GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 701128
Reassign backspace to switch to the parent folder
Last modified: 2013-05-30 20:55:06 UTC
At least since nautilus 3.8.1 backspace does not work anymore. Nautilus is no IDE with hundreds of keybindings so it really should be possible to keep it simple. So please try to keep the keybindings also simple. Navigation with [alt] + arrow keys is possible but more complicated to press. And while you can enter a folder by pressing return it just would be consistent to keep a "back to parent folder"-shortcut. Otherwise you should also remove the enter button shortcut. I'm using ubuntu 13.04 with official gnome ppa so my nautilus version is 3.8.1-0ubuntu1~raring1.
(In reply to comment #0) > Nautilus is no IDE with hundreds of keybindings so it really should be possible > to keep it simple. So please try to keep the keybindings also simple. That's why this change was made. Previously, Backspace would either clear text or navigate to parent folder, depending on many interface nuances. This was complex and unpredictable. Now Backspace has only one function, clearing text, which keeps it simple. > Navigation with [alt] + arrow keys is possible but more complicated to press. [Alt]+[Arrow Up] is the standard keybinding for "going up" in GNOME, and has been so for years. In previous versions, when nautilus still had a traditional menu bar, the keybiding exposed in the "Go to Parent" menu item was [Alt]+[Arrow Up]. Backspace was just an alternative. But this alternative is no longer available. > And while you can enter a folder by pressing return it just would be consistent > to keep a "back to parent folder"-shortcut. "back to parent folder" is exactly what [Alt]+[Arrow Up] does. Thanks for the bug report. This particular bug has already been reported into our bug tracking system, but please feel free to report any further bugs you find. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 692852 ***
Thank you for your quick response. To be consistent with this logic you should skip the keybinding for the return key. The return key should only have one (comparable to the backspace key): confirming what you have written (ie confirming the path you have typed or confirming a new filename). While [Alt]+[Arrow Down] already works for going into the selected folder the return key is obviously just an alternative and should be removed.
I'm not trying to make an argument. I try to personalize the replies with some summary or background on the issue. I could have just used some cookie-cutter reply for duplicate bug reports.