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GNU Emacs VS fman

Compare GNU Emacs VS fman and see what are their differences

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GNU Emacs logo GNU Emacs

GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editorโ€”and more.

fman logo fman

An unexpected gift. January 07, 2018 by Michael. One of the nice things that happened last week was an fman user writing in to say that 1) fman "is THE BEST SOFTWARE" (sic). And that 2) he would like to send me a $50 tip.
  • GNU Emacs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-19
  • fman Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-21

GNU Emacs features and specs

  • Highly Extensible
    GNU Emacs is highly customizable, allowing users to configure nearly every aspect using Emacs Lisp. This makes it remarkably adaptable for various workflows.
  • Rich Plugin Ecosystem
    There is a wide array of plugins available for Emacs, extending its functionality for programming, text editing, project management, and more.
  • Versatile
    Aside from text editing, Emacs can function as an email client, web browser, terminal emulator, and more, making it a powerful multi-purpose tool.
  • Free and Open Source
    GNU Emacs is free to use and modify, with source code available under the GNU General Public License, encouraging collaborative improvement and transparency.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Emacs runs on many different operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and various Unix-like systems, ensuring a wide reach and consistent experience across platforms.

Possible disadvantages of GNU Emacs

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its vast array of features and unique keybindings, new users often find Emacs difficult to learn initially.
  • Performance
    Emacs can be slower compared to more lightweight text editors, especially when heavily customized or handling large files.
  • Keyboard-Centric Interface
    Emacs relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, which can be overwhelming and complex, leading to potential finger strain from extensive use.
  • Complex Configuration
    While its customizability is a strength, configuring Emacs to fit personal needs can be time-consuming and complex, requiring knowledge of Emacs Lisp.

fman features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Availability
    fman is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, allowing users to have a consistent file management experience across different operating systems.
  • Performance
    fman is built to be lightweight and fast, which can result in quicker file operations and a more responsive interface compared to some other file managers.
  • Plugin System
    fman offers a plugin system that allows users to extend its functionality according to their needs, which fosters a customizable experience.
  • Dual-Pane Interface
    The dual-pane interface is highly efficient for tasks that involve moving or copying files between directories, offering a productivity boost for power users.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    Extensive keyboard shortcut support lets advanced users perform operations quickly without needing to use the mouse, speeding up file management tasks.

Possible disadvantages of fman

  • Paid Software
    fman is not free; it requires a purchase for continuous use, which might be a drawback for users looking for a free alternative.
  • Limited Built-In Features
    Out-of-the-box, fman might lack some advanced features found in other file managers, requiring users to install plugins to achieve the same functionality.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might experience a learning curve when adapting to fman's interface and keyboard shortcuts, especially if they are coming from more traditional file managers.
  • Plugin Management
    While the plugin system is a pro, managing and finding the right plugins can be cumbersome for some users. Additionally, community plugins might vary in quality.
  • UI Design
    Some users might find the minimalist design too simplistic compared to other file managers, potentially missing out on a richer, more feature-complete interface.

Analysis of GNU Emacs

Overall verdict

  • GNU Emacs is widely considered to be a powerful and versatile text editor, especially among programmers and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Highly Customizable: Emacs can be extensively customized with Emacs Lisp, enabling users to tailor the editor to fit their specific workflow.
  • Rich Ecosystem: There is a large variety of plug-ins and extensions available, which can transform it into much more than just a text editor.
  • Built-in Tools: Emacs includes numerous built-in tools such as a debugger, calendar, email client, and file manager, making it a comprehensive development environment.
  • Cross-Platform: Emacs runs on multiple platforms, which makes it accessible to a broad audience.

Recommended for

  • Programmers and developers who appreciate a customizable and extensible tool.
  • Users who want to integrate various development tools into a single environment.
  • Individuals comfortable with learning Emacs Lisp to create and understand custom scripts and configurations.
  • People interested in a text editor that has a strong and supportive community.

Analysis of fman

Overall verdict

  • fman is a solid choice for users seeking a customizable and efficient file management solution. However, those who prefer a more graphical interface with advanced features out-of-the-box may need to look at alternative solutions.

Why this product is good

  • fman is a dual-pane file manager designed to enhance productivity by allowing users to efficiently organize and manage their files across different platforms. It is especially appreciated for its extensibility, as users can create or download plugins to tailor the software to their specific needs. Additionally, its minimalistic design and multi-platform support make it an appealing choice for those who frequently switch between operating systems.

Recommended for

  • Developers and IT professionals who require a cross-platform file manager.
  • Users who appreciate customizability through plugins.
  • Individuals looking for a lightweight and speed-oriented file manager.

