← XeFM crftwr/xefm on GitHub · craftware

Menu Bar Feature

Overview

In desktop (GUI) mode, XeFM shows a native menu bar so you can drive the file manager with the mouse in addition to the keyboard. The menus mirror XeFM’s keyboard actions: every menu item runs the same action as its key binding, and each item’s shortcut hint is generated from the live keymap — so if you rebind a key in ~/.xefm/config.py, the menu updates to match.

Platform Support

The menu structure and shortcuts are the same in both.

Accessing the Menu Bar

Launching Desktop Mode

Open the installed XeFM app from Launchpad or Spotlight — see the Desktop Mode Guide. (During XeFM development, python3 -m xefm --backend gui opens the same window from a checkout.)

Using the Menu Bar

Available Menus

XeFM has four menus: File, Select, View, and Help.

File Menu

Item Shortcut
Open Enter
View File V
Edit File E
Details… I
Open with Default App Cmd-Enter
Reveal in File Manager Alt-Enter
External Programs… X
Subshell Here Shift-X
Parent Directory Backspace
Go to Favorite… J
Jump to Path… Shift-J
Drives… D
History… H
New Folder… M (when nothing is selected)
New File… Shift-E
Rename… R
Copy to Other Pane C
Move to Other Pane M (when files are selected)
Delete… K
Copy Name(s) Cmd-Shift-C
Copy Full Path(s) Cmd-Shift-P
Create Archive… P
Extract Archive… U
Quit Q

Select Menu

Item Shortcut
Toggle Selection Space
Select All Items Shift-A
Clear Selection End
Compare and Select… W
Compare Selected Files… =
Compare Directories… Shift-=

View Menu

Item Shortcut
Find… F
Filter… ;
Search Files… Shift-F
Search Content… Shift-G
Show Hidden Files .
Reverse Sort —
Sort By ▸ (submenu: Name / Extension / Size / Date; quick keys 1–4)
Theme ▸ (submenu of installed themes)
Next Theme T
Switch Pane Tab

Help Menu

Item Shortcut
Keyboard Shortcuts… ?
About XeFM —

Note: M is context-sensitive — it creates a new folder when nothing is selected, and moves the selection when files are selected. This is a property of the create_directory / move_files key bindings, and the menu reflects both.

Items enable and disable based on context. For example, Copy/Move/Delete and Create Archive require a selection; Rename, View, and Details require a focused item; Parent Directory is disabled at the filesystem root. Disabled items appear grayed out.

Keyboard Shortcuts

How shortcut hints are produced

Each menu item shows the first key bound to its action, formatted for display — single letters appear as-is (C, R), special keys are spelled out (Enter, Backspace, Tab), and modifier combinations use Cmd-, Shift-, Alt- prefixes (Cmd-Shift-C, Shift-F). Because the hint is read live from the keymap, rebinding an action in config automatically updates its menu shortcut.

Using shortcuts

You do not need to open a menu — pressing the shortcut runs the action directly. The menu is there for discovery and mouse-driven use.

Usage Examples

Create a new folder

Open File → New Folder… (or press M when nothing is selected), type the name, and confirm.

Copy files to the other pane

Select files with Space, then File → Copy to Other Pane (or press C).

Change the theme

Open View → Theme ▸ and pick one, or press T to cycle to the next theme.

Troubleshooting

Make sure you are running XeFM in desktop mode. In terminal mode the menu is the strip along the top row.

A menu item is grayed out

The action isn’t available in the current context (e.g. Copy with no selection, or Parent Directory at the root). Adjust the selection or location and it enables.

A shortcut doesn’t work

Letter keys are case-sensitive, and the shortcut shown is whatever the action is currently bound to in ~/.xefm/config.py. Check your key bindings if you’ve customized them.