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Bug 692852 - backspace key no longer goes back in nautilus [regression]
backspace key no longer goes back in nautilus [regression]
Status: RESOLVED INVALID
Product: nautilus
Classification: Core
Component: Keyboardability
3.6.x
Other Linux
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: Nautilus Maintainers
Nautilus Maintainers
: 701128 746378 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2013-01-30 02:24 UTC by rockorequin
Modified: 2015-05-30 09:17 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Description rockorequin 2013-01-30 02:24:33 UTC 
The backspace key in nautilus used to function as a 'back' button, but in version 3.6.3-0ubuntu5 it does nothing. Instead, you have to use ALT-left arrow, which is awkward and non-intuitive given that many users are used to using the backspace key to go back in browsers and other file managers.
Comment 1 André Klapper 2013-01-30 10:31:35 UTC 
To avoid confusion with just-type search, the keybinding is Alt-Up in 3.6.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 679822 ***
Comment 2 rockorequin 2013-01-30 13:54:19 UTC 
Actually, I don't think this is a duplicate of the bug "need keybinding for going up" - going 'up' a directory is not the same as going 'back'. 

In any event this bug is about the fact that backspace does nothing in nautilus 3.6, which is a clear regression from nautilus 3.4.
Comment 3 António Fernandes 2013-02-02 13:32:11 UTC 
(In reply to comment #2)
> Actually, I don't think this is a duplicate of the bug "need keybinding for
> going up" - going 'up' a directory is not the same as going 'back'.

In nautilus 3.4 and earlier, Backspace was used to go "Up".

Sometimes, going "Up" ends up doing the same as going "Back", which may be confusing, but Backspace's real use was never "Back".

> In any event this bug is about the fact that backspace does nothing in nautilus
> 3.6, which is a clear regression from nautilus 3.4.

This is intentional. http://git.gnome.org/browse/nautilus/commit/?id=2f1c80cc419b7e77972f63b448afe63d37994c74
Comment 4 rockorequin 2013-02-02 22:23:23 UTC 
Ok, 'Up' is great, it's exactly what I expect the key to do in a file browser when I'm not entering a text search (particularly as nautilus and other file browsers have been doing it this way for years).

Re the commit's justification for removing the default, "It interferes with searching, is totally unexpected, and there are at least 3 other ways to do this already", other than Alt-left-arrow, what are the 3 other ways of doing it already?

If it means changing to use the mouse, that's just plain inconvenient when you're using the keyboard, and of course Alt-left-arrow is inconvenient because it is a hard key combination to find. (Even more so as only the left-Alt key works for this combination on my nautilus.)

Is there a more detailed design justification for this change? As far as I can see it reduces nautilus' usability, but that surely can't have been the intention.
Comment 5 António Fernandes 2013-05-28 15:42:36 UTC 
*** Bug 701128 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 6 António Fernandes 2015-05-30 09:17:47 UTC 
*** Bug 746378 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***