The Single-Click Trap
Depending on which version of Ubuntu Linux you install and which specific desktop environment flavor you choose (such as Kubuntu with KDE Plasma, or certain custom GNOME configurations), you might encounter a deeply polarizing file manager behavior: single-click activation. Instead of the traditional method where clicking a file once highlights it, and double-clicking opens it, the system immediately opens the document or launches the application the moment your mouse clicks it a single time. If you are accustomed to the standard Windows or macOS workflow, this behavior causes massive frustration. You attempt to select a massive video file just to check its properties, and suddenly your system freezes as it attempts to automatically launch a media player.
How to Restore Double-Click in GNOME Files (Nautilus)
If you are using the standard Ubuntu installation (which uses the GNOME desktop and the “Files” file manager, also known as Nautilus), you can easily revert to the standard double-click behavior.
1. Open the Files application (click the filing cabinet icon on your dock).
2. Look at the top bar of the application window. Click the three horizontal dots (or the “hamburger” menu icon) located in the top-right corner.
3. Select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
4. In the Preferences window, navigate to the Behavior tab.
5. Under the “Action to Open Items” section, you will see two radio buttons.
6. Change the selection from “Single click to open items” to Double click to open items.
The change takes effect instantly. You can now safely single-click any file or document in your system to select it without accidentally launching it.
How to Restore Double-Click in KDE Plasma (Dolphin)
If you are using Kubuntu or have installed the KDE Plasma desktop, single-click activation is often the default setting across the entire operating system, not just the file manager.
1. Open the KDE System Settings application.
2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Workspace Behavior.
3. Select the General Behavior submenu.
4. Look for the setting labelled “Clicking files or folders:”.
5. Select the radio button for Selects them (which changes the action to require a double-click to open).
6. Click the Apply button at the bottom right corner of the window.
This will normalize the mouse click behavior across the entire KDE Plasma desktop environment.