Cannot Select Multiple Files with Alt + Click on Linux

Bug reports
1

Steps to reproduce

Open the Obsidian file browser on an Ubuntu (GNOME) or Manjaro (XFCE) system. Select a file by clicking on it. Hold down the Alt key and select another file in view by clicking on it.

Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

Yes.

Expected result

Two files are selected rather than one file (regardless of the immediate alphabetical succession of one file to the second).

Actual result

One file is selected.

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: v1.11.7
Installer version: v1.10.6
Operating system: #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:46:28 +0000 6.12.63-1-MANJARO
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: none
Insider build toggle: off
Live preview: on
Base theme: dark
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 0
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 0
Plugins enabled: 0
RECOMMENDATIONS:
none

Additional information

Holding Shift and clicking another file after clicking on the first selects both files and every file in between. Ctrl and click does not select multiple non successive files either (as expected).

2

Did you download and reinstall Obsidian as asked in the troubleshooting guide?

3

I ran a test setup in LMDE 7 Cinnamon with the AppImage version 1.12.4 (newest) and 1.11.7 (Your version) to check this and figured out following:

  • Alt + Left click is in many desktop environments a global shortcut for Drag & Drop of windows. So when this shortcut is active, multi file selection doesn’t work in either of the versions (This also applies to xfce, but not GNOME as far as I’ve seen)

  • When the shortcut is disabled or not existing to begin with we have following situation: 1.11.7 multi-selection doesn’t work as the poster mentioned (E.g. the first dark grey selected file isn’t registered, and only all next selections), only files you clicked with Alt + LMB from the beginning (Purple background) are added to the selection.

  • This bug was seemingly fixed since version 1.12.0 mentioned in the changelog as “Alt-clicking a file in the File Explorer now adds the previous active item to the selection.” (Even though not labeled as fix) and I could verify it working now with the public 1.12.4 version on Linux

So to the poster: When the issue persists after updating to the latest public version 1.12.4 and potential global Alt + LMB shortcuts being disabled, this bug may still be open