Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

spiked reviewed v0.8.2 on Apr 19, 2008

Due to being GPL, muCommander does not (and can never) support RAR files because it is not possible to implement RAR v3 (including all compression types) with GPL code. However, there is no excuse for not supporting 7z because GPL-compatible Java implementations have been available for over 3 years.

Really, muCommander feels like a programming class project getting dragged out, except that the teacher isn't guiding it anymore. In fact, there is no roadmap. That's why muCommander is over 6 years old but the developers are still not willing to call it version 1.0 yet. The feature list seems long but it's full of trivial little things which aren't well coordinated. Much effort gets spent on platform compatibility issues. After 6 years, this file manager finally supports deleting files to the Windows Recycle Bin. You see why it's still not version 1.0?

If you really need cross-platform Java, you might be able to tolerate the immaturity of muCommander. If you're really just looking for a free 2-paned file manager for Windows, you may be happier with FreeCommander.

DudeBoyz reviewed v0.8.2 on Apr 18, 2008

@SPIKED - why can't you just use the right click menu to access your RAR archives when you have WinRAR installed? It works great from Windows Explorer, PowerDesk, Free Commander, muCommander, etc.

------- ORIGINAL COMMENT: -------

Although I've bailed on using Macs and OS X and am back again using Windows exclusively, the fact that it's multi-platform means it's still useful to me, thankfully.

Since the updates of PowerDesk Pro in versions 6 and now 7 still contain a few show-stopper bugs, such as not keeping the proper sorted order during drag and drop operations and I'm stuck back at PowerDesk Pro 5, I need to start focusing on other options.

PowerDesk Pro 5 has a bug in how it handles NTFS partitions that seems to involve the date and time display. If you update a file in a folder, it will not only show the new date and time on that particular file, but often change the date and time on the folder itself, which is somewhat annoying. Seems confused about which to display - created time and date, last viewed, last updated, etc. Just not handling it properly, whatever the case.

MU Commander does not suffer from this anomoly, nor does Free Commander, I believe.

So, even though the pace of development on this product is quite slow, I still find it a valuable alternative and am grateful that it's available and free.

anomoly reviewed v0.8.1 on Nov 30, 2007

Only thing I really like is it aphabetizes everything correctly instead of by type.
Problem is, it is it's own interface and neglects your regular windows' options.
If it gave you your normal right click options it would be good. It refused to 'open' an ini file at all.
I guess for simple file operations it is ok, but freecommander blows it away-in resources too.

anomoly reviewed v0.8 on Oct 5, 2007

Nice. On windows I prefer freecommander's gui though. If I ever get around to running linux (unix?) f/t I will definitely use it

lokanetra reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 11, 2007

When I first saw that this was programmed in Java, I immediately thought it was going to be slow and not very good. I'm beginning to have a renewed faith in Java apps. Starts-up pretty quick, seems to run well, no problems that I can see. I think this deserves a solid rating of 4. As this is a beta version, I believe future revisions will make it even better.

shtraue reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 10, 2007

I do not understand the people bashing the app just because its based on some previously released piece of software. Norton Commander was very likely to have been inspired by its predecessor too, - XTree, released about a year earlier than Norton Commander.

DudeBoyz reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 10, 2007

Nothing wrong with being a MULTI-Platform alternative to Norton Commander. Norton Commander was one of the best DOS apps ever created, and inspired the ubiquitous Midnight Commander on the Linux platform.

This update is particularly welcome on the OS X platform, but this is a very nice free app for Windows too, if you don't mind Java.

If they were charging for this, I'd be willing to be harsh, but the thing is a good product especially given that it is free.

The theme addition is nice - it brings it up to snuff with the GUI interface.

guti reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 10, 2007

Nothing but a rip off of Norton Commander. The only difference is Norton Commander was here about TWO DECADE ago. (Thats more than 20 years btw lol).

The rest about muCommander... Well to bad implementing it in Java.

Whitay reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 10, 2007

Nothing but a rip off of Total Commander (formerly Windows Commander). The only difference is Total Commander has been around for somewhere around a DECADE. (Thats 10 years btw lol)

JEdwardP reviewed v0.8 Beta 3 on Mar 9, 2007

I've never used a Java app. that I actually ended up liking, and this one's no exception. When I had an older machine, I was willing to entertain the possibility that the slow, resource-hungry performance of Java would irritate me less on a much newer machine.

Now I have that much newer machine, and find the performance of Java apps., this one surely included, still annoy me.

I'm sticking with FreeCommander. It's not perfect, but for my use, it's still the best file manager I've tried.

cowgaR reviewed v0.8 Beta 2 on Mar 2, 2006

The ppl here really didn't understand it. I can tell I used zillions of appz in my time, but I'll never forget this one. I've been waiting a long time for such project, even thinking writing multiplatform file-manager myself.

In windows world, we are saved because there is Total Commander, and honestly, there isn't a ONE app that can stand near it (although it is badly written in archaic Pascal Lang., its long time tested and works) And there's hundreds of other clones...

But in Linux, there isn't such thing as file manager. Really! (you don't need it THAT much as in windows, but is handy).
There is just this old joke Midnight Commander (and its fanatics), and long time starving project KDE Crusader, which just look silly for the time it is in developement.
Default KDE Conqueror or Gnome manager aren't the appz we can even think about comparing here (with TC in mind).

MAC OSX ? Even worse! Finder? What a joke app? Yes we have spotlight so runing an app isn't a problem, but there ISN'T a REAL file-manager!
Anyone who ever used Total Commander on windows will understand (the power of it goes beyond this review and our galaxy).

This one isn't Total Commander, I know, but the language it is written in is really progressive one (java) and the technology used is excellent and new (java 1.5 is recommended, although I prefer .NET), so it the end it is MULTIPLATFORM!

Finally for me to run some File manager that isn't a 'try to be some copy of MC' and whos development is NORMAL and has FUTURE! Not like others I've messed with all those years.

THE ONLY APPLICATION of its kind for linux. If you've used windows AND linux, you know you've badly missed good file manager.

TO MU COMMANDER: Still early in developement, but I think features will come more and more once this version will go final, and at the end of the year we can expect there will be no need for Midnight Commander nor any other file-manager anymore that could stand this MU COMMANDER (in windows I'll stick with TC).

To memory problem, in JAVA/.NET you CAN'T release memory deterministic way in your code. It is all left on Garbage Collector to collect unused objects, and thought you can 'call' it sometimes to do its work it is not the right way to programm. So you're left on its intelligence.

You can code smart to avoid many big objects in memory, but you NEVER EVER can have less memory usage as standard say win32 api application. Because once the GC don't start its work say for the 1st time, you have bigger memory usage with all the objects you have created from the start of an app. But this way there virtualy aren't memory leaks!

For my rig, and for today's PCs,the memory requirement of this app is just a drop in an ocean. TOTALLY MINIMAL.

Thus 5 of 5, and great thanks to the author!

guti reviewed v0.8 Beta 2 on Feb 28, 2006

Good clone of the old NC. Well coded.
Bad performance, and resource hog due to Java.
Better try SpeedCommander, xplorer2, XPlorer or Total Commander.

tipsyboy reviewed v0.8 Beta 2 on Feb 28, 2006

Man - that's a really COOL idea you got going there!

Everything like in old DOS times - even the keyboard shortcuts work as you were used to.

Cool! Works nicely. Go on man and give us a free "Norton" - "Windows Commander" clone . . .

And even OS independent!!!!! Meaning: once you know it, use it everywhere there's JAVA. And that one is on all OSes, ain't it . . .

Go on, man - don't let those bored, overstuffed users bring you down.

THANX for your work so far!