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Mc

mc stands for Midnight Commander, which is a text-based file manager for Unix-like systems (Linux, BSD, etc.). It provides a visual interface in the terminal for managing files and directories, similar to Norton Commander on DOS.

Key Features of mc (Midnight Commander)

  • Two-pane interface: Allows you to browse two directories simultaneously.
  • File operations: Copy, move, delete, rename, and edit files easily.
  • Built-in file viewer: Quickly view file contents without opening an external editor.
  • Built-in text editor: Edit files directly in mc.
  • Support for archives: Treats .zip, .tar, .gz, .rar, etc., as virtual directories.
  • FTP/SFTP support: Access remote files via FTP or SFTP like local files.
  • Search and filter: Quickly locate files or directories.
  • Extensible: Can use external commands and scripts for automation.

How to Use mc

  1. Launching Midnight Commander
mc

  1. Basic Navigation

  2. Use arrow keys to move between files and directories.

  3. Use Tab to switch between the left and right panes.

  4. Press Enter to open a directory or file.

  5. File Operations

  6. F5: Copy selected files

  7. F6: Move/Rename files
  8. F7: Create a new directory
  9. F8: Delete selected files
  10. F3: View file

  11. F4: Edit file

  12. Searching Files

  13. Press F9 → Command → Find File, or simply Ctrl+s.

  14. Using Archives

  15. Open .zip, .tar, .gz files directly in mc.

  16. Treat archive contents as a normal directory.

  17. Remote Access

  18. Press F9 → Left/Right → FTP link to connect to remote servers.