The latest Nautilus and Marlin, side-by-side comparison

A definitely intensive community-based talk is related to and centered into Nautilus, Ubuntu's default file manager, that, across the latest development cycles, has shifted from a relatively popular application to a psychologically "attacked" utility, attacked from various points, such as the recent removal of imprinted-into-user's-mind functionalities, the new GNOME branding (bearing a generalist attitude, in the sense that, according to various users, the simplistic, minimalistic design approach can be equaled with a lack of features oriented to developer's lack of intention to maintain "core" functionalities) and its overall new approach.

As a counterbalance, the new Nautilus 3.5.4 (available in Ubuntu 12.10) received numerous user interface improvements, such as monochrome icons, full-state toolbar, fancy addressbar/pathbar, as well as handy abilities (support to 1-click group multiple items into a single folder, etc).

Side-by-side with the complaints related to Nautilus, stands the, according to various users, "should-be" replacement, identified with Marlin, a fancy fast eyecandy file manager.

Probably, starting a discussion with a high magnitude as replacing a file manager in Ubuntu, is to be based on an accurate perception of actual features offered by the mentioned file managers.

• toolbar
  Nautilus presents a full-state toolbar, starting with state-aware navigation icons (activated when the user starts navigating between locations), clickable squared addressbar (with support to easily navigate to pathbar's presented locations by clicking on them), search (search-as-you-type, by typing a word, all of the displayed items are "hidden" with the exception of the matched items) and "cog" icon (housing useful actions, such as Properties, Connect to Server, etc)

  Marlin features a full-state toolbar, with state-aware navigation icons, clickable and writable triangular addressbar, icon view modes and "cog" icons (housing useful actions, such as Preferences, New Window, etc)
  

• sidepanel
  Nautilus displays, on its side bar, Places (Documents, Desktop, etc, including the Trash), Devices (Computer and hard disk partitions) and Network

  Marlin displays Personal (Documents, Music, etc, including the Trash), Devices (File System, similar to Nautilus' Computer, and the hard disk partitions) and Network
  

• icon view
  Nautilus features two icon views: Icons (the regular icon view with text under icons) and List (with Name, Size, Type and Modified)

  Marlin features Icons, List (Filename, Size, Type, Modified), Compact List (list without details) and Columns (compact list with multiple panels in the same window)

  

  

  

  

  

  

• overall search
  Nautilus offers a search-as-you-type functionality that starts the search process as one types with option to extend the initial search to All Files and specific file types, nevertheless, typing removes from the searched window the unmatched items (file, folders, etc)

  Marlin highlight the matched item when the user starts typing in an opened window, without removing the unmatched items

  

  

• Connect to Server
  Nautilus presents, as available servers, Apple Filing Protocol, SSH, FTP (with login), Public FTP, Windows Share, WebDAV (HTTP), Secure WebDAV (HTTPS)

  Marlin features SSH, FTP, Public FTP, Wndows share, WebDAV (HTTP), Secure WebDAV (HTTPS)

• Arrange Items by
  Nautilus (Manually, Name, Size, Type, Modification Date, Reversed Order)

  Marlin (Name, Size, Type, Modification Date, Reversed Order)

• Preferences
  Nautilus features Views (View new folders, Arrange items, Sort folders before files, Show hidden and backup files, Default zoom level), Behavior (Single click to open items, Double click to open items, Open each folder in its own window, Run executable text files whey they are opened, View executable files when they are opened, Ask each time, Ask before emptying the Trash or deleting files, Include a Delete command that bypasses Trash), Display (icon captions's order of details displaying), List Columns (Name, Size, Type, Modified, Accessed, Owner, Group, Permissions, Octal Permissions, MIME Type, Location) and Preview (Show text in icons, Show thumbnails, Count number of items)

  Marlin features Behavior (Single click to open, Mouse auto-selection speed, Default File Manger ON/OFF), Display (Date format) and Extensions

  

  

• File properties
  Nautilus presents a properties dialog featuring Basic (Name, Type, Size, Location, Volume, Accessed, Modified), Permissions (Owner, Access, Group, Execute, Last changed)

  Marlin presents a dialog featuring Info (Modified, Last Access, MimeType, Location, Open with), Permissions (Owner, Group), Preview (the actual file preview)

  

  

• Window view
  Nautilus allows users to show/hide Sidebar, Hidden files, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Normal Size

  Marlin allows users to show/hide Context Pane (bottom or right-side positioned informative area), Menubar (enabling/disabling the "cog" icon), Places (sidebar), Hidden Files, Desktop Files, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Normal Size

• Edit action
  Nautilus features Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All, Select Items Matching, Invert Selection, Duplicate, Make Link, Rename, Move to Trash, Compress, Send To, Revert to Previous Version

  Marlin features Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All, Rename, Move to Trash, Delete Permanently

• Right-click menu
  Nautilus presents New Folder, Restore Missing Files, Arrange Items, Organize by Name, Paste, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Normal Size, Properties

  Marlin presents New Folder, New File, Arrange Items, Paste, Select All, Properties, Burn to Disc, Send by Email, Open in Terminal, Compress

• Selection bar/tooltip
  Nautilus exposes a yellow bottom-located tooltip containing the number of selected items and their summed size

  Marlin exposes a gray bottom (by default) tooltip containing the number of selected items and their summed size

• Trash
  Nautilus presents the deleted files, Empty Trash and Restore Selected Items buttons

  Marlin presents the deleted files and Empty the Trash button (with the possibility of restoring the deleted files by right-clicking on them-->Restore)

• Unity integration
  Nautilus presents an enhanced Unity launcher quicklist (Documents, Downloads, Home, Music, Pictures, Videos, Open a New Window), progressbar and limited HUD support

  Marlin presents an enhanced Unity launcher quicklist (Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, New Window, New Window as Root), progressbar and full HUD support

  

  

  

  

• Specific action differences
  Nautilus: option to create a new folder containing selected items

  Marlin: option to highlight in various colors folders' names.

Worth mentioning
The above comparison has been performed using the latest version of Nautilus (3.5.4, available in Ubuntu 12.10) and Marlin (available via its official PPA).
The Ubuntu One integration has been intentionally skipped, due to Marlin's availability for Ubuntu One integration in its Ubuntu 12.04 version, yet missing from the 12.10's PPA (Ubuntu version used as comparison ground).