Summary
We really like HiFile. It’s got bags of features, good customization options, and excellent keyboard controls. It’s definitely a useful productivity tool. If you are comfortable using freeware, give HiFile a whirl.
Its command center functionality is interesting. This feature allows automation of simple tasks; it’s currently in an experimental stage.
There are a few rough edges. For example, right click on a file, choose Open with, and it shows programs in a separate window, rather than an in-line menu like Krusader does.
The wonderful ps_mem utility reports that HiFile uses around 49MB of RAM at startup. That’s almost exactly the same as Krusader’s footprint.
HiFile is still a work in progress. HiFile 1.0 release is expected very soon.
There are a few bizarre comments on the project’s website. For example, statements like “HiFile is an honest product”, and that the developer is not a “Russian hacker” are somewhat unseemly. You don’t normally see things like that on a website about a file manager.
Website: www.hifile.app
Support:
Developer: Vladimir Kraus
License: Proprietary
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Introduction and Installation
Page 2 – In Operation
Page 3 – Summary
When I double click on a PDF, I get Running “name.pdf” failed. I reset back to defaults but still getting this error on PDFs.
Yes, I’m getting the same error. Looks like a bug in the program rather than a system issue.
They open fine for me in Arch
Does this use any of Krusader’s code?
Only Vlad the Impaler can answer that.
Doesn’t it show file permissions?
Not by default but they are enabled from Tools / Preferences and selecting Display permissions
I took a quick look, and the “honest product” bit makes perfect sense in context as it’s talking about being spyware-free and explains its funding model (a free Linux app funded by sales of the macOS and Windows version). The “I’m not a Russian hacker” bit is just a lighthearted FAQ entry that’s clearly meant to be humorous, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the current climate if the author has received comments about his name. I’ve seen far “quirkier” stuff in software FAQs!
If anything, I found the paragraph in this review pointing out these two totally innocuous things to be a bit bizarre.
your comment is rather bizarre, lol
I agree with Steve’s comments.
On the face of it, the developer saying their program is honest and they are not a Russian hacker is unprofessional and engenders no confidence particularly as the program is proprietary and lacks the transparency of an open source program.
I wish the developer well, it appears from my brief evaluation the file manager is pretty decent and far superior to the default Windows software.
However, I won’t be extending the trial period without more professionalism.
If you want a file manager like this, you can also take a look at DoubleCommander
Our roundup of free and open source orthodox file managers includes DoubleCommander, another great open source file manager.