colorls
List directory contents with colors and icons
TLDR
List files one per line
List all files, including hidden files
Long format list (permissions, ownership, size, and modification date) of all files
Only list directories
SYNOPSIS
colorls [options] [file...]
PARAMETERS
-a, --all
Show all files, including hidden files (starting with '.').
-l, --long
Display output in long listing format (similar to `ls -l`).
-h, --human-readable
Display file sizes in human-readable format (e.g., 1K, 234M, 2G).
-d, --dirs
List directories as files, not contents.
-t, --sort-time
Sort by modification time, newest first.
-r, --reverse
Reverse the order of the sort.
-S, --sort-size
Sort by file size, largest first.
-1, --oneline
List one file per line.
--gs, --git-status
Display git status for files and directories.
--no-git
Disable git integration.
--icons [theme]
Specify the icon theme to use (e.g., 'nerd-font', 'font-awesome').
--no-icons
Disable icons.
--colors [theme]
Specify the color theme to use.
--no-colors
Disable colorization.
--hyperlink
Makes the output filenames hyperlinks for terminal emulators that support them.
--config-file PATH
Path of custom configuration file.
-v, --version
Show version.
-H, --help
Display this help message.
DESCRIPTION
colorls is a Ruby gem that provides a visually enhanced and more informative alternative to the standard `ls` command in Linux and macOS. It adds color coding based on file type, icons to visually represent file types (using Nerd Fonts by default), and displays extended file information such as file size, modified date, and permissions in a more readable format. It also supports Git integration, displaying Git status indicators for files and directories in a Git repository. The goal is to improve the user experience by making it easier to visually scan and understand the contents of a directory. colorls aims to be highly configurable, allowing users to customize the color scheme, icons, and displayed information. Its simple installation via RubyGems makes it easily available to anyone comfortable with using CLI tools.
CAVEATS
Relies on Ruby and the colorls gem being installed. Icon display requires a compatible font (e.g., a Nerd Font) to be configured in your terminal.
INSTALLATION
colorls can be installed using RubyGems: gem install colorls
Ensure Ruby and RubyGems are installed on your system prior to attempting installation.
CONFIGURATION
colorls can be configured using a configuration file (default location is `~/.config/colorls/config.yaml`). This file allows customizing colors, icons, and other settings.
Example:
mkdir -p ~/.config/colorls
colorls --dump-config > ~/.config/colorls/config.yaml
Then edit your configuration file.
HISTORY
colorls emerged as a popular alternative to the standard `ls` command, driven by the desire for a more visually appealing and informative directory listing. Developed as an open-source project and distributed as a Ruby gem, it gained traction for its ease of installation and customizability. The use of color, icons, and Git status indicators significantly improved the user experience, leading to widespread adoption among developers and other users who frequently interact with the command line.