Why did they omit the right-click checksum feature from Mate's file-manager? and is there an alternate FM, or a plugin?

[Timmi]

I just downloaded Mint 19, and am feeling the frustration of there being absolutely no GUI tools in 18.3MATE to check the md5 or sha256 hashes.

It seems to me that Mint used to have this, over a decade ago. Why this regression?

I tried installing programs for that from Synaptic (as the software centre stopped working in my mint18.3mate), but they appear nowhere in the menu.

I did read the instructions on the OS download page, on how to check it in the terminal.
But my downloads directory is on another drive on one of it's partitions in one of the sub-directories on that partition... and I can't seem to be able to get to there via the terminal. I know it's buried in user/media or media/user or something like that...
"I can SEE it in the file manager - why can't this be resolved with a simple right-click?", I ask myself.

It was annoying when they changed to sha256 (because torrents), which reduced the programs one could use in Windows to check it, and the new procedure is having novices just omit checking their download.
I missed when you can just right-click and check md5 (because if you download from a trusted source, why not? I get it, sha256 because it is so "easy" (#sarcasm) to engineer a virus inserted into the ISO that will yield the same md5... and offer that up as a torrent... but I digress). And now, they omit the right-click-check altogether (which is a problem because I no longer have Windows installed.

Is there a reason why they try to make it harder for novices to checksum? Is there a certain audience they want to turn away perhaps?

Hoping that the mint19xfce I downloaded is "complete" and more robust (as my experiences with 18.2cinnamon and 18.3mate were not).
I love Mint... I have on and off over time (from version 4)... but sometimes there are little things that are changed or omitted which is just hard to comprehend coming from this distro (given it's history).

[smurphos]

Which Desktop Environment?

With Cinnamon / Nemo -

[Timmi]

Mint 18.3 MATE
thanks

[Sir Charles]

Maybe this can be of any use:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install gtkhash

GtkHash is a small GTK+ utility which allows users to compute
message digests or checksums using the mhash library.
Currently supported hash functions include MD5, MD6, SHA1,
SHA256, SHA512, RIPEMD, TIGER and WHIRLPOOL.

gtkhash.png

[smurphos]

The command line method is outlined here - http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... erify.html

[thx-1138]

...for right-click on Caja, i use this script from here...maybe it fits your needs / tastes as well.

[Timmi]

The command line method is outlined here - http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... erify.html

Yeah, exactly what people want to avoid by choosing Mint instead of some other antiquated distro.

I think you overlooked the part where I mention I can't seem to navigate to the drive and directory where the OSes are downloaded to (yeah I know, my post had too much verbose. sorry about that). Anyways, our friend has the solution with gtkhash. thanks anyways.

[Timmi]

Maybe this can be of any use:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install gtkhash

GtkHash is a small GTK+ utility which allows users to compute
message digests or checksums using the mhash library.
Currently supported hash functions include MD5, MD6, SHA1,
SHA256, SHA512, RIPEMD, TIGER and WHIRLPOOL.

gtkhash.png

THANKS!
That works great!
Installed and shows up in my menu.
Odd that Synaptic didn't have it though.

[Sir Charles]

Good to know that it works for you. It's a nice, handy app for this purpose. Odd though it shouldn't show in Synaptic. It should. The quote about the app is from Synaptic.

Cheers
Marziano

[gm10]

Mint 18.3 MATE
thanks

apt install caja-gtkhash for the file manager extension that you originally asked about (accessed via file properties). The standalone that you installed is fine as well though, as you prefer.

By the way, are you sure you ended up with the right version of Mint? In the OP you said you downloaded Mint 19 but installed Mint 18.3. Confusing.

[Timmi]

Odd though it shouldn't show in Synaptic. It should. The quote about the app is from Synaptic.

Maybe it's all in the Mate DE , the way Synaptic is set up in it by default (sources and available software).
Cheers!
Timmi

[Timmi]

Mint 18.3 MATE
thanks

apt install caja-gtkhash for the file manager extension that you originally asked about (accessed via file properties). The standalone that you installed is fine as well though, as you prefer.

By the way, are you sure you ended up with the right version of Mint? In the OP you said you downloaded Mint 19 but installed Mint 18.3. Confusing.

You mean this is confusing?

I just downloaded Mint 19, and am feeling the frustration of there being absolutely no GUI tools in 18.3MATE to check the md5 or sha256 hashes.

I am ON Mint 18.3mate now. I downloaded Mint 19xfce and needed to check the SHA256 (never said I installed it - I like to check before installing, hence this thread).

And I tried installing your extension, and this:
apt install caja-gtkhash
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package caja-gtkhash


Anyways, I checked it using the regular gtkhash app.
I'm good.
(I can't seem to find how to mark the thread as "solved")

[gm10]

Ah, I get it, my bad.

And as to that extension, could have sworn it was in the Mint 18 repos as well, but apparently not. It's available for Mint 19 though. Not that it matters if you're switching to Xfce.