Far Manager — Old-School Speed in a Console Window
At first glance, Far Manager looks like it’s been frozen in time since the 90s — blue panels, plain text, no icons in sight. But anyone who’s spent time in server rooms or on remote consoles knows why it’s still around: it’s fast, doesn’t care about fancy graphics, and does its job even on a sluggish RDP session.
If you ever used Norton Commander back in the day, the feeling is instantly familiar — only now it’s Unicode-ready, plugin-friendly, and can unpack a RAR or talk to an SFTP server without leaving the window.
In short
A dual-pane, keyboard-first file manager for Windows, living entirely in the console and boosted by a deep plugin ecosystem.
Day-to-day use
Two panels sit side by side: your “from” on the left, “to” on the right. F5 copies, F6 moves, F8 deletes — you start to remember them after a couple of sessions. Tabs along the top keep different locations parked and ready.
Plugins are where it gets interesting. You can browse archives as if they were folders, open a remote FTP/SFTP session, or add syntax highlighting to the built-in editor. Some admins even run Git operations directly inside Far.
Because it’s text-based, it behaves predictably over slow connections and doesn’t bog down older hardware.
Quick tech sheet
| Feature | Detail |
| OS | Windows |
| UI style | Dual-pane, text-based |
| Navigation | Keyboard shortcuts (fully remappable) |
| Plugins | FTP/SFTP, archive, editor, VCS integration |
| Archives | ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, etc. |
| License | BSD (open source) |
| Portability | Portable builds available |
Why it still matters
– Reacts instantly, even over high-latency remote desktop.
– No mouse needed — works entirely from the keyboard.
– Plugins cover most power-user tasks.
– Lightweight enough for even the oldest Windows boxes.
Getting started
1. Download the installer or portable ZIP from the official site.
2. Run `far.exe` — it starts immediately.
3. Learn core shortcuts (F5 copy, F6 move, F3 view, Alt+F1/F2 switch drives).
4. Add plugins you’ll actually use — FTP, archive, or code-related.
When it’s the right tool
– Moving files on a remote Windows server without dealing with Explorer lag.
– Opening a large archive and pulling out a single file in seconds.
– Navigating between drives, shares, and archive files in the same interface.
– Automating small repetitive actions with macros.
Things to keep in mind
– It’s entirely text-based — if you’re mouse-dependent, it’ll feel alien.
– Takes a few sessions to get comfortable with the shortcuts.
Comparison
| Tool | Strengths | Best for |
| Far Manager | Fast, console-based, extensible | Remote work, power users |
| Total Commander | GUI, dual-pane, plugin support | Users mixing mouse and keyboard |
| Midnight Commander | Console, cross-platform | Linux or mixed environments |
Real-world use
– A server admin runs Far Manager over RDP to reorganize log directories without opening a single Explorer window.
– A power user keeps it docked on a secondary monitor for quick file searches and batch renames.
Minimal checklist
– Installed or portable copy ready.
– Plugins for needed protocols installed.
– Key commands memorized for core operations.