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Is there any Linux software that can browse ZIP files with grid view?

al3x067 · 7 Sep 2026 at 10:46 · permalink

Just asking out of curiosity. Not that it matters much. I prefer list view most of the time, except when working with multimedia. And file-roller doesn't generate thumbnails inside archive files anyway, which makes grid view pointless.

Fun fact: Android's built in file manager ("documentsUI") actually generates preview thumbnails inside ZIP and TAR files. Quite a rare thing for a file manager to have, especially given that Android's file manager is otherwise quite limited in functionality.

Windows Explorer could browse ZIP files since - what was it - Windows XP? And since then, it could show the files as a grid, since that is a built-in feature of Windows Explorer.

But having separate programs for each purpose is normally better. On Windows, explorer.exe is for the desktop, taskbar, and file manager! If the file manager crashes, it takes the desktop and taskbar with it. This doesn't happen on Linux.

Vivat_Hussaria · 7 Sep 2026 at 10:48 · permalink

Dolphin.

Dzot77 · 7 Sep 2026 at 10:48 · permalink

Did you try xarchiver?

al3x067 · 7 Sep 2026 at 10:49 · permalink

Not yet. Gotta do. :)

Bykso · 7 Sep 2026 at 10:55 · permalink

mount zip with fuse, then use your favourite file manager.

O_pr1vet1337 · 7 Sep 2026 at 11:08 · permalink

PeaZip for the grid view. In the open window, click on the three dots on the top right and select icons. But I very much doubt that any zip file-handling software will give you thumbnails, as for that it will have to extract the files.

>Windows Explorer could browse ZIP files since - what was it - Windows XP?

Not natively, no. Zip file support was only added in either Win8 or 10.

al3x067 · 7 Sep 2026 at 15:32 · permalink

I forgot this was possible. :D