example, you can take DLLs from GIMP. You should copy this DLLs to Double Commander folder or in PATH.

Q: How can I use regular expressions to search in UTF-8?

A: This feature has been added to version 1.0.0. Needs PCRE2 library with support 8-bit code units and Unicode support enabled (usually enabled by default):

- Linux: needs `libpcre2-8.so.0`. For example, package `libpcre2-8-0` in Debian/Debian-based distributions or `pcre2` in Arch Linux.

- Windows: needs `libpcre2-8.dll`. If you have not `libpcre2-8.dll` in Double Commander folder than you can take this DLL here: 32-bit or 64-bit.

- MacOS: needs `libpcre2-8.dylib`.

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## 6. Issues related to the file panels

Q: I didn't find a suitable date format for file panels in the list! How to add my own?

A: Date and time format is easy configurable: go to Configurations > Options > Files views > Formatting > Date and time format and use this table.

Q: Is it possible to add support SVG thumbnails in thumbnails view?

A: It's already supported, see Is it possible to add support SVG in the viewer?

Q: I want to see the filenames in the "Name" column with extensions, can I do it?

A: Yes, it's possible. Go to "Configuration" in main menu > Options... > Files views > Columns > Custom columns, now create a new column set or change existing default set: by default, DC uses `GETFILENAMENOEXT` field for name, use `GETFILENAME` instead.

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