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I installed filemanager-actions from Ubuntu software, but cannot succeed to create a new entry in the file manager context menu :

I installed gnome-search-tool, and want to add it on a right click on a folder in nautilus.

So I create a new action in filemanager-actions, on the Action tab I enter "Search..." for the label, and in the Command tab, I enter "gnome-search-tool" in the path field, plus "--path="%d"" in the parameter field.

But nothing appears in nautilus ; after restart or reboot still nothing.

Am I missing something, or is it just not working ? Is there a way to achieve that ? Idea is to be able to search within files for some keywords in a specific folder/subfolders. Thanks.

N0rbert
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pled
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2 Answers2

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The FMA is installable from universe pocket since Ubuntu 19.04 (disco dingo, now EOL) and then on supported 20.04 LTS (focal fossa) with

sudo apt-get install filemanager-actions

Then you need to run fma-config-tool (FileManager-Actions Configuration Tool) and make sure that you have checked checkboxes

Nautilus Item
[v] Display item in selection context menu
[v] Display item in location context menu fma

and have saved settings.

The documentation is available from official help which is available from fma-config-tool with F1 (or with yelp ghelp:fma-config-tool).

Then you need to install Nautilus Actions package with

sudo apt-get install nautilus-actions

then restart Nautilus with nautilus -q.

The corresponding menu item will be shown in the right mouse click menus:

Nautilus with fma

Note: the actions set in fma-config-tool will be shown in Caja in Nemo too. In these cases we need to install corresponding caja-actions and/or nemo-extension-fma packages.

N0rbert
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  • Thank you, much better like this. Still two remarks : I was expecting the menu to appear at first level, not below "FileManager-Actions actions", and second the search tool opens in the current directory, not the folder I clicked on (for example I have nautilus in /home/user, I right click on /home/user/folder1 and select my action : the search tool opens with /home/user as the folder to search in). – pled Apr 27 '19 at 17:07
  • It seems that it works this way. I have tested FMA with simple zenity example. You can read some official documentation which is available from fma-config-tool (or with yelp ghelp:fma-config-tool). I think that we have solved original problem. – N0rbert Apr 27 '19 at 17:20
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    @pled for items to appear at top level in the context menu, not under "FileManager-Actions actions", you have to uncheck the option in fma-config-tool Edit > Preferences > Runtime Preferences > "Create a root 'FileManager-Actions' menu" – stefg-bz Jun 06 '19 at 11:03
  • @stefg-bz : Thanks, much better like this ! – pled Jun 07 '19 at 12:13
  • This worked for me in Ubuntu 20.04, august 2020 – Carlos Pinzón Aug 24 '20 at 20:42
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    After upgrading to Ubuntu 20.10, both filemanager-actions and nautilus-actions packages have been removed and I cannot reinstall them anymore via apt. Could you help me with this issue? Thanks – Eiman Nov 06 '20 at 19:45
  • Simple ignore this GNOME dead-stuff, use MATE with Caja and caja-actions instead. – N0rbert Nov 06 '20 at 19:49
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    I'm getting this error on Ubuntu 22: 
    E: Unable to locate package filemanager-actions
    – Raleigh L. Aug 11 '22 at 05:04
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I am writing this answer because I am not eligible to comment here, only a small correction in @N0rbert answer and that is to install nautilus-actions we have to use the command sudo apt install nautilus-extension-fma in ubuntu 20.04 release. the rest of the answer would be same.

bhanu pratap
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