nsxiv
View images quickly and simply
TLDR
Open images
Open images from directories in image mode
Search directories recursively for images to view
Quit nsxiv
Switch to thumbnail mode or open selected image in image mode
Count images forward in image mode
Count images backward in image mode
SYNOPSIS
nsxiv [options] [image_files...]
PARAMETERS
[-b]
Force bitmap mode, even if the image format implies otherwise.
[-c]
Clear cache. Forces nsxiv to reload all images.
[-C
Use
[-d]
Dump information about the image(s) to standard output.
[-g
Specify initial window geometry (e.g., 800x600).
[-G]
Disable geometry hints; allow window to shrink below minimum size.
[-h]
Display help message and exit.
[-i]
Start in index mode, showing thumbnails.
[-I]
Only show images in index mode.
[-l
Loop the image list forever. An optional argument 'n' can be specified to specify how many times to loop, defaults to infinity if no argument is passed.
[-n]
Start in normal mode; forces standard viewing.
[-N]
No background image. Useful for transparent images.
[-o
Specify an output directory for actions like renaming and deleting.
[-p]
Pause when the last image is reached when looping.
[-q]
Quit on last image.
[-r]
Reverse order of image list.
[-s]
Sort image list alphabetically.
[-S]
Don't sort directory listings when adding new files.
[-u]
Disable URL handling.
[-v]
Display version information and exit.
[-z]
Start zoomed to fit the window.
[image_files...]
List of images to view, may include directories.
DESCRIPTION
nsxiv is a lightweight and minimalist image viewer for the X Window System. It's designed for speed and simplicity, focusing on basic image viewing functionalities like navigating through images, zooming, panning, and basic image manipulation. nsxiv is highly configurable through keybindings and external commands, allowing users to customize the viewer to their specific needs and integrate it seamlessly into their workflow. It is often used in tiling window manager environments due to its efficiency and command-line friendly nature. nsxiv primarily supports bitmap images and relies on external programs such as ffmpeg for displaying other image formats. It is designed to be scriptable and is often used in conjunction with shell scripts to perform more advanced image processing tasks.
The name is a recursive acronym meaning "nsxiv simple X image viewer".
CAVEATS
nsxiv's functionality is limited without external tools. Image format support is dependent on external libraries like ffmpeg. Configuration relies heavily on editing the config file and defining keybindings. Transparency may have inconsistent behavior depending on the image format and window manager
CONFIGURATION FILE
The configuration file (usually ~/.config/nsxiv/config) allows for customization of keybindings, external commands, and other settings. It's a plain text file where each line defines a keybinding or setting using a simple syntax.
Example: key_next n
EXTERNAL COMMANDS
nsxiv can execute external commands based on keypresses. This allows for integration with other tools for image editing, manipulation, and file management. This feature enables creating workflows tailored to the user's specific needs.
INDEX MODE
The index mode (accessed with the `-i` flag) displays thumbnails of images in the current directory. This provides a quick overview of the available images and allows for easy navigation using keyboard shortcuts.
HISTORY
nsxiv development focuses on maintaining a small footprint and fast performance. It has gained popularity within the tiling window manager community due to its configurable nature and command-line control.
The name is a recursive acronym meaning "nsxiv simple X image viewer".