Open Nautilus as a new tab in an existing window

Solution 1:

I wrote a bash script and a launcher for that.

1. First, create the file:

   mkdir ~/bin && gedit ~/bin/nautilus-ctrl-t.sh
   

2. Then paste the following, and save:

   if [ "$(wmctrl -xl | grep "nautilus\.Nautilus")" == "" ]; then
       nautilus "$1" &
   else  
       #Save old clipboard value
       oldclip="$(xclip -o -sel clip)"
   
       echo -n "$1" | xclip -i -sel clip
       #wmctrl -xF -R nautilus.Nautilus && xdotool key "ctrl+t" "ctrl+l" && xdotool type "${1}" && xdotool key Return
       wmctrl -xF -R nautilus.Nautilus && xdotool key ctrl+t ctrl+l ctrl+v Return
   
       #Restore old clipboard value
       echo -n "$oldclip" | xclip -i -sel clip
   fi
   

3. Then run the command:

   sudo chmod u+x ~/bin/nautilus-ctrl-t.sh
   

4. Now, to create the launcher file, run this command:

   gedit ~/.local/share/applications/Nautilus-Ctrl-t.desktop
   

5. Paste the following, and save:

   [Desktop Entry]
   Type=Application
   Name=Nautilus-Ctrl-t
   Comment=Launches Nautilus if not yet, otherwise opens a new tab in it
   Categories=FileManager;GNOME;
   Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/48x48/apps/system-file-manager.png
   Exec=/bin/bash -c ~/bin/nautilus-ctrl-t.sh
   Terminal=false
   

6. Log out, or restart to update the application list and you're done.

Try that. Hope it helps.

UPDATE

Added a location as a script parameter

UPDATE 2

Replaced xdotool type with xclip

UPDATE 3

Cleaned up the process by adding numbers. Added mkdir command. Updated the first "if statement" because if nautilus is managing the desktop, it will have a pid, but no active window, so better to use wmctrl. Added quotes around the first argument in case there are spaces. Changed the icon for nautilus to be system default in the .desktop file.

Solution 2:

I believe it is not possible as
1) It is a suggested idea at Ubuntu Brainstorm that wasn't implemented yet,
2) And supposedly after analyzing the source code Shiki didn't find a way to pass this call to nautilus.

Solution 3:

This is fixable very easily in CentOS 6.2 by going into the Nautilus preferences, on the "Behavior" tab and clicking the box called "Always open in browser windows".

You will know it worked because from that point on, in your folder browsing window, you will see a left hand nav on the window which is the method that Nautilus uses to "re-use" the explorer window.

So, basically, all you need to figure out is "how to enable the left-hand navigation menu in a Nautilus browser window".