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[Quick Tip] Enable Textual File Path Entry in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: May 9, 2020

gnome shell

This quick tip is going to show you how to get a textual location entry in the default Nautilus file browser in Ubuntu 20.04.

For temporary use, you can get the current files or folders’ path by simply pressing Ctrl+L on keyboard.

The default path bar becomes a location entry after pressing Ctrl+L, then you can copy and paste it for any use.

To let Nautilus display textual path entry for the location bar permanently:

Instead of the path-bar, you can always use a textual input entry for the location toolbar, by running following command in terminal:

  • Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal and run command: 
    gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry true

  • And you can restore change via command: 
    gsettings reset org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry

Alternatively, use a graphical tool Dconf Editor, install it via Ubuntu Software, by navigating to ‘org/gnome/nautilus/preferences’

That’s it. Enjoy!

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    4 responses to [Quick Tip] Enable Textual File Path Entry in Ubuntu 20.04

    1. theapprenticeco July 15, 2020 at 7:53 pm

      Hey Jim
      kudos!
      I’ve been ubuntu user since 2012, but never imagined why the file browser would have this trick!

      thanks for posting.

    2. Kuldeep Singh September 10, 2020 at 2:36 pm

      What a nifty solution!

      Thanks Jim!

    3. GJS December 6, 2021 at 7:26 am

      No clue as to why this would ever be the default. Thanks for the gsettings reference!

    4. future robot February 28, 2022 at 3:14 am

      thanks