knowledge/technology/applications/cli/yazi.md

---
obj: application
wesite: https://yazi-rs.github.io
repo: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi
rev: 2024-03-14
---

# Yazi
Yazi (means "duck") is a terminal file manager written in [Rust](../../dev/programming/languages/Rust.md), based on non-blocking async I/O. It aims to provide an efficient, user-friendly, and customizable file management experience.

## Features
- 🚀 Full Asynchronous Support: All I/O operations are asynchronous, CPU tasks are spread across multiple threads, making the most of available resources.
- 💪 Powerful Async Task Scheduling and Management: Provides real-time progress updates, task cancellation, and internal task priority assignment.
- 🖼️ Built-in Support for Multiple Image Protocols: Also integrated with Überzug++, covering almost all terminals.
- 🌟 Built-in Code Highlighting and Image Decoding: Combined with the pre-loading mechanism, greatly accelerates image and normal file loading.
- 🔌 Concurrent Plugin System: UI plugins (rewriting most of the UI), functional plugins, custom previewer, and custom preloader; Just some pieces of Lua.
- 🧰 Integration with [fd](fd.md), [rg](ripgrep.md), fzf, zoxide
- 💫 Vim-like input/select/notify component, auto-completion for cd paths
- 🏷️ Multi-Tab Support, Cross-directory selection, Scrollable Preview (for videos, PDFs, archives, directories, code, etc.)
- 🔄 Bulk Renaming, Visual Mode, File Chooser
- 🎨 Theme System, Custom Layouts, Trash Bin, CSI u
- ... and more!

![Screenshot][Screenshot]

## Dependencies
To use Yazi, you must have the following prerequisites installed:
- [`file`](system/file.md) (for file type detection)

Yazi can be optionally extended with other command line tools to enable additional features.
- `nerd-fonts` (recommended)
- `ffmpegthumbnailer` (for video thumbnails)
- `unar` (for archive preview)
- [`jq`](jq.md) (for [JSON](../../files/JSON.md) preview)
- `poppler` (for [PDF](../../files/PDF.md) preview)
- [`fd`](fd.md) (for file searching)
- [`rg`](ripgrep.md) (for file content searching)
- `fzf` (for quick file subtree navigation)
- `zoxide` (for historical directories navigation)

## Shell Wrapper
We suggest using this ya [shell](Shell.md) wrapper that provides the ability to change the current working directory when exiting Yazi.
```shell
function ya() {
	local tmp="$(mktemp -t "yazi-cwd.XXXXX")"
	yazi "$@" --cwd-file="$tmp"
	if cwd="$(cat -- "$tmp")" && [ -n "$cwd" ] && [ "$cwd" != "$PWD" ]; then
		cd -- "$cwd"
	fi
	rm -f -- "$tmp"
}
```

## Keybindings
### Navigation
To navigate between files and directories you can use the arrow keys `←`, `↑`, `↓` and `→` or Vim-like commands such as `h`, `j`, `k`, `l`:

| Key binding | Alternate key | Action                                          |
| ----------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `k`         | `↑`           | Move the cursor up                              |
| `j`         | `↓`           | Move the cursor down                            |
| `l`         | `→`           | Enter hovered directory                         |
| `h`         | `←`           | Leave the current directory and into its parent |

Further navigation commands can be found in the table below.

| Key binding | Action                       |
| ----------- | ---------------------------- |
| `K`         | Move the cursor up 5 lines   |
| `J`         | Move the cursor down 5 lines |
| `g` ⇒ `g`   | Move cursor to the top       |
| `G`         | Move cursor to the bottom    |

### Selection
To select files and directories, the following commands are available.

| Key binding | Action                                     |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `<Space>`   | Toggle selection of hovered file/directory |
| `v`         | Enter visual mode (selection mode)         |
| `V`         | Enter visual mode (unset mode)             |
| `<Ctrl-a>`  | Select all files                           |
| `<Ctrl-r>`  | Inverse selection of all files             |
| `<Esc>`     | Cancel selection                           |

