vifm

Open the current directory

$ vifm .

$ vifm [path/to/directory1 path/to/directory2 ...]

vifm [options] [directories]

-f file
    Use file as the command history file. If not specified, vifm uses ~/.vifminfo.

-c command
    Execute command on startup after processing command line arguments.

-r
    Recover the previous session. Only applicable if vifm crashed.

+num
    Go to line num in the startup file.

+/pattern
    Start with the cursor on the first line matching pattern in the startup file.

-d directory
    Start in the specified directory instead of the current directory.

-g
    Use a graphical terminal.

-h
    Display help and exit.

-v
    Display version information and exit.

Vifm is a curses-based file manager with vi-like keybindings, designed for efficient file manipulation within a terminal. It offers a dual-pane interface, allowing users to navigate and operate on files and directories with ease. Similar to vi's modal editing, vifm utilizes different modes for navigation, command execution, and visual selection. It provides features such as renaming, copying, moving, deleting, and creating files and directories. Vifm also supports various file operations, including archives, remote filesystems (via sshfs, for example), custom commands, and scripting using external programs.

Its configurability allows users to tailor the interface and keybindings to their specific preferences, boosting productivity. The tool attempts to provide the most useful commands with as few keystrokes as possible. It's a powerful alternative to traditional command-line file management or graphical file managers for users comfortable with vi or similar text editors.

Vifm relies on terminal capabilities and may not function optimally in all terminal emulators. Custom scripting and configuration require familiarity with vifm's syntax and available commands.

Vifm's behavior and appearance can be heavily customized using the ~/.vifmrc configuration file. This file allows for defining custom keybindings, colors, filetype associations, and other settings to tailor vifm to individual workflows.

Vifm handles file operations by executing external commands, such as cp, mv, and rm. This allows it to leverage the full power of the command-line environment. It can interact with archive managers to extract and compress files.

Vifm utilizes different modes, inspired by the vi editor, for navigation and operation. Normal mode is used for navigating and selecting files. Command-line mode is used for executing commands. Visual mode is used for selecting multiple files and directories. These modes can be easily distinguished by looking at the text on the bottom of each vifm view.

vi(1), mc(1), find(1), cp(1), mv(1), rm(1)