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ranger

ranger Keybindings

ranger is a terminal file manager with Vim-style keybindings and a three-column layout (parent directory, current directory, file preview). It supports file previews, bookmarks, tabs, and bulk operations.

  • Move Down (j): Move the cursor down.
  • Move Up (k): Move the cursor up.
  • Enter Directory (l or Enter): Open the selected directory or file.
  • Go to Parent (h): Navigate to the parent directory.
  • Go to Top (gg): Jump to the first item.
  • Go to Bottom (G): Jump to the last item.
  • Half Page Down (Ctrl+d): Scroll half a page down.
  • Half Page Up (Ctrl+u): Scroll half a page up.
  • Go Home (~): Navigate to the home directory.
  • Go to Root (/): Not a navigation shortcut; this opens search. Use cd / via :cd /.
  • Jump Back (H): Go to the previous directory in history.
  • Jump Forward (L): Go to the next directory in history.

File Operations

  • Copy/Yank (yy): Mark the current file for copying.
  • Cut (dd): Mark the current file for moving.
  • Paste (pp): Paste (copy or move) the marked files to the current directory.
  • Paste Overwrite (po): Paste and overwrite existing files.
  • Delete (dD): Delete the selected files (prompts for confirmation).
  • Rename (cw): Rename the current file.
  • Rename Append (A): Rename, placing the cursor at the end of the filename.
  • Rename Insert (I): Rename, placing the cursor at the beginning of the filename.
  • Create Directory (:mkdir name): Create a new directory.
  • Create File (:touch name): Create a new file.
  • Change Permissions (chmod): Via :chmod command.

Selection

  • Toggle Selection (Space): Select or deselect the current file and move down.
  • Select All (V or :mark_all): Mark all files in the current directory.
  • Invert Selection (v): Invert the current selection.
  • Unselect All (uv): Deselect all files.

Tabs

  • New Tab (Ctrl+n or :tab_new): Open a new tab.
  • Close Tab (Ctrl+w or :tab_close): Close the current tab.
  • Next Tab (Tab): Switch to the next tab.
  • Previous Tab (Shift+Tab): Switch to the previous tab.
  • Go to Tab (Alt+1-9): Jump to tab 1 through 9.

Bookmarks

  • Set Bookmark (m + key): Create a bookmark with the given key.
  • Go to Bookmark (' + key): Jump to a bookmarked directory.
  • Delete Bookmark (um + key): Remove a bookmark.

Search & Filter

  • Search (/): Search for a file by name in the current directory.
  • Next Match (n): Jump to the next search match.
  • Previous Match (N): Jump to the previous search match.
  • Filter (zf): Filter the visible files by a pattern.
  • Find (f + chars): Quickly jump to files starting with the given characters.

Sorting

  • Sort Menu (o): Open the sort menu, then:
    • n: Sort by name.
    • s: Sort by size.
    • m: Sort by modification time.
    • t: Sort by type (extension).
    • r: Reverse the sort order.

View & Display

  • Toggle Hidden Files (zh or Ctrl+h): Show or hide hidden (dot) files.
  • Toggle Preview (zp): Toggle the file preview column.
  • Reload (Ctrl+r or R): Refresh the directory listing.
  • View File (i): Open the file in the pager (full preview).
  • Edit File (E): Open the file in $EDITOR.
  • Open With (r): Open the file with a specific program.

Shell Integration

  • Shell Command (!): Run a shell command. %s is replaced with the selected files.
  • Shell in Directory (S): Open a shell in the current directory.
  • Console Command (:): Open the ranger command console.

Customization

  • Config Files:
    • ~/.config/ranger/rc.conf -- Key bindings and settings.
    • ~/.config/ranger/rifle.conf -- File opener rules.
    • ~/.config/ranger/scope.sh -- File preview script.
  • Generate Default Configs: ranger --copy-config=all
  • Example Keybinding: 
    # In rc.conf
map DD shell mv %s ~/.local/share/Trash/files/
map X shell extract %s
map Z shell tar -czf %f.tar.gz %s