Geeqie provides the ability to build lists of images, regardless of the location of the files on disk.
When saving a new collection, select Save paths relative to the collection file to store image paths relative to the folder containing the .gqv file. Paths begin with ./ or ../. You can move the collection and images together while preserving their folder layout. The setting is retained when the collection is reopened or saved to another location. Absolute paths remain the default.
The files pane displays and edits collections in the main window.
Collection entries are retained when their files are unavailable, including files on disconnected drives and files deleted outside Geeqie. Cached thumbnails are displayed when available; opening an unavailable image shows a broken image indicator. Saving the collection preserves these entries. Use to remove entries you no longer want.
To create a new empty collection in a new default window, select .
To open an existing collection, select . The dialog combines collection files in the default collections directory with recently opened or saved collections, including those stored elsewhere. Each entry shows its filename followed by its full path. Duplicate paths appear only once, and entries are sorted by filename, then path. Click an entry or select it and press Return to display the collection in the files pane. Press Escape to close the list.
Unavailable or unreadable collection files remain in the list but are grayed out and cannot be selected. Their history entries are retained between sessions, so collections on disconnected drives can be opened again when the drives are available. The Recent collections list maximum size setting in Behavior Options controls how many collections are retained in history; it does not limit the files listed from the default collections directory.
When images are moved or renamed within Geeqie, existing collection files in the default collections directory and collection history are updated to use the new paths.
uses GTK's shared recent-files list instead of collection history. Its default Geeqie image files filter matches Geeqie's configured file extensions; select All files to show other recent files.
To delete or rename a collection file, use your file manager. The Open collection list does not provide file management actions.
Viewing a collection in the files pane
When browsing a directory containing collection files, the folder pane displays them as folders with a pictures-folder icon. Click one to display its members in the files pane. This works in both folder-list and folder-tree views; these entries are not actual disk directories.
The files pane supports list and icon views, selection, filtering, sorting, and the usual file operations. The main path bar shows the collection path, or its name until it is saved.
Copy, move, rename, and delete operate on the actual files. Use in the files pane context menu to remove membership while leaving the files on disk. Dropping files into the pane adds them to the collection. When a drop includes folders, choose whether to add their contents, add contents recursively, or skip the folders. The same menu can append another collection, save or save as, and change or randomize the collection order.
Use on a collection member to open its containing folder in the files pane.
Use Ctrl+Alt+S to save the current collection, Ctrl+Shift+S to save it as another file, or Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to remove selected files from the collection.
When the files pane shows a collection, its context menu includes . Select to display each entry's text in the list or icon view. Select to create or change the text for the clicked file or selected files. Enter the text in the dialog and select . When multiple files are selected, the same text is applied to each one.
In list or icon view, drag images within the files pane to change their collection order. Drop before or after a row or icon, or in empty space to append. A marker indicates the insertion side. Selected images move together. Reordering switches the pane to collection order; save the collection to retain the new order.
You can drag images between the files panes of two main windows, whether each pane shows a folder or a collection. Dropping onto a collection adds references to the images without moving the files or removing them from the source collection. The drop position determines where new entries are inserted in both list and icon views. Dropping onto a folder uses the usual file copy or move operation.
Use → → to show the same collection in another main window. Each window can then browse independently.
Select from the sort menu to use the collection's order. Other pane sorts do not change the saved collection order. Select a directory to return to directory browsing. If this is the last window showing a modified collection, Geeqie asks whether to save or discard the changes, or cancel navigation. The same choices are offered when closing or quitting. Collection mode is not restored after restarting Geeqie.