Main Window (Commander Interface)

Commander Interface is a two-pane file manager interface based on Norton Commander (and similar file managers). When working with a remote server, a local folder is displayed in the left panel and a remote folder in the right panel. The interface can be also used as a local file manager with both panels showing local folders. Files are usually transferred between these two panels, though it is possible to transfer files into a different folder too. This kind of user interface is also known as Orthodox File Manager.

Learn if this interface is appropriate for your needs.

Using the Interface

Using the Interface

While you can control the interface with mouse, it is primarily designed to be controlled using keyboard. If you are not familiar with the Norton Commander concept, there are few important things that you need to learn:

Use Tab key to switch between the left and right panel.
Keyboard shortcut for file operations are sensitive to the panel that has focus. For example pressing F5 (Copy) starts transfer from the active panel (when working with remote session, that means Download, when the active panel is the local one, and Upload if the active panel is the remote one).
By default, file selection with keyboard works differently to what you may be used to from other Windows applications (like Windows File Explorer).

Basic Tasks

Check what you can do with the interface.

Selecting Files

By default, file selection with keyboard works differently to what you may be used to from other Windows applications. Some of the differences are:

While selecting the files using keyboard, use Space or Insert key. Space just selects/deselects the focused file. Insert beside the selection moves the focus to the next file. Hence, you may select five files in a row by pressing Insert keys five times.
Learn more file selection shortcuts.
For other selection shortcuts, see Mark menu.

This selection method provides an advanced ability of selection and focus to be different.

You may wish to switch to standard Windows selection style.

Keyboard shortcuts

While the Commander interface tries to preserve standard Windows keyboard shortcuts, where possible, some of them collide with the original shortcuts of Norton Commander. In such cases meaning from Norton Commander is preserved by default.

Example is F5 key, which means “copy” in Norton Commander, but “refresh” in Windows.

You can opt to use Windows shortcuts in preferences.

See full list of keyboard shortcuts in Commander interface.