filesearch pathnames/hidden files/unity/Nautilus

[JamButty]

I am transferring from a reply to an indirectly related thread.
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1. Under Lucid, when searching for a file/directory, I could right click and choose properties to get the location of the file (though the fact that a search function does not automatically show the full path of the file is inexplicable to me). If the file is buried several layers deep or has a very long name, the full path of the file does not show in the standard properties pop-up (Lucid and Oneiric), but under Lucid, I could maximize or resize that window until the full pathname could display. Under Oneiric, there are no more minimize/maximize buttons on search/properties windows (and a few other window I've run into so far), only close. If you resize the window manually, you get a bigger window with lots of nice blank space and no new info! - the path as shown in the originally sized window does not extend into the larger window, meaning I am left to guess where it might be after the first couple of directory levels.

2. Search does not return info on hidden files/directories. Yes. "show hidden files" is checked.
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Mcduck replied
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Based on the fact that you are talking about being able to access the Properties window from the search (which you can't actually do from the Dash search), it sure sounds like you are now talking about Nautilus, the file manager of Gnome desktop environment instead of Unity...

Anyway, the full path is there, even though it might not actually fit into the window, but you can still for example copy&paste it and get the full path. And it's not automatically shown because the search might actually return with many files instead of just one, and they could very well be in different locations. There sure isn't room to give full (perhaps rather long) path for each file at the same time.

By the way, the Properties window on my system definitely has all the window buttons...

(Anyway, you should probably make another thread about finding solutions to your problems as they aren't related to the ones discussed in this thread, or Unity...)

[JamButty]

sounds like you are now talking about Nautilus

Yes, I assume so as it looks nearly the same. I access it from the "home" function of the Unity panel and it pulls up a file manager that looks pretty much the same as Nautilus under Lucid did. So this is probably more of a Nautilus under Oneiric rather than a Unity issue.

Anyway, the full path is there, even though it might not actually fit into the window, but you can still for example copy&paste it and get the full path. And it's not automatically shown because the search might actually return with many files instead of just one, and they could very well be in different locations. There sure isn't room to give full (perhaps rather long) path for each file at the same time

Of course, but a function to display the full pathname, either as keystroke view change (e.g. all files listed switch to full pathnames) or in a separate bar upon selecting one line of the result list is a pretty basic function of file managers going back 20 years. I can choose a filename result, right click to get the properties box, select the (partially displayed) pathname, open a Gedit session and plop the selection in to finally see it, but having to do so is nuts.

The file search function from the Unity dash does diddly-squat for me. If I access it by clicking on the documents icon, then enter a search string at the top and hit enter it either just closes or it just sits there and returns nothing. If I access it via dash/files and folders, the result is the same.