Nautilus-Universal-File-Converter

A versatile Nautilus (Files) script designed to provide a universal file conversion utility directly within your file manager's context menu.

🚀 Overview

This script empowers your Nautilus file manager with robust file conversion capabilities. Instead of opening separate applications or remembering complex command-line syntax, you can now right-click on a variety of file types (videos, audio, images, and more) and convert them to your desired format with a few clicks. It's built to simplify your workflow for common conversion tasks, providing a seamless and integrated experience.

✨ Features

• Context Menu Integration: Accessible via right-click on any selected file(s) in Nautilus.
• Multi-Format Support: Leverages powerful backend tools (ffmpeg, imagemagick) to handle a wide array of video, audio, and image formats.
• Intuitive Interface: Uses zenity for graphical dialogs, allowing you to easily select output formats, quality settings, or conversion profiles.
• Flexible Output: Create new files in the same directory, or be prompted for a new location/name.
• Error Handling: Provides user-friendly feedback for successful conversions or any encountered issues.

📋 Requirements

This script relies on the following command-line tools for its conversion magic:

• ffmpeg: Essential for video/audio format conversions.
• imagemagick: Used for image format changes, resizing, etc.
• zenity: For creating the interactive graphical dialogs for user input and selection within Nautilus.

⚙️ Installation

The installation process involves two main steps: installing the required dependencies and then placing the script in the correct Nautilus scripts directory.

1. Install Dependencies

Below are instructions for installing ffmpeg, imagemagick, and zenity on major Linux distributions.

Debian/Ubuntu-based Distributions

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg imagemagick zenity

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S ffmpeg imagemagick zenity

NixOS

On NixOS, you can install these packages either system-wide (recommended for global availability) or user-specific.

System-wide (recommended - via configuration.nix):

Add the packages to your environment.systemPackages in your /etc/nixos/configuration.nix file:

# /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  # ... other configurations ...

  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    # ... existing packages ...
    ffmpeg
    imagemagick
    zenity
  ];

  # ... other configurations ...
}

After modifying configuration.nix, rebuild and switch your system:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch

2. Install the Nautilus Script

1. Download the script: Obtain the `File Converter script from this repository.

2. Create the Nautilus scripts directory: If you don't already have a scripts directory for Nautilus, create it:

   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/
   

3. Copy the script: Move or copy the downloaded script into the scripts directory. It's recommended to name it something clear that will appear in your context menu, like Convert File or Universal Converter.

   cp ./File\ Converter ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/
   

4. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/File\ Converter
   

🚀 Usage

1. Open Nautilus (Files) and navigate to the directory containing the file(s) you wish to convert.
2. Right-click on the file you want to convert.
3. Hover over the "Scripts" menu item.
4. Click on "Convert File" (or whatever you named the script).
5. A zenity dialog will appear, prompting you to select the desired output format, quality, or other conversion options. Follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Once you've made your selections, the script will process the file. A progress or completion message will inform you about the conversion status. The newly converted file will typically appear in the same directory as the original, often with a new extension.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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