Hi so I’ve got a little issue: the only way to delete files as far as I know for the default files app is to long hold which pulls up the same thing you get when you right click a file on a computer. There are plenty of options there but none can be clicked since the menu that shows up only stays as long as your finger stays on the screen. Tricky.
Is there a way to delete these files from the files app, or am I stuck to working with the terminal?
Thanks 
Hi, New User 
If you hold pressed an icon representing, for example, a file, don’t open a popup menu with the option “move to trash” or similar?
I press and hold and the pop up menu shows up, but once I let go to press the “move to trash” it vanishes since I’m no longer holding it.
Ok maybe you’ve an old PureOS version. I remember this problem in Byzantium. Please could you post the result of terminal command: cat /etc/os-release
Thank you
Version ID = “10”
Version codename = byzantium
Not the same as you…
I’m still so new to it that I’m finding my way around so I have no idea how to update.
Ok yes, you’ve an old version. Please try this command:
$ sudo apt dist-upgrade
you’d move from the old one, Byzantium to the newer one, Crimson (updated software, less bugs,..)
Please let me know if this command works otherwise you’ve to follow flash procedure
looks like bad feedback: 0 upgraded 0 newly installed 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded
I reflashed three days ago however, that’s why I’m wondering why I don’t have the newest version?
Maybe something went wrong! I suggest you to flash again being sure using right command from PC and right version 
Do you have link to flash?
that’s the command (from PC with GNU/Linux):
$ ./librem5-flash-image --stable --variant luks --dist crimson
I’ll get to it tomorrow because it’s getting late where I am and let you know how it goes, thanks for the help so far already
Drag-select, then tap the Menu → Delete key in the Terminal keyboard layout.
For a “new user” and for this specific problem, I think that upgrading to crimson is NOT the right answer.
The problem with the context menu has been being discussed for several years e.g. Using the context menu in Files/Nautilus - #3 by irvinewade
Much easier is what @FranklyFlawless writes in the previous post.
That would be painful if you had a lot of files to delete but then if you had a lot of files to delete, the command line is your friend.
I understand that you have the “Files” application open and are wanting to delete files using the on-screen keyboard.
The default on-screen keyboard requires some polish for a better initial user experience, and Purism is working on software updates to make this easier. In the meantime, the workaround is to switch the keyboard layout to the Terminal layout, which does contain a Del key.
I hope that these steps help you delete files more easily until future software updates make this simpler.
At one point I had the same issue and didn’t feel like using the terminal because I ended up with some ridiculous paths and filenames that I didn’t want to type - I selected and cut a few files, then went into the trash and pasted them there.
Yeah, I’ve been doing it like that and obviously it works, as most things on the L5, but it’s a small functionality that if I can get it improved I won’t hesitate
Original but haha if it works good for you
Thanks for this, well written and helpful. Do you know if the problem has been solved since? Seems to be mixed responses
The answer depends on how long you are willing to wait for a solution.
It is fixed in newer file manager releases, which require a backport of that application or an OS upgrade, which is still a testing build (unstable release, so it may or may not break something). I would recommend just to wait until the stable OS releases come out. Until then you can do what FranklyFlawless told as workaround. If you are familiar enough with Linux and don’t mind to try to solve it for you right now with one of the told methods, it’s your choice. But if something goes wrong, it’s your own fault and not Purism or someone else (which doesn’t mean we do not help as far as we can).
I’m doing it similar to FranklyFlawless, but in detail different. In file manager settings I switched to double tap to open folders. This way I can mark files much more easily. With terminal keyboard you don’t even need to use the menu button → just hit the keyboard delete-button. One step less. But menu-button is still very useful to open context menu for different tasks. If you are familiar with keyboard shortcuts: most of them work on Byzantium. With Ctrl plus folder-touch you can multiselect files or F2 to rename files etc, just like on desktop PCs.
