Thunar

Thunar is a free and open-source file manager that serves as the default file manager for the Xfce desktop environment. Written in C and GTK+, it aims to be fast, simple, and easy to use while keeping the system footprint small. It is designed to work well on modest hardware and in setups that prefer minimalism over feature bloat.

Its interface centers on a single main pane with a side pane that provides quick access to places, devices, and network locations. Core operations include navigating the filesystem, copying, moving, renaming, deleting, and creating directories. Thunar supports thumbnail previews for many file types, bulk renaming, search, and drag-and-drop between locations. It also includes a robust context menu and a custom actions feature that lets users run arbitrary commands on selected files. Additional features include bookmarks, file type and metadata handling, and integration with the trash.

Technical design and performance: Thunar relies on the GLib/GIO libraries for filesystem access and remote location support, which helps unify local and remote operations. The application emphasizes a small code base, modular architecture, and low memory usage, contributing to fast startup and responsive interaction even on older hardware.

Extensions and packaging: Thunar can be extended with plugins and custom actions; it integrates with the Xfce environment and adheres to its settings system. It is cross-platform with strong Linux support and is available on other Unix-like systems through Xfce-related distributions.

Licensing and reception: Thunar is released under the GNU General Public License. It is maintained by the Xfce project and widely distributed in major Linux distributions that ship the Xfce desktop.