How To Change The Folder Color And Emblem Instantly In Ubuntu

I came across this cool tip today and I couldn't resist myself to share it with you all. Did you know that we can change the folder color and emblem instantly in Ubuntu Linux? No, no problem! Say hello to Folder Color, a simple program that changes the color or emblem of a folder instantly in Ubuntu and its derivatives like Linux Mint, and Pop!_OS.

You can use Folder Color application to beautify the look of your folders or distinguish folder(s) from other folders. Currently, it works with Nautilus, Nemo or Caja File managers.

Install Folder Color in Ubuntu

The developer of Folder Color has created a PPA to make the installation easier for us.

Install Folder Color For Nautilus

Nautilus is the default file manager on GNOME and Unity desktops.

If you are using Nautilus file manager, run the following commands one by one on your Terminal to install Folder Color:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/folder-color
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install folder-color
$ nautilus -q

Install Folder Color For Caja

Caja is the default file manager in Ubuntu MATE desktops. To install Folder Color for Caja, run:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/folder-color
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install folder-color-caja
$ caja -q

If the Folder Color is not working in MATE DEs, run the following commands to fix it.

$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/girepository-1.0/Caja-2.0.typelib /usr/lib/girepository-1.0/Caja-2.0.typelib
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/girepository-1.0/Caja-2.0.typelib /usr/lib/girepository-1.0/Caja-2.0.typelib
$ caja -q

Install Folder Color For Nemo

Nemo is the default file manager for Linux Mint Cinnamon desktops. If you're using Cinnamon DEs, run the following commands to install Folder Color.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/folder-color
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install folder-color-nemo
$ nemo -q

If it not work for any reason, do:

$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1 /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1.0
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libpython2.7.so.1 /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpython2.7.so.1 /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpython2.7.so.1 /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/libpython2.7.so.1.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpython2.7.so.1.0
$ nemo -q

Install Folder Color support for Yaru-Colors themes on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

Yaru-Colors is a theme project to bring different colors to Ubuntu's awesome Yaru theme. The Yaru theme suite is installed with Ubuntu 18.10+ by default, so you don't need to install it if you're on Ubuntu 18.10 and later versions.

To add this icon theme on your Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, simply run:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/yaru-colors-folder-color

$ sudo apt install yaru-colors-folder-color 

$ nautilus -q

Change the folder color and emblem in Ubuntu

Once you installed it, the Folder Color entry will be added to the "Right-click" context menu. Open your file manager and right click on any folder and select "folder color" from the menu and then choose the color or emblem from the sub-menu.

You can change color for more than one folder at once.

Currently, there are nine colors available to choose. You can also pick a custom color of your choice. To do so, go to Folder's Color -> Custom. Select any color from the list.

It is also possible to use a custom color code of your choice. Click on the + sign in the above screen and  enter your color code.

It's that simple!

It is also possible to change the emblem of the folder in your file manager. To change the emblem, Right click -> Folder's Color -> Choose the emblem type from the list.

Here is how Ubuntu 20.04 LTS desktop looks like after changing the icon colors:

Beautiful, isn't it?

Here is a visual demo to change folder's color and emblem:

Reset to default colors

Don't like the color or emblem set by Folder Color? Just switch to the default folder color and emblem. To reset to the default values, Right click on the folders and go to Folder's Color -> Default.

If you wanted to make your Ubuntu Linux beautiful, Folder Color is a nice addition to customize the look and appearance of your Ubuntu-based systems.

Resources:

• Folder Color Website
• Folder Color GitHub Repository