lf (file manager)

Lf (file manager)

lf is a terminal file manager written in Go. It is lightweight, customizable, and aims to be fast and user-friendly. Some key features are native Go bindings, icons, previews, contextual color themes, plugins, and more.
lf (file manager) image
terminal file-manager lightweight fast customizable userfriendly go-language

lf: Terminal File Manager

A lightweight, customizable terminal file manager written in Go with native Go bindings, icons, previews, contextual color themes, plugins, and more.

What is Lf (file manager)?

lf is a terminal file manager written in Go that focuses on being lightweight, customizable, and performing well. Some key features and aspects of lf include:

  • Native Go bindings for high performance
  • Support for icons and image previews
  • Contextual color themes that adapt to current directory
  • Plugins for extending functionality
  • Minimal resource usage and quick start up
  • Easy navigation with vim-like key bindings
  • Tabs for managing multiple locations
  • Customizable UI through configuration file
  • Batch rename utilities
  • Archive support for compressed formats
  • Portable single binary executable

Overall, lf aims to blend the convenience of graphical file managers with the speed and efficiency of the terminal. Its focus on customizability and keyboard-driven interaction makes it well-suited for power users and those who work frequently on the command line.

Lf (file manager) Features

Features

  1. Native Go bindings for speed
  2. Customizable colors and themes
  3. File previews and thumbnails
  4. Keyboard shortcuts and quick navigation
  5. Plugins and extensibility via Lua
  6. Tabs for managing multiple directories
  7. Built-in text editor and file viewer

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Very fast and lightweight

Highly customizable appearance

Powerful keyboard-driven workflow

Good for advanced terminal users

Extensible via plugins

Actively developed and maintained

Cons

Terminal only (no GUI version)

Steep learning curve for beginners

Limited built-in features compared to GUI file managers

Not many graphical file previews

Plugin ecosystem still developing


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