FileTerm user guide

FileTerm is a native macOS file manager. It shows one or two panes of files, with tabs, a built-in terminal, remote connections, folder sync, batch rename and archive handling.

This guide describes what the app does today. Where a feature is missing or wasn’t verified, the chapter says so, and chapter 13 lists every known gap.

FileTerm needs macOS 14 or later.

Two-minute first action

1. Open FileTerm. On first launch a welcome window explains macOS permissions. Click Done when you’ve read it.
2. Choose Go › Downloads. The active pane, marked by a colored outline, opens that folder.
3. Choose View › Vertical — Side by Side. You now have two panes.
4. Click the second pane, then choose Go › Documents.
5. Press Esc to open Quick Open, type new tab, and press Return. A new tab opens in the active pane.

Next: press Esc again and look up any command by name. Quick Open also shows its shortcut and, if it’s unavailable, the reason.

How commands work

• Commands act on the active pane. The other pane is the target for commands such as Copy to….
• A command that can’t run is grayed out. Hold the pointer over it to see why.
• You can give most commands a shortcut in Settings › Shortcuts.

Chapters

1. Navigation and panes
2. Views, windows and tabs
3. Selection, search and quick commands
4. Creating, copying and moving
5. Metadata, preview and utilities
6. Connections and remote locations
7. Transfers, activities and logs
8. Sync and batch rename
9. Archives, deletion and comparison
10. Favorites, tools, editing and Git
11. Appearance, settings and macOS
12. Additional capabilities
13. Limits and known gaps

Command reference

commands.md lists every menu command with its default shortcut, what it does, and the chapter that explains it.