Is it possible to tag files / add metadata with ext4 on GNU/Linux?

[Amn]

Hi all,

I have a mess with my documents, and folders don't cut it. For example, some of these documents are on computer science, but I also use them as specifications/references while developing software. I don't want to symlink them from two places, that's sounds kind of inappropriate. So I was wondering - is there a way, native or application-supported, to tag files, give them arbitrary metadata, which I could also optionally search on or at least query later. That way, I can tag my documents as "computer-science" and "reference/specification" and what not, simultaneously. I know a lot of applications do it for their own files, and a lot of file types include metadata support in their content, like JPEG etc. But I am taking about either filesystem support or arbitrary file types. Well, maybe no EVERYTHING, but certainly even TXT and HTML files.

Basically, think what Firefox today does for its bookmarks, I want for some/all of my files.

Or maybe I should instead invest in some search application like Beagle or something? Maybe it will also do tagging as a bonus?

Waiting for your wisdom pouring in on me.

[Lakshmipathi]

I guess so... Try out something like beagle also play with extended attribute and see whether files could grouped together using specific extended attribute key-value pair.

[electroman6913]

you could try Easy Tag.