Introduction to Caja
Caja is the default file manager of the MATE desktop environment, a fork of the classic Nautilus that aims to offer a lightweight, stable, and fully integrable experience with the rest of the MATE ecosystem. Its design follows the philosophy of simplicity without sacrificing power, allowing users to navigate, organize, and manipulate their files quickly and efficiently. Although its appearance may seem modest, under the hood Caja incorporates advanced features such as customizable views, integration with cloud services, and an extension system that allows expanding its functionality according to each user’s needs. In this article we will explore from its installation to the most useful tricks to get the most out of this essential tool on any Linux workstation.
Installation and availability
Caja is available in the official repositories of most Linux distributions that include the MATE desktop, such as Ubuntu MATE, Linux Mint MATE, Fedora MATE, and Debian. On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, simply run sudo apt update && sudo apt install caja to obtain the stable version. On Fedora, use sudo dnf install caja, while on Arch Linux and its derivatives the package is found in community repositories as sudo pacman -S caja. Additionally, there are development versions and flatpak or snap packages for those who prefer to stay up to date with the latest features. After installation, Caja launches automatically when starting the MATE session, but it can also be run from any terminal with the command caja or via the application launcher.
Basic user interface
Caja’s interface consists of a classic menu bar, a toolbar with icons for frequent actions such as go back, go forward, go up a level, create new folder, and search, and a side panel that can show favorite places, mounted devices, or a directory tree. The main view can toggle between icon mode, list mode, and detailed view, allowing the user to choose the representation that best fits their workflow. Drag and drop is fully supported, as well as inline editing of file names using the F2 key. Keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+L to focus the location bar or Ctrl+Shift+N to create a new folder, make navigation fast without needing to leave the keyboard.
Advanced functionalities
- Split views: allows opening two panels side by side to copy or move files between directories with a simple drag.
- Editable location bar: clicking on the path turns it into a text field where you can paste any absolute or relative path.
- Integrated search: the search box filters visible items in real time by name, type, or attributes.
- File preview: via the preview plugin, Caja shows thumbnails of images, PDFs, and text files without needing to open them.
- Batch operations: multiple files can be selected and actions such as batch renaming, compression, or permission changes can be applied.
Customization and themes
Caja inherits the GTK theme system, so any icon or window theme applied to the MATE desktop is automatically reflected in its appearance. Additionally, the user can modify the toolbar behavior via the dconf configuration editor or the MATE preferences tool, adding or removing buttons as convenient. Display settings allow defining icon size, column order in list view, and amount of information shown in detailed view. For users who prefer a more minimalist approach, it is possible to hide the menu bar and rely solely on keyboard shortcuts and the context menu that appears when right-clicking any element.
Integration with the MATE desktop
Being part of the MATE project, Caja benefits from tight integration with other desktop components, such as the MATE panel, session manager, and control center. For example, when connecting an external storage device, Caja automatically shows it in the side panel under the ‘Devices’ section, and when ejecting it displays a notification in the MATE notification area. Likewise, the actions menu that appears when right-clicking a file includes options such as ‘Open with’, ‘Send to’, and ‘Properties’, which delegate to the applications and services configured in the MATE environment. This synergy ensures a consistent experience and reduces friction when performing everyday tasks.
Useful extensions and plugins
- Caja-open-terminal: adds an ‘Open in terminal’ entry to the context menu, allowing launching a terminal directly in the selected folder.
- Caja-image-converter: allows converting and resizing images in batches from the context menu, ideal for photographers and designers.
- Caja-sendto: facilitates sending files via email, instant messaging, or Bluetooth devices.
- Caja-wallpaper: allows setting any image as desktop wallpaper with a single click from the context menu.
- Caja-gtkhash: integrates generation and verification of MD5, SHA1, and SHA256 checksums, useful for checking download integrity.
Conclusion
Caja combines the lightness and stability that MATE users expect with a set of features that rival heavier file managers. Its intuitive design, together with the ability to customize via themes, extensions, and keyboard shortcuts, makes it a solid choice for both newcomers and advanced users seeking efficiency without sacrificing functionality. If you haven’t tried it yet, installing Caja and exploring its configuration options is an excellent way to improve your productivity on the Linux desktop.