[suggestion] Add function to enable double click behaviour for "files" in system settings

[tuxiano]

Hi,

maybe I'm too old, but I can't get used to the single click behaviour in the file manager and I'm quite sure, that I'm not alone with this problem (see elementaryos.stackexchange.com).

I really would be grateful, if you could provide people like me an option in the system settings to choose between single click or double click behaviour.

Thank you

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[jeremypw]

Although I have some sympathy with exposing this setting, I think the UX team would prefer to work on making the single-click mode more intuitive and easier to use so any suggestions along those lines would be of interest.

As you may know, Files does, for now, continue to support double-click mode and this can be enabled by typing into a terminal:

gsettings set io.elementary.files.preferences single-click false

Or use dconf-editor to change this and other app settings.

[tuxiano]

Thank you for your feedback and the trick to disabling single-click via terminal.

In general, I found single-click "dangerous", because you can easily execute a non-reviewed shell-script or other executable. If you ask me, single-click should be an option and double-click the default.

[jeremypw]

There are some some checks to prevent execution of files that are not expected to be executable or that have not been deliberately marked executable but I doubt they are foolproof. I would like to increase the target area for selection and decrease it for activation but whether that would get past the UX team is unknown.

[jeremypw]

Actually, I think just clicking on an executable does not execute it. You can only run an executable using the context menu.

[tuxiano]

If I click on a sh-file it gets executed (at least on my system). A white window pops up, which instantly disappears.

[jeremypw]

If you right click on the file, what is the first entry in the context menu? When I activate an (executable) .sh file (permissions 775) it opens with a text editor.

[jeremypw]

This fairly old merge should have introduced "edit by default" behaviour - https://github.com/elementary/files/pull/223 - maybe there has been a regression?

[tuxiano]

No regression, I just noticed that it opens the sh file in emacs. Emacs closes directly because of this issue:

https://elementaryos.stackexchange.com/questions/797/how-to-get-gnu-emacs-work-on-elementary-os/4573#4573

So, its okay. Thank you.

[jeremypw]

That's a relief - thanks.

[cshaa]

I also prefer the "double-click to open and single-click to select" behavior and while the terminal command to change it is very simple, I feel like it goes against the ideals of elementary OS a little. Having all the important settings in one place and not having to google the solutions is one of the things that makes eOS so delightful to use for me.

[jeremypw]

See also https://github.com/elementary/files/pull/1067 as an alternative solution. I do not think adding a setting that affects only one app to a global settings plug would be accepted. There has recently been a softening of resistance against a setting menu in Files.

[danirabbit]

Closing since we've changed the click method in Files to a mixed mode: single click navigate, double click launch