Ubuntu – Ubuntu file manager with more zoom

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.

sudo apt-get install dolphin

Then install any icon theme that is compatible with Dolphin.

sudo apt-get install oxygen-icon-theme  # all releases
sudo apt-get install breeze-icon-theme  # 16.04+ only
sudo apt-get install numix-icon-theme  # 18.04+ only
sudo apt-get install papirus-icon-theme  # 18.04+ only

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.

• Desktop independent icons (tango-icon-theme)
• LXQt/LXDE default icons (breeze-icon-theme, lxde-icon-theme)
• MATE default icons (mate-icon-theme)
• Xfce default icons (elementary-xfce-icon-theme)

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.

sudo apt-get install pcmanfm-qt  # featured in 20.04+

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.

sudo apt-get install doublecmd-gtk  # GTK+ version
sudo apt-get install doublecmd-qt  # Qt version

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").

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/sunflower
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sunflower

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.