TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

I often have case where I locate files by using Emacs and Dired, and
need to drag and drop those files to other application in X.

For dragging and dropping I like to use ROX file manager.

Problem is when files are many, or there are many images, then opening
of files takes longer time and visually it is not possible to locate
the same files which I wanted to drop or share into chat window of
other application.

Solution is to create temporary directory and make symbolic links
from it.

(defun rcd-temp-directory-name (&optional directory-name)
  "Return temporary directory name."
  (let ((name (concat (file-name-as-directory (or (getenv "TMPDIR") "/tmp/"))
		      "temp-dirs/"
		      (file-name-as-directory (or directory-name (format-time-string "%A-%B-%d-%Y-%H-%M-%S"))))))
    name))

(rcd-temp-directory-name) ⇒ "/home/data1/protected/tmp/temp-dirs/Wednesday-September-07-2022-21-35-24/"

The following function opens ROX Filer.

(defun rox (&optional file)
  "Start ROX Filer with optional FILE.

FILE can be directory."
  (interactive)
  (if file
      (start-process "Rox" "Rox" "rox" "-n" "-s" file)
    (start-process "Rox" "Rox" "rox" "-n")))

And following function is the key function that creates temporary
directory and opens it with graphical file manager containing only
files selected within Dired.

(defun rox-dired-files ()
  "Generate temporary directory with selected files in Dired."
  (interactive)
  (let ((files (dired-get-marked-files)))
    (when filesn
      (let ((directory (rcd-temp-directory-name)))
	(mkdir directory t)
	(while files
	  (let* ((target (pop files))
		 (linkname (concat (file-name-as-directory directory)
				   (file-name-nondirectory target))))
	    (make-symbolic-link target linkname t)))
	(rox (expand-file-name directory))))))

It is very hand to assign key in dired to this function, so that
marked files simply appear in new Rox file window.

(keymap-set dired-mode-map "C-c r" #'rox-dired-files)

One can replace Rox with other file managers.


Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> I often have case where I locate files by using Emacs and Dired, and
> need to drag and drop those files to other application in X.

Emacs 29 has that functionality built in.  See dired-mouse-drag-files.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-08 04:30]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > I often have case where I locate files by using Emacs and Dired, and
> > need to drag and drop those files to other application in X.
> 
> Emacs 29 has that functionality built in.  See dired-mouse-drag-files.

Do you mean this below? It does not work, or I do not know how to do
it. I am using touchpad and left mouse button.

dired-mouse-drag is an interactive byte-compiled Lisp function in
‘dired.el’.

(dired-mouse-drag EVENT)

Begin a drag-and-drop operation for the file at EVENT.
If there are marked files and that file is marked, drag every
other marked file as well.  Otherwise, unmark all files.

-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> Do you mean this below? It does not work, or I do not know how to do
> it. I am using touchpad and left mouse button.

dired-mouse-drag-files is a user option you have to enable.  After you
do, you can simply drag files from Dired with the mouse.

Running the command manually will not work.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-09 04:47]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Do you mean this below? It does not work, or I do not know how to do
> > it. I am using touchpad and left mouse button.
> 
> dired-mouse-drag-files is a user option you have to enable.  After you
> do, you can simply drag files from Dired with the mouse.
> 
> Running the command manually will not work.

I see now.

It is not usable. Attempt to drag it to Rox filer manager results with
"No such file or directory".



-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> It is not usable. Attempt to drag it to Rox filer manager results with
> "No such file or directory".

What program displays that?  ROX File Manager?  Or Emacs?

Thanks.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-09 10:28]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > It is not usable. Attempt to drag it to Rox filer manager results with
> > "No such file or directory".
> 
> What program displays that?  ROX File Manager?  Or Emacs?

ROX displays the error:

https://gnu.support/files/tmp/2022-09-09/2022-09-09-14:24:48.ogv

Rox is good for drag and drop, but there must be some error.

It works with Caja, but I can't work with slow file managers.

-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> ROX displays the error:
>
> https://gnu.support/files/tmp/2022-09-09/2022-09-09-14:24:48.ogv
>
> Rox is good for drag and drop, but there must be some error.
>
> It works with Caja, but I can't work with slow file managers.

