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Folder Color is an open-source extension available for Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and several other platforms. Refer to Mytour's article below to learn how to customize folders on Linux with Folder Color.
Customizing Linux Folders with Folder Color
Note: Folder Color only supports the Nautilus and Caja file managers, and does not work with any other file managers.
Installing Folder Color
Before configuring Folder Color to change how folders look in the Linux file manager, the first step you need to take is to install the extension.
To install Folder Color, first open Terminal, then use the equivalent commands for your Linux operating system to install the extension:
- For Ubuntu:
The Folder Color tool is available in the main Ubuntu software repositories. Users can easily install the utility by opening a Terminal window and using the Apt package manager:
sudo apt install folder-color folder-color-caja folder-color-common -y
- For Debian:
Folder Color isn't available for Debian, and there are no downloadable packages in the software repositories. Fortunately, thanks to the OpenSUSE Build Service, Debian users can still install the utility.
Open a Terminal window, then follow the steps below:
Step 1: Upgrade to Debian 9.0 (Stable release) if you haven't already. Upgrading to the latest version is necessary because the third-party Folder Color software package doesn't support any other Debian version.
Step 2: Download the Folder Color DEB package using the wget command:
wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/tangerine:/deb9-xfce-4.12/Debian_9.0/amd64/folder-color_0.0.86-7_amd64.deb
If you're using the 32-bit version, use the alternative command below:
wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/tangerine:/deb9-xfce-4.12/Debian_9.0/i386/folder-color_0.0.86-7_i386.deb
Step 3: Install the utility package on your Debian computer using the dpkg command:
sudo dpkg -i folder-color_0.0.86-7_*.deb
Step 4: Resolve any dependencies that may arise during the Folder Color installation on Debian by using the apt-get install command.
sudo apt-get install -f
- For Arch Linux:
To download and install Folder Color on Arch Linux, you'll need to use AUR. To interact with AUR, install the Git and Base-devel packages.
sudo pacman -S git base-devel
For dependencies, use the git clone command to fetch the latest Folder Color snapshot from AUR:
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/folder-color-bzr.git
Move Terminal from Home directory to the nw folder-color-nautilus-bzr directory on an Arch-based computer using the CD command:
cd folder-color-bzr
Next, install the Nautilus Folder Color package on Arch Linux using the makepkg command:
makepkg -si
During the process of building packages from AUR, be mindful of dependency errors that may occur at any time. If this happens, you can visit the Folder Color Nautilus AUR page and manually download the installation package.
Note: Make sure you also install the Folder switcher package. Download and install Folder switcher here.
- For Fedora:
Fedora does not support Folder Color, so if you wish to use it, you'll need to install the utility package from a third-party Copr repo. To enable the Copr repo, open a Terminal window, then input the following command:
sudo dnf copr enable sogal/folder-color
Note: Copr Folder Color repo does not support the Caja file manager. Compile the source manually if support is needed.
Now the Folder Color Copr repo will be active on your Fedora computer. The next step is to install the Folder Color extension through the DNF package manager:
sudo dnf install folder-color-common folder-color-common-lang nautilus-extension-folder-color
- For OpenSUSE:
To install Folder Color on OpenSUSE, open a Terminal window and run the Zypper package manager to ensure everything works properly:
sudo zypper install folder-color folder-color-common caja-extension-folder-color nautilus-extension-folder-color
- For Linux in general:
The Folder Color source code is now available on Launchpad for unsupported Linux operating systems. Simply download, extract, and follow the installation instructions in the source repository to install on your system.
Customizing Folders on Linux with Folder Color
Folder Color is a file manager extension rather than a standalone program, so the utility won't open in a separate window; everything will run within the file manager.
To use, simply find and right-click on any folder in the file manager, then select Folder's Color from the menu.
Hover over Folder's Color to display various color options. In the submenu, select any color, and it will be immediately applied to the folder.
Add Icons to Files and Folders with Folder Color
In addition to allowing users to change the appearance of any folder, the Folder Color extension also enables users to add custom icons to files and folders.
Adding folder icons is similar to changing colors in the file manager.
To add any icon, open the file manager and locate any file or folder, right-click on that folder, and select Folder's Color (or select File's emblem for individual files) from the menu.
In the Folder's Color menu, scroll down and select an icon to use as the emblem for the folder you've chosen.
This article has just guided you on how to customize folders on Linux with Folder Color. Additionally, if you're using the Windows operating system, you can explore how to show hidden folders in Windows 10. For any questions or contributions, please leave them in the comments section below the article, and Mytour will respond to your inquiries as soon as possible.
