Ubuntu
nautilus package

Arabic interface files selection problem

Asked by Mohammad on 2014-09-08

When using arabic user interface (and probably any right to left language), files and folders are not selected in the expected order when navigating using the keyboard. They are still sorted correctly.

For example, assume we have 11 files named from 1 to 11 in a certain directory sorted alphabetically. They are displayed correctly from right to left, top to bottom like this:

4 3 2 1
8 7 6 5
11 10 9

however, if I press "Home" button which should select the first file, file "4" is selected instead of 1. If I press "End" button, file 9 is selected instead of 11.

Also when using arrow keys, I expect pressing "Left" while on file "4" changes to file "5". However, nothing happens as if file "4" is the first file and I am going backwards.
When I press "Right" button while on file "1", I expect nothing to happen since I am in the first file and I am going backwards. However, file "8" is selected instead as if it is after file "1".
Similarly, if I press "Right" while on file "5", file "11" is selected while I expect to select file "4" as it is located before file "5".

Thank you very much
Mohammad

Question information

Language:: English Edit question

Status:: Open

For:: Ubuntu nautilus Edit question

Assignee:: No assignee Edit question

Last query:: 2014-09-08

Last reply:

Revision history for this message

Mohammad (thebsom) said on 2014-09-08:

I intended to report a bug but accidentally wrote in "ask a question".
I reported a bug and apologize for inconvenience caused.

Revision history for this message

zchat (chatfree) said on 2025-03-26:

This issue is related to the behavior of file navigation when using a right-to-left (RTL) language interface, such as Arabic, in Ubuntu. The file manager (usually Nautilus) has certain quirks when it comes to RTL interfaces, especially with how it handles keyboard navigation. Here are a few potential solutions to try and resolve or work around the issue:

1. Check the Locale Settings:
Sometimes, incorrect locale settings or mismatched configurations can cause unexpected behavior with RTL languages. To check and adjust the locale settings:

Open a terminal and type the following command:

locale

This will show your current locale settings. Make sure it is set to a proper RTL language like ar_SA.UTF-8 for Arabic.

If it's incorrect, you can change the locale by running:

sudo update-locale LANG=ar_SA.UTF-8
After updating, restart the system to see if the issue persists.

2. Reset Nautilus Settings:
Nautilus (the default file manager) may have some misconfigurations. You can reset its settings to default by running the following command in the terminal:

dconf reset -f /org/gnome/nautilus/
Then restart Nautilus:

bash
Kopyala
Düzenle
nautilus -q
3. Test with Different Themes and View Modes:
Certain GTK themes or display settings may cause issues with RTL language navigation. Try switching to a different theme or view mode:

Open GNOME Tweaks (or GNOME Tweaker).

Change the Appearance and test the File Manager behavior in a different theme (e.g., Adwaita).

Try switching between List View and Icon View in Nautilus to see if that affects the issue.

4. Use a Different File Manager:
If the issue persists in Nautilus, you can try installing a different file manager like Thunar or PCManFM to see if the behavior improves. Install Thunar with the following command:

sudo apt install thunar
Then launch Thunar and check if the keyboard navigation behaves as expected.

5. Check for Bug Reports:
Since this may be a known bug, check if it has been reported in Ubuntu's bug tracking system (Launchpad). You can search for relevant bug reports:

Go to Launchpad and search for "RTL file navigation" or similar terms.

If you find a relevant bug, you can subscribe to updates or report your own experience if it's not already listed.

6. Try Using a Left-to-Right Language Temporarily:
As a temporary workaround, you could try switching the system language to a left-to-right (LTR) language, such as English, to check if the issue is related specifically to RTL support. You can change the system language from the Region & Language settings.

7. Update Ubuntu:
Finally, ensure that your system is fully updated, as updates may include bug fixes or improvements related to RTL support:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
Let me know if any of these solutions help or if the issue persists!
source: web chat https://zchat.org