Can you please trace `xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list' when dragging
the file to ROX, and see what it returns after you do the drop?

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-09 16:47]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > ROX displays the error:
> >
> > https://gnu.support/files/tmp/2022-09-09/2022-09-09-14:24:48.ogv
> >
> > Rox is good for drag and drop, but there must be some error.
> >
> > It works with Caja, but I can't work with slow file managers.
> 
> Can you please trace `xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list' when dragging
> the file to ROX, and see what it returns after you do the drop?

How do I do that?


-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> How do I do that?

M-x trace-function RET xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list RET

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-11 10:50]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > How do I do that?
> 
> M-x trace-function RET xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list RET

Thank you. Here are the results:

======================================================================
1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list XdndSelection text/uri-list "file:///home/data1/protected/.xdvirc")
1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "file:///home/data1/protected/.xdvirc\n")

======================================================================
1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list XdndSelection text/uri-list "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png")
1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png\n")


-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> ======================================================================
> 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list XdndSelection text/uri-list "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png")
> 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png\n")

And /home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png is the file
name of the file you dragged, correct?  Or more specifically, are there
any non-ASCII characters in the file name that were not encoded
correctly?

If the file name is correct, I think what you're seeing is a bug in ROX
file manager that should be brought up with its developers.  Or maybe
you should use Thunar instead.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-11 15:04]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > ======================================================================
> > 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list XdndSelection text/uri-list "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png")
> > 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "file:///home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png\n")
> 
> And /home/data1/protected/Screenshot_20220807-225237_1.png is the file
> name of the file you dragged, correct?  Or more specifically, are there
> any non-ASCII characters in the file name that were not encoded
> correctly?
> 
> If the file name is correct, I think what you're seeing is a bug in ROX
> file manager that should be brought up with its developers.  Or maybe
> you should use Thunar instead.

One fact is to be observed, that is that Rox filer never had any
problems with dragging ever.

Is maybe that new line a problem?

-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> One fact is to be observed, that is that Rox filer never had any
> problems with dragging ever.

Did you ever try dropping _into_ ROX file manager from another program,
such as Thunar or Nautilus?

If that works, please run ROX file manager under xscope and show what
you see.  Maybe it's asking for a selection target other than
text/uri-list.

> Is maybe that new line a problem?

No.  text/uri-list containing a single URL always ends with a newline.

Thanks.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-12 04:22]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > One fact is to be observed, that is that Rox filer never had any
> > problems with dragging ever.
> 
> Did you ever try dropping _into_ ROX file manager from another program,
> such as Thunar or Nautilus?

Of course, never problems.

> If that works, please run ROX file manager under xscope and show what
> you see.  Maybe it's asking for a selection target other than
> text/uri-list.

What is xscope?

-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> Of course, never problems.

Odd.

> What is xscope?

xscope is a tool for inspecting X protocol traffic.  What I'm asking you
to do is to run:

  $ xscope -i6009
  $ DISPLAY=localhost:6009 "how you normally run ROX file manager"

and to send the output of xscope after it fails to accept a dropped
file, along with the output of xlsatoms.

Of course, you should inspect the output for sensitive information
first.  Thanks.

Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Jean Louis]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2022-09-12 13:10]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Of course, never problems.
> 
> Odd.
> 
> > What is xscope?
> 
> xscope is a tool for inspecting X protocol traffic.  What I'm asking you
> to do is to run:

OK, but I do not have xscope in Parabola GNU/Linux-libre and I cannot
find it Debian based servers.

Do you have link to software?

Is it maybe part of some other package?

-- 
Jean

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Re: TIP: Opening selected files with ROX file manager

[Po Lu]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> OK, but I do not have xscope in Parabola GNU/Linux-libre and I cannot
> find it Debian based servers.
>
> Do you have link to software?
>
> Is it maybe part of some other package?

Here's where I get my copy from, though it should be part of xorg-tools
or some similar package:

  https://ftp.x.org/archive/individual/app/xscope-1.4.2.tar.gz