Freedom251 › File Manager Software
emelFM2
What emelFM2 is
emelFM2 is a free file manager for Linux and other UNIX-like systems. Its window combines two filesystem directory panes with a third pane for command output; panes can be resized or hidden. Commands can be started from the built-in command line, toolbar buttons, or assigned keys. The manager supports batch renaming and archive work. Optional plugins add file finding, directory comparison, access-control-list handling, and archive packing or unpacking. A find plugin searches across locations using multiple attributes. The text viewer handles several line-ending formats and attempts character-encoding conversion, while the basic editor includes find, replace, cut, copy, paste, undo, save, and save-as actions. Most interface settings can be changed and saved between sessions. emelFM2 should run on UNIX-like systems supporting Gtk+2 or Gtk+3, subject to dependencies. The site lists FreeBSD, NetBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, Gentoo, Slackware, Arch Linux, and others as known systems. The latest listed source release is 0.9.1, dated 2014-02-18.
Who it suits
It suits Linux and UNIX-like system users who want a dual-directory file manager with command access, plugins, archive tools, and basic text utilities.
What it does well
- Free file manager for UNIX-like systems
- Resizable or hideable dual directory panes
- Built-in command line and key assignments
- Plugins support finding and directory comparison
- Interface settings persist between sessions
What to know first
- No tabbed interface
- Latest listed source release dates from 2014
- Crypt plugin requires files to fit available memory
- Archive unpacking excludes compressed single files
Verdict
emelFM2 combines two-pane file management with command output, plugins, archive handling, and text tools. Its older listed release and documented memory and archive limits matter when choosing it.
Facts from emelFM2's own pages
- Archive limits
- The unpack plugin supports listed archive formats including tar.gz, tar.bz2, tar, zip, 7z, rar, arj, and zoo; compressed single files are not supported by that plugin. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Archive support
- The unpack plugin supports .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar, .zip, .7z, .rar, .arj, and .zoo archives. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Batch rename
- Yes · emelfm2.net, 24 Sept 2026
- Command execution
- Commands can be started from the built-in command line, toolbar buttons, or assigned keys. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Commands
- Commands can be started from a built-in command line, toolbar buttons, or assigned keys. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- The user guide says most of the interface can be changed and configuration is saved between sessions. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Customization
- The user guide says most aspects of the interface can be changed through the configuration dialog. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- The listed requirements include Gtk+ 2.6 or later and the shell commands grep and sed; compiling also requires libmagic development files and GCC 3.2 or later. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Dual-pane view
- Yes · emelfm2.net, 24 Sept 2026
- File finding
- A find plugin can search for items across locations and by multiple attributes. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · emelfm2.net, 24 Sept 2026
- Interface
- Its window has two directory panes and a third pane that displays command output; panes can be resized or hidden. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Latest listed source release
- The homepage lists emelfm2-0.9.1.tar.bz2, dated 2014-02-18, as the latest source-code release. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform requirements
- The site says emelFM2 should run on UNIX-like systems that support Gtk+2 or Gtk+3, subject to optional dependencies. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- Linux and other UNIX-like systems · emelfm2.net, 24 Sept 2026
- Plugins
- The user guide describes optional plugins, including tools for access-control lists, finding files, comparing directories, and packing or unpacking archives. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- emelFM2 is a file manager for UNIX-like operating systems. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Release
- The site lists emelfm2-0.9.1.tar.bz2 as the latest source release, dated 2014-02-18. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Security-related limit
- The user guide says the crypt plugin requires each file to fit in available memory, and compression roughly doubles the memory requirement, so it is unsuitable for large files. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to report bugs through its ticket system and also provides a mailing list. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The site lists FreeBSD, NetBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, Gentoo, Slackware, Arch Linux, and other systems as known to run emelFM2. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Tabbed interface
- No · emelfm2.net, 24 Sept 2026
- Text tools
- The user guide describes an included basic text editor with find, replace, cut, copy, paste, undo, save, and save-as functions. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Text viewer
- The application includes a text-file viewer that handles several line-ending formats and attempts character-encoding conversion. · emelfm2.net, 11 Oct 2026
Where emelFM2 stands on Freedom251
- File Manager Software#76 of 100