Assume the files are in the folder ~/myfiles. You can run this loop in a terminal (copy-paste):
for pdffile in ~/myfiles/*.pdf ; do evince "$pdffile" ; done
To jump to the next file just press Ctrl+W in the Evince window (to close it and open the next file).
FWIW, I am not sure how useful this would be considering that you need to view "thousands" of files...
Edit Symbolic Link in Nautilus
The script
To do this in Nautilus we need to create a script using:
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts
gedit ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/edit-link
Paste in the following:
#!/bin/bash
# NAME: edit-link
# PATH: $HOME/.local/share/nautilus/scripts
# DESC: Edit symbolic link
# CALL: Called from Nautilus file manager.
# DATE: August 18, 2018.
# strip new line char passed by Nautilus
FILENAME=$(echo $NAUTILUS_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS | sed -e 's/\r//g')
# Multiple files can't be selected.
LINE_COUNT=$(wc -l <<< "$NAUTILUS_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS")
LINE_COUNT=$((LINE_COUNT-1))
if [[ $LINE_COUNT > 1 ]] ; then
zenity --error --text "Ony one file can be selected at a time! "
exit 1
fi
# Object type must be "file..." (ie no directories, etc.)
if [ -d "${FILENAME}" ] ; then
zenity --error --text "$FILENAME is a directory!";
exit 1
else
if [ -L "${FILENAME}" ]; then
: # Bash noop
else
zenity --error --text "${FILENAME} is not a symbolic link!";
exit 2
fi
fi
NewLink=$(zenity --entry --text "Enter new symbolic link")
ln -sf "$NewLink" "${FILENAME}"
exit 0
and make it executable
chmod +x ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/edit-link
Sample output
This is the test data used. The second last section shows the broken link. Then our script is run giving a new file name. The last section shows the new good link.
Sample screen
This is what the script looks like when you run it:
- Highlight a broken link with Nautilus
- Right click for context menu
- Select
Scripts
- Select
edit-link
- Enter new file name above and click OK button
Edit Symbolic Link in Caja
The method is similar to Nautilus but with some Caja specifics. We should follow GNOME2→MATE Migration guide.
So we need create script in the ~/.config/caja/scripts:
mkdir -p ~/.config/caja/scripts
cat > ~/.config/caja/scripts/edit-link << \EOF
#!/bin/bash
# NAME: edit-link
# PATH: $HOME/.config/caja/scripts
# DESC: Edit symbolic link
# CALL: Called from Caja file manager.
# DATE: August 19, 2018.
# strip new line char passed by Caja
FILENAME=$(echo $CAJA_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS | sed -e 's/\r//g')
# Multiple files can't be selected.
LINE_COUNT=$(wc -l <<< "$CAJA_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS")
LINE_COUNT=$((LINE_COUNT-1))
if [[ $LINE_COUNT > 1 ]] ; then
zenity --error --text "Ony one file can be selected at a time! "
exit 1
fi
# Object type must be "file..." (ie no directories, etc.)
if [ -d "${FILENAME}" ] ; then
zenity --error --text "$FILENAME is a directory!";
exit 1
else
if [ -L "${FILENAME}" ]; then
: # Bash noop
else
zenity --error --text "${FILENAME} is not a symbolic link!";
exit 2
fi
fi
NewLink=$(zenity --entry --text "Enter new symbolic link")
ln -sf "$NewLink" "${FILENAME}"
exit 0
EOF
and make it executable
chmod +x ~/.config/caja/scripts/edit-link
Then we can use this script from Caja Scripts drop-down menu.
Best Answer
Ubuntu has no such feature like Windows to select multiple selections using check boxes; however, few alternative file managers have similar features.
Multiple selections by using mouse click only is available in Dolphin file manager and the relatively new PCManFM-Qt, and using keyboard shortcut only is available in some file managers. Perhaps Dolphin is the only file manager in Ubuntu that is similar to Windows counterpart.
Dolphin
Dolphin is the default file manager in KDE Plasma and Kubuntu. As of 18.04 release, this is the only file manager in Ubuntu and the official flavours that natively supports multiple selection by mouse click.
Hover the mouse cursor above file or folder icon, and click the emerging plus sign (+) to select and minus sign (-) to deselect. The hover-and-click method works in any view mode (Icons, Compact, Details). Multiple selections seem to persist even when switching between the view mode.
Although, Dolphin has one usability issue: icon theme must be compatible to make the sign visible on mouse hover in non-KDE environment.
Dolphin make use of certain icons to make the plus and minus sign visible on mouse hover. Newer versions of Dolphin use emblems instead of action icons, and the corresponding icon name may vary.
Dolphin can be installed from the Universe repository.
Then install any icon theme that is compatible with Dolphin.
The above screenshot is showing Dolphin with Numix icon theme.
PCManFM-Qt
PCManFM-Qt is the Qt port of PCManFM. Based on this closed issue dated Aug 2018, the feature was likely made available between release 0.13.0 (May 2018) and 0.14.0 (Jan 2019). From end user point of view, Ubuntu 20.04 (not 18.04) is the first LTS release to see this feature.
PCManFM-Qt does not require any additional icon theme for this feature. Multiple selection by mouse click works with many icon themes by default. The following icon themes have been tested working with PCManFM-Qt.
At time of testing (0.14.1 as of Ubuntu 20.04), the hover-and-click method works in Icon view and Thumbnail view only. Multiple selections seem to persist when switching between all view modes, except Detailed list. This inconsistent behaviour may be improved in the future.
PCManFM-Qt can be installed from the Universe repository.
The above screenshot is showing PCManFM-Qt with nouveXT2 icon theme (LXDE icon theme) to show high compatibility with any default icons.
Double Commander
Double Commander is a cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side. Double Commander in Ubuntu has two versions: GTK+ and Qt.
Double Commander can toggle selection by Space, Insert, Shift+Up, or Shift+Down keys. Some of these shortcuts are configurable. Multiple selections by mouse clicks only are not possible.
Double Commander can be installed from the Universe repository.
User can install either one, but not both at the same time.
Sunflower
Sunflower is another twin-panel file manager for Linux. This alternative file manager depends on Python with GTK+ widget bindings.
Like Double Commander, Sunflower can toggle selection by Insert, Shift+Up, or Shift+Down keys. Except Sunflower use Space key to type immediately for a quick search, instead of toggle selection. The shortcuts are configurable. Multiple selections by mouse clicks only are not possible.
Sunflower can be installed via PPA (noted "usually late by a version or two").
Sunflower is also available from the download page (latest), PPA (newer releases are delayed), and source code on GitHub.
Other file managers
Besides Dolphin, PCManFM-Qt, Double Commander and Sunflower, most probably no other graphical file manager in Ubuntu that can do multiple selections like so. One exception is Pantheon Files in elementary OS, which does not seem to be reproducible for Pantheon Files installed via PPA for Ubuntu and the official flavours.
This answer intends to mention only graphical file managers, mainly because of Windows-like experience which requires mouse clicks. Terminal-based file managers may have such capability, but the user experience might vary and therefore will not be covered in this answer.
TL;DR Dolphin can do Windows-like multiple selections. PCManFM-Qt may be able to do in near future. Very few file managers actually support multiple selections by mouse click only. User experience may vary.