--- title: "Choosing a dual-pane file manager for your Mac" description: "What a two-pane, commander-style file manager does, why it's faster for servers, and how to get one on a Mac with F5 to copy, F6 to move and Space to mark." url: https://anybucket.app/guides/dual-pane-file-manager-mac lang: en --- # A dual-pane file manager for your Mac Norton Commander, Total Commander and Midnight Commander taught a generation to copy files with two panes and the F-keys. Here's what that style gets you, and how to work that way with your servers on a Mac. ## The short answer A dual-pane file manager shows two folders side by side, and every copy goes from the active pane to the other one. Finder doesn't work that way, but [AnyBucket](https://anybucket.app/features/dual-panes) does, for This Mac and your servers alike: each tab holds one or two panes, each showing This Mac or any SFTP, FTP, FTPS, S3 or WebDAV server. **Space** marks, **⇥** switches panes, **F5** copies and **F6** moves. ## What "dual-pane" means A dual-pane (or two-pane, or "commander") file manager splits the window into a left and a right pane. One is active. You mark files in it, press a key, and the files copy or move to the folder in the other pane. There's no clipboard to remember and no second window to line up: source and destination are always both on screen. The style comes from Norton Commander in the 1980s, and lives on in Total Commander, Midnight Commander and Marta. Its keys are shared across all of them: F5 copies, F6 moves, F7 makes a folder, F8 deletes. ## Why it's faster for servers With servers, the two-pane layout matters even more: - **You see both ends.** The local folder and the server folder, or two servers, side by side. You know where the files are going before you press the key. - **The keys do the work.** Marking with Space and copying with F5 is quicker than dragging between windows, and works the same on every protocol. - **Patterns scale.** Press **+**, type `*.log`, and every match is marked, however many there are. ## The keys | Key | What it does | | --- | --- | | **⇥** | Switch to the other pane | | **Space** | Mark or unmark, then move down | | **+** / **−** | Mark or unmark by pattern | | **F2** | Rename | | **F3** | Quick Look | | **F4** | Edit with any app; changes upload when you save | | **F5** / **F6** | Copy / move the marked files to the other pane | | **F7** | New folder | | **F8** | Delete | | **⌘\\** | One pane or two | | **⇧⌘\\** | Swap the panes | Every shortcut is also in the menus. [All shortcuts](https://anybucket.app/shortcuts) are on one page, and on a MacBook the F-keys may need **fn**, or **Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys** in **System Settings → Keyboard**. ## Two panes, any two places In AnyBucket, a pane isn't tied to "local" or "remote". Each one shows This Mac or any server you've added, so the same two keys cover every direction: - This Mac → server: upload a build folder to SFTP. - Server → server: copy from SFTP to an S3 bucket, or between two buckets. On the same server, the copy runs on the server itself. - Server → This Mac: pull logs or backups down. Tabs let you keep several pairs open at once. Their titles read like **Staging ⇄ Assets**, with a badge for each protocol, so you can tell them apart at a glance. ## Getting started 1. Open AnyBucket and connect a server with **⇧⌘K**. 2. Press **⌘\\** to open the second pane, and pick **This Mac** or another server from its source menu. 3. Find your files, mark them with **Space** and press **F5**. To try it first, the [live demo](https://anybucket.app/try) runs in your browser and listens to the same keys. ## Other dual-pane apps on the Mac Several Mac apps offer two panes. ForkLift and Commander One are full file managers that also connect to servers; Transmit has a dual-pane view for a local and a remote folder. AnyBucket is built for servers first, with any server in either pane, a ⌘K palette, Compare & Sync and a queue that survives quitting, for $9.99 once. The [comparison](https://anybucket.app/compare) lists what each one's own pages describe. ## Questions, answered ### How is it different from Finder's windows? Finder shows one folder per window or tab, so two places side by side means two Finder windows and dragging between them. With two panes, both places sit in one tab, and F5 copies across. ### Can both panes show servers? Yes. Each pane shows This Mac or any server, so you can put two servers side by side and copy between them with F5. ### Does it work with Finder? Yes, side by side: drag files between Finder and any pane, and Quick Look and edit files from any server. ### Can I use the mouse too? Yes. Click, drag and drop and the buttons under each pane all work. With **Settings → Keyboard → Show Function-Key Bar**, the F-keys sit under the panes as buttons. ## Read next - [Dual panes and tabs](https://anybucket.app/features/dual-panes) - [Keyboard-first](https://anybucket.app/features/keyboard) - [AnyBucket vs Commander One](https://anybucket.app/compare/commander-one) - [AnyBucket vs ForkLift](https://anybucket.app/compare/forklift) **Buy for $9.99:** https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_pCF9yOjezTUaUqMPyUsxEho1EjcOvo6Bk49Q929LQCQ --- AnyBucket is independent software by [Clever Mechanisms](https://clevermechanisms.dev). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Apple Inc. or any storage provider. Independent software in the spirit of Cyberduck and the classic two-pane commanders. Not affiliated with iterate GmbH (Cyberduck). Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder and Quick Look are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. Amazon S3 is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Email support: support@clevermechanisms.dev