Fix the File Open Save Dialogue sorting issue

[m_pav]

Having just upgraded my daily driver from MX-19.1 to MX-19.2 by reinstalling and reusing Home, all was well until I realised I had lost something. The Open/Save dialogue box was no longer displaying folders before files, as I'm used to seeing in my favourite File Manager, Thunar. The Open/Save dialogue box was displaying both files and folders intermingled into a single alpha-numeric list. This makes it more difficult than it needs to be when opening or saving files using any applications open/save dialogue box. To me, it just makes sense to have folders displayed before files in any file manager type view and to keep it all uniform throughout the system.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a File manager sorting issue, even though it might appear to be. This is a GTK issue that is easily fixed with dconf Editor.

Essentially, you only need to open the dconf Editor (type dconf into the Whisker Menu search bar and it'll show up), then click the icon to open the dconf Editor
After clicking on "I'll be careful", navigate to
org --> gtk --> Settings --> file-chooser
Scroll down to the entry sort-directories-first and click the slide switch to turn it on
In the dconf Editor window title-bar, you will have a clickable path, the left-most icon, not the red one, is the same as home. Click that icon to return the dconf Editor to its startup position and the changes will be done. You can close the dconf-Editor and the issue will be fixed.

I have made a youtube video showing how to do this if you need a step-through, hopefully, the link will take you straight to it. Click here ---> https://youtu.be/TYmm7GshDy4

Here's a sample of what you'll get.

Screenshot-21.png

[SwampRabbit]

Thank you so much for sharing this, I noticed the same thing but really kinda gave up and conformed to the way it was lol

[dolphin_oracle]

bless you !

[JayM]

This will make life easier. Thanks!

[asqwerth]

Was there no right click option while in the file chooser dialogue window?

To be honest I can't recall if this applied to xfce or another DE....

[michael-hi]

The OP obviously likes doing things the hard way!! As suggested by asqwerth's post above, you only need to right-click in the dialog window and select "Sort Folders before Files". Still I do think this should be fixed, in the sense that the MX packagers should make this option be selected by default. I quite agree that most people would want the folders shown first (as in Thunar) and doing this might save other people from going on a wild goose chase.

The other thing is that the initial post might mislead people into thinking you need to reinstall in order to upgrade from 19.1 to 19.2. It happens automatically, although obviously there's nothing wrong in reinstalling if you want a complete refresh of the system.

[asqwerth]

m_pav is in the Dev team, so I'm sure he had a good reason for reinstalling!

But we may all know (or not know) diff things about xfce.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Another way of fixing it that doesn't need an instructional video:

Code: Select all

gsettings set org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser sort-directories-first true

[Jerry3904]

Nice!