clifm

Manage files and directories in terminal

TLDR

Start CliFM

$ clifm

Open the file or directory whose ELN (entry list number) is 12

$ 12

Create a new file and a new directory

$ <n>file dir/

Search for PDF files in the current directory

$ </>*.pdf

Select all PNG files in the current directory

$ <s> *.png

Remove the previously selected files (use to send the files to the recycle bin instead)

$ <r>sel

Display help

$ <?>

Exit CliFM

$ <q>

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit.

-v, --version
    Display version information and exit.

directory
    The directory to open clifm in. If not specified, clifm opens in the user's home directory.

DESCRIPTION

clifm is a highly customizable and efficient ncurses-based file manager for the Linux terminal.
It prioritizes keyboard navigation and aims to provide a powerful and flexible user interface for managing files and directories.
It is highly configurable, allowing users to tailor its behavior and appearance through configuration files.
It supports features like multiple panes, customizable keybindings, file previews, and integration with external programs for tasks like archiving, diffing, and editing. clifm is especially suited for users who prefer a text-based workflow and want a fast, lightweight alternative to graphical file managers.
It's designed with the philosophy of Unix tools - focusing on doing one thing well and being easily scriptable.

CAVEATS

Configuration is often required to fully utilize clifm's features and customize its behavior. The learning curve can be steep for users unfamiliar with text-based file managers and command-line configuration. Requires ncurses library.

CONFIGURATION FILES

clifm relies heavily on configuration files to define its behavior, appearance, and keybindings.
These files are typically located in the user's configuration directory (e.g., ~/.config/clifm).
Customization is the most important part of the application, which can be a drawback for novice users.

KEYBINDINGS

clifm is designed for keyboard-driven navigation.
Keybindings can be customized to suit individual preferences, allowing users to map commands to specific keys for efficient file management.

HISTORY

The development history of clifm isn't as widely documented as some other common Linux utilities, as it's a smaller, more niche project. It was developed to provide a highly customizable and keyboard-centric file management solution for the terminal, catering to users who prefer that workflow over GUI based file managers.
It is more actively developed than similar older programs. Development continues with focus on bug fixes and new features.