GNU Emacs videos

Switching to GNU Emacs

fman videos

Speargun trigger review @ trigger panah ikan #FMAN

More videos:

  • Review - Introducing the OwnHammer 412 FMAN 6-pack
  • Review - Releasing fman 0 6 3

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GNU Emacs and fman)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
File Manager
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
FTP Client
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GNU Emacs and fman

GNU Emacs Reviews

14 BEST LaTeX Editor for Mac & Windows in 2022
Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It is one of the best LaTeX editor for Mac that allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words, letters, lines, and other units of text.
Source: www.guru99.com
The Top 7 Notepad++ Alternatives for You
Emacs has been around in its various forms since 1976 and is another very worthy Notepad++ alternative. When I first started using Emacs I have to admit that I didnโ€™t find it the easiest to use. But once I got used to it I realized just how powerful Emacs is for the programming community.
10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2020
Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words, letters, lines, and other units of text.
Source: www.guru99.com
7 open source alternatives to Dreamweaver
Vim or Emacs. Without participating in the holy war between these two traditional text editors, I can safely say that there are a number of enhancements for web editing available for both. So if you're already a terminal junkie, take your pick. Or, if those don't satisfy, try one of these Emacs/Vim alternatives.
Source: opensource.com
10 Best Sublime Text Alternatives in 2019
Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words, letters, lines, and other units of text.
Source: www.guru99.com

fman Reviews

14 Alternative File Managers To Replace Windows 10 File Explorer
A very simple dual-window view file manager. The only extra feature I saw was the search bar at the top that you can use to quickly access anything. However, itโ€™s also really small in size and light on resources, so try fman if you have a slow PC.
Source: geekflare.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, fman should be more popular than GNU Emacs. It has been mentiond 10 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GNU Emacs mentions (6)

  • Emacs daemon as sytemd service in debian 12 (gnome)
    Cat .config/systemd/user/default.target.wants/emacs.service [Unit] Description=Emacs text editor Documentation=info:emacs man:emacs(1) https://gnu.org/software/emacs/ [Service] Type=notify ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/emacs --fg-daemon # Emacs will exit with status 15 after having received SIGTERM, which # is the default "KillSignal" value systemd uses to stop services. SuccessExitStatus=15 # The location of the... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Why does emacs exec path variable not just copy the users path variable?
    ## If your Emacs is installed in a non-standard location, you may need ## to copy this file to a standard directory, eg ~/.config/systemd/user/ . ## If you install this file by hand, change the "Exec" lines below ## to use absolute file names for the executables. [Unit] Description=Emacs text editor Documentation=info:emacs man:emacs(1)... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Hi DM's, what medium do you use to organise your campaign?
    For gathering notes, writing and organizing, Org-Roam which implies Org and Emacs. Source: over 3 years ago
  • This Guy is getting out of control at this point.
    I was heading to gnu.org/software/emacs to prove my point and it said:. Source: over 4 years ago
  • opam doesn't see emacs?
    <><> Version-specific details <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ๐Ÿซ Version 1 Repository default Homepage: "http://gnu.org/software/emacs" Bug-reports: "https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository/issues" Authors: "anil@recoil.org" Maintainer: "anil@recoil.org" License: "GPL-1.0-or-later" Flags: conf Synopsis Virtual package to install the Emacs editor Description This... Source: over 4 years ago
View more

fman mentions (10)

  • Ask HN: What project do you donate to?
    My first donations were for daily-driver productivity tools: Min browser (https://github.com/minbrowser/min). - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • File Pilot: A file explorer built for speed with a modern, robust interface
    I once devoted 2 years of my life to developing a file manager called fman [1]. In total, it generated probably 35,000$ in profits, so my income from the project is somewhere under 10 $/h. As software developers, our opportunity costs are high. I use my file manager to this day and love it - how could I not. But I regret spending so much time on it. Congratulations on your launch. I wish you more success than I've... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Use Midnight Commander like a pro (2015)
    Shameless plug for my more modern alternative to Midnight Commander, https://fman.io. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Best symbols in folder names to pin an important folder up top?
    Use a file browser that supports jumping to a folder by frecency (examples: z (shell extension) or my-dired-recent-dirs() in my dired or https://fman.io/ for users that prefer graphical UIs). You will find out that you will prefer jumping to navigation when you're familiar with the concept. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Ask HN: Why aren't there any real alternatives to Electron?
    There are great alternatives. I used Python and Qt to create my file manager [1]. It's a tool that needs to start quickly so Electron was not an option [2]. I open sourced my build system for creating cross-platform desktop apps with it in minutes at https://build-system.fman.io/. 1: https://fman.io 2: https://fman.io/blog/picking-technologies-for-a-desktop-app-in-2016/. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GNU Emacs and fman, you can also consider the following products

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Midnight Commander - GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and...

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

Double Commander - Double Commander is a cross-platform open source file manager with two panels side by side.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Vifm - Vifm is a ncurses based file manager with vi like keybindings.