LinuxFiles, Files for Linux, based on Files by the Files Community, is an unofficial, community-maintained Linux port of Files by the Files Community. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Files Community.
Files is created and maintained by the Files Community and its contributors. This fork builds on their work and keeps their MIT-licensed code, history and credit. The Linux port itself (Uno Platform, Skia, X11, and the Linux platform layer) is the work of the LinuxFiles contributors. See Credits and NOTICE.md.
Warning
Status: alpha. Expect missing features and rough edges, and do not rely on it for data you cannot afford to lose. The official, supported Files for Windows is at files.community.
This fork runs Files natively on Linux (Uno Platform, Skia, X11). The shell, Settings, file operations, trash, archives, clipboard and drag and drop, UDisks2 volumes and desktop integration are in place. See the showcase for the full feature checklist and what is not working yet.
Note
0.1.0-alpha4 is the fourth public alpha release. Expect rough edges and missing features, and keep backups of anything you care about. Please report problems in the issue tracker.
Grab the assets from the 0.1.0-alpha4 release page. Requirements: x86_64 Linux with an X11 session or XWayland (Wayland desktops work through XWayland); the packages are self-contained, so no .NET install is needed.
yay -S linuxfiles-bin # or: paru -S linuxfiles-binThis installs the polkit helper for optional root actions; polkit and a session authentication agent are required.
nix run github:MemerGamer/LinuxFiles # try it
nix profile install github:MemerGamer/LinuxFilesThe flake exports overlays.default (adds pkgs.linuxfiles) and nixosModules.default. Plain nix run/profile installs keep all root actions disabled. NixOS administrators can import the module and opt in:
# Add inputs.linuxfiles.nixosModules.default to your NixOS modules.
programs.linuxfiles = {
enable = true;
rootActions = true; # default: false
};This installs a patched helper, a matching polkit action and trusted deployment manifest, and enables the pkexec wrapper. A session authentication agent is required. The flake pins alpha4, which supports this opt-in. A runtime-capability assertion rejects incompatible or unmarked package overrides. See Nix packaging details.
curl -LO https://github.com/MemerGamer/LinuxFiles/releases/download/linux-v0.1.0-alpha4/Files-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x Files-x86_64.AppImage
./Files-x86_64.AppImageRoot actions remain disabled in the AppImage. Administrators can separately provision a matching native host helper, but this alone does not enable AppImage elevation.
flatpak install --user Files-x86_64.flatpak
flatpak run io.github.memergamer.LinuxFilesThe bundle needs the org.freedesktop.Platform//25.08 runtime; Flatpak offers to install it from Flathub. Root actions remain disabled. An optional companion host-helper installer provisions the native host only; this bundle has no host-spawn bridge and keeps its sandbox permissions unchanged.
tar xzf files-linux-x64.tar.gz
./linux-x64/Files # run it in placeTo install it for your user (menu entry, icons, files launcher in ~/.local), use the script from a clone of this repository, which also supplies the desktop entry and icons:
git clone https://github.com/MemerGamer/LinuxFiles.git
cd LinuxFiles
scripts/linux/install-local.sh --from /path/to/linux-x64files-packaging.tar.gz holds only the desktop entry, metainfo, icons, launcher and licence, for packagers (the AUR package consumes it together with the tarball above). scripts/linux/uninstall-local.sh reverses a local install.
Optional. Open in terminal as root uses a trusted run0, sudo or pkexec in native packages that allow elevation. Polkit-authenticated Delete/Rename/Paste-as-root requires the installed trusted helper: AUR, an opted-in local tarball install, or the NixOS module with a release containing its runtime support. AppImage, Flatpak and plain nix run keep all root actions disabled. In a supported native installation, start a root-mode window with:
files --rootor pick Open in Root Mode from the launcher's desktop actions. Each action asks for authentication for that exact operation, and the GUI itself stays unprivileged. See the elevation threat model.
Download SHA256SUMS next to the files you fetched and check them (missing files are reported, not fatal, with --ignore-missing):
sha256sum -c --ignore-missing SHA256SUMSEvery merge to main publishes a tarball and AppImage to the rolling nightly pre-release. It is untested bleeding edge. Run it with:
curl -LO https://github.com/MemerGamer/LinuxFiles/releases/download/nightly/LinuxFiles-nightly-x86_64.AppImage && chmod +x LinuxFiles-nightly-x86_64.AppImage && ./LinuxFiles-nightly-x86_64.AppImage- CHANGELOG.md: what is in each release
- Showcase: screenshots and the feature checklist
- Packaging details and the roadmap
Soft text or icons on niri / xwayland-satellite: Enable Detect display scale from the compositor (experimental) in Settings > Appearance and restart Files to use niri's focused output scale when no Uno, Xft, GDK or Qt scale hint is present and both NIRI_SOCKET and WAYLAND_DISPLAY are set. Check stderr for [display-scale] to see whether IPC or CLI detection succeeded. Detection defaults off and may double-scale on some setups. FILES_NIRI_SCALE=1 forces it on and FILES_NIRI_SCALE=0 forces it off, overriding the saved preference. Launch with UNO_DISPLAY_SCALE_OVERRIDE=1.25 files to select a scale manually (replace 1.25 with your output scale). The scale is chosen at startup. See display scale details.
- Linux bugs and Linux feature requests: open an issue in this fork.
- Windows bugs: report them to upstream Files only if you can reproduce them in the official Windows app. Please do not report LinuxFiles problems upstream.
- Security issues: use this fork's private Security Advisories. See SECURITY.md.
The text and images in this section describe the upstream project and are the Files Community's work, not ours.
Files is a modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. The upstream mission is to build the best file manager for Windows, built in the open by the community, with robust multitasking, file tags, deep integrations and an intuitive design. See the upstream repository and website.
For the official Windows app, use the upstream distribution channels (Microsoft Store and classic installer from files.community/download); this fork does not distribute Windows builds.
Contributions to the Linux port are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md. Contributions to the Windows app belong in the upstream repository.
- Files Community and all upstream contributors: the Files app, its design, code and translations (via Crowdin) that this port is built on. Files is MIT licensed, Copyright (c) 2018 - present Files Community.
- Uno Platform: WinUI on Skia/X11 for Linux, which makes this port possible.
- SkiaSharp, Selawik (UI font) and Uno.Fonts.Fluent (icons).
- Tmds.DBus, TagLibSharp, Markdig, ColorCode, LibGit2Sharp, FluentFTP, SharpCompress, 7-Zip and the .NET Community Toolkit.
The full list of third-party components and licenses is in NOTICE.md and .github/NOTICE.md. "Files" and its logo are the Files Community's; they are used here to identify the upstream project and its Linux port, with no endorsement implied.
MIT. Copyright (c) 2018 - present Files Community; Copyright (c) 2026 LinuxFiles contributors (modifications for Linux).