lsv: a Rust powered terminal file browser

I finally snapped after one too many trips through modern file browsers on macOS and Windows. Click. Wait. Tiny target. Modal dialog. Repeat. I spend most of my day in a terminal anyway, so I built something that fits how I actually work.

Say hello to lsv.

• GitHub: https://github.com/SecretDeveloper/lsv
• Crates.io: https://crates.io/crates/lsv

What I wanted

• Fly through directories with the keyboard
• See a preview of the thing I have selected
• Hit a key to run a command I chose
• Keep the config in plain text so I can version it and move it across machines

What lsv is

• A small terminal file browser written in Rust, scripted with Lua
• Think of it like a fast directory lister that speaks key bindings and previews
• Inspired by the excellent lf, but with a setup that matches how I like to glue tools together

Why Rust and Lua

• I have been learning Rust for a few years and have built some small apps and tools with it, I like the language and it promises increased memory safety which is nice but the real reason is i like the tooling the language comes with, how it manages dependencies, and the cargo system along with crates.io for distribution.
• Lua keeps the configuration simple and flexible without writing a plugin system

How I use lsv

You can bind keys to run shell command. e for example might launch the selected file in your $EDITOR or i use t to launch a new tmux pane for the current directory, or gs which is bound to lsv.os_run("git status -C {current_dir}") to see the results in a results window.

It just gives you fast navigation and a place to launch the tools you already use.

Little things that help

• Show hidden files toggle with zh
• Sorting by name, size, created with sn, ss, sc.
• Sensible defaults out of the box so you can start without touching config
• You can configure themes by placing them in your $LSV_CONFIG_DIR/themes folder and lsv will detect them. Set the team using Ut to open the theme selector. I have created some already.

Why not just use lf

lf is great. I borrowed a few ideas and then went in a direction that fit my preferences. Rust for the core. Lua instead of a domain specific config. Some different choices around previews and key dispatch. If you are happy with lf then keep using it. If you want a Lua flavored setup, give lsv a try.

Install and configuration

• With cargo: cargo install lsv
• Copy the https://github.com/SecretDeveloper/lsv/tree/main/examples/config content to your ~/.config/lsv/ folder or wherever you have set the LSV_CONFIG_DIR environment variable to.
• Edit init.lua previews and key_actions as you wish.

If you try it and it makes your day a little smoother, that is a win. If something feels rough, open an issue and tell me what got in your way.