Nautilus "Open in IDE" Extension

A Python extension for the Nautilus file manager that adds a right-click context menu item to open files and folders directly in your preferred IDE (VS Code, Cursor, etc).

Features

Open Files & Folders: Select one or more files or folders, right-click, and open them in a new IDE window. Open Current Directory: Right-click on the background of any folder to open the entire directory in your IDE. Multiple IDE Support: Works with VS Code, Cursor, or any custom IDE command.

Requirements

Python Bindings for Nautilus: You must have the python3-nautilus package installed. This package allows Python scripts to interact with Nautilus. IDE: By default it calls the code command, but you can configure it for any IDE.

Might not be compatible with some Nautilus versions, works for me on v46.

Installation

You can install it quickly by opening a terminal in this folder and running:

chmod +x ./install.sh
./install.sh

Quick Reminder: Always read scripts you get from random people on the internet (like me) before running them. If you don't want to read/run it and prefers to install manually, follow these steps:

1. Install Dependencies

First, install the necessary Python bindings for Nautilus using your distribution's package manager.

• For Debian / Ubuntu:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install python3-nautilus

• For Fedora:

  sudo dnf install python3-nautilus

2. Place the Extension File

You need to place the Python script file in the Nautilus extensions directory.

First, create the directory if it doesn't exist:

mkdir -p ~/.local/share/nautilus-python/extensions/

Next, copy the extension file open_in_ide.py into that directory.

3. Restart Nautilus

For the extension to be loaded, you must completely quit Nautilus. The easiest way is to run:

nautilus -q

After running the command, open your file manager again. The extension will now be active.

Uninstallation

To uninstall the extension, you just need to remove the python script and restart Nautilus:

rm ~/.local/share/nautilus-python/extensions/open_in_ide.py
nautilus -q

Configuration

The IDE command and label are set during installation. If you want to change them later, you have two options:

1. Re-run the installation script:

   ./install.sh

2. Use environment variables:

   You can override the installed configuration by setting the following environment variables. This is useful for temporary changes or for testing.

   export NAUTILUS_OPEN_IDE_BIN="/path/to/your/ide"
   export NAUTILUS_OPEN_IDE_LABEL="Open in My Custom IDE"

   Note: Environment variables will always take precedence over the configuration set during installation.

Troubleshooting

"Open in IDE" menu does not appear:

• Ensure that python3-nautilus is installed correctly.
• Make sure you have restarted Nautilus completely (nautilus -q).
• Check the permissions of the open_in_ide.py file in ~/.local/share/nautilus-python/extensions/.
• Look for errors in the system log (journalctl -f) when you restart Nautilus.

IDE does not open:

• Verify that the IDE command is correct and that it is in your system's PATH.
• Try running the command directly in your terminal to see if it works.
• If you are using a custom command with special characters, make sure it is properly quoted.