### File/directory operations
To interact with selected files/directories use any of the commands below.

| Key binding    | Action                                                                      |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `o`            | Open the selected files                                                     |
| `O`            | Open the selected files interactively                                       |
| `<Enter>`      | Open the selected files                                                     |
| `<Ctrl-Enter>` | Open the selected files interactively (some terminals don't support it yet) |
| `y`            | Yank the selected files (copy)                                              |
| `x`            | Yank the selected files (cut)                                               |
| `p`            | Paste the yanked files                                                      |
| `P`            | Paste the yanked files (overwrite if the destination exists)                |
| `-`            | Create a symbolic link to the yanked files (absolute path)                  |
| `_`            | Create a symbolic link to the yanked files (relative path)                  |
| `d`            | Move the files to the trash                                                 |
| `D`            | Permanently delete the files                                                |
| `a`            | Create a file or directory (ends with "/" for directories)                  |
| `r`            | Rename a file or directory                                                  |
| `;`            | Run a [shell](Shell.md) command                                             |
| `:`            | Run a [shell](Shell.md) command (block the UI until the command finishes)   |
| `.`            | Toggle the visibility of hidden files                                       |
| `<Ctrl-s>`     | Cancel the ongoing search                                                   |
| `z`            | Jump to a directory using zoxide                                            |
| `Z`            | Jump to a directory, or reveal a file using fzf                             |
| `w`            | Show task manager                                                           |

### Copying paths
To copy paths, use any of the following commands below.

> _Observation: `c ⇒ d` indicates pressing the `c` key followed by pressing the `d` key._

| Key binding | Action                                          |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `c` ⇒ `c`   | Copy absolute path                              |
| `c` ⇒ `d`   | Copy the path of the parent directory           |
| `c` ⇒ `f`   | Copy the name of the file                       |
| `c` ⇒ `n`   | Copy the name of the file without the extension |

### Filtering files/directories
| Key binding | Action                              |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `f`         | Filter the files/directories in CWD |

### Finding files/directories
| Key binding | Action                              |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `/`         | Forward find file/directory in CWD  |
| `?`         | Backward find file/directory in CWD |
| `n`         | Jump to next occurrence             |
| `N`         | Jump to previous occurrence         |

### Searching files/directories
| Key binding | Action                                                                         |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `s`         | Search files by name using [fd](https://github.com/sharkdp/fd)                 |
| `S`         | Search files by content using [ripgrep](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep) |

### Sorting
To sort files/directories use the following commands.

> _Observation: `, ⇒ a` indicates pressing the `,` key followed by pressing the `a` key._

| Key binding | Action                           |
| ----------- | -------------------------------- |
| `,` ⇒ `m`   | Sort by modified time            |
| `,` ⇒ `M`   | Sort by modified time (reverse)  |
| `,` ⇒ `c`   | Sort by creation time            |
| `,` ⇒ `C`   | Sort by creation time (reverse)  |
| `,` ⇒ `e`   | Sort by file extension           |
| `,` ⇒ `E`   | Sort by file extension (reverse) |
| `,` ⇒ `a`   | Sort alphabetically              |
| `,` ⇒ `A`   | Sort alphabetically (reverse)    |
| `,` ⇒ `n`   | Sort naturally                   |
| `,` ⇒ `N`   | Sort naturally (reverse)         |
| `,` ⇒ `s`   | Sort by size                     |
| `,` ⇒ `S`   | Sort by size (reverse)           |

### Line Mode
You can change the output of the line mode with the following commands:

| Key binding | Action                      |
| ----------- | --------------------------- |
| `ms`        | Set linemode to size        |
| `mp`        | Set linemode to permissions |
| `mm`        | Set linemode to mtime       |
| `mn`        | Set linemode to none        |

### Changing directories
You can quickly change directories with these commands:

| Key binding   | Action                          |
| ------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `gh`          | Go to the home directory        |
| `gc`          | Go to the config directory      |
| `gd`          | Go to the downloads directory   |
| `gt`          | Go to the temporary directory   |
| `g + <Space>` | Go to a directory interactively |

### Tabs
You can use tabs with the following commands:

| Key binding | Action                                     |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `<Ctrl-q>`  | Close current tab                          |
| `t`         | Create a new tab using current path        |
| `1-9`       | Switch to tab with number                  |
| `[`         | Switch to the previous tab                 |
| `]`         | Switch to the next tab                     |
| `{`         | Swap the current tab with the previous tab |
| `}`         | Swap the current tab with the next tab     |

## Configuration
There are three configuration files for Yazi:
- `yazi.toml` - General configuration.
- `keymap.toml` - Keybindings configuration.
- `theme.toml` - Color scheme configuration.

You can find the default configuration files at https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi/tree/latest/yazi-config/preset.
You can change the Yazi configuration directory by exporting the `YAZI_CONFIG_HOME` environment variable.

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