A lightning-fast terminal file manager built for developers
Browse files fast, filter by just typing, quick-view almost anything, and leave your shell in exactly the directory you found.
Think Total Commander-speed controls for the terminal: cd + instant filtering + quick preview + developer search. Zero config.
Start with two keys: F3 / Ctrl+P quick-views the selected file. F4 / Ctrl+O opens it in your editor.
fishez works standalone, but these make it feel complete:
# macOS
brew install fd ripgrep bat
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install fd-find ripgrep bat
# Arch
sudo pacman -S fd ripgrep batbrew install ioma8/tap/fishez
fishez --install-shell
fz ~/projectsHomebrew will also remind you to run fishez --install-shell after install.
curl -sfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ioma8/fishez/main/install.sh | shThe installer downloads the latest GitHub release and runs fishez --install-shell when it can.
Requires Rust and CMake.
cargo install fishez
fishez --install-shell
fzfz is a tiny shell function around fishez. It opens the file manager and, when you quit, changes your shell into the directory you were browsing. Use fishez directly if you want to browse without changing the parent shell directory.
Run this once after installing with Homebrew or Cargo:
fishez --install-shellIt detects zsh, bash, or fish and installs the fz wrapper if it is not already present. Then open a new terminal, or source the file it prints.
To remove the wrapper later:
fishez --uninstall-shellIf you prefer to do it manually, append the setup line to your shell rc file:
# zsh
echo 'eval "$(fishez --init)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
# bash
echo 'eval "$(fishez --init)"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
# bash login shells, common on older macOS setups
echo 'eval "$(fishez --init)"' >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profileFish uses a native function instead:
function fz
set tmp (mktemp)
command fishez --cwd-file $tmp $argv
if test -s $tmp
cd (cat $tmp)
end
rm -f $tmp
end
funcsave fzNow run:
fz ~/projects- Fast browsing beats
cdguessing. Openfz, move visually, quit in the right directory. - Inline filtering is the superpower. Start typing and the current directory narrows instantly.
- Quick view keeps you in flow. Preview code, text, directories, images (including animated GIFs), and RAW thumbnails before opening.
- Commander-style controls feel familiar. Function keys, selection, dual panes, copy/move/delete, no plugin setup.
fishez is a keyboard-driven terminal file manager for developers who want fast file browsing without leaving the terminal.
Press Ctrl+T for two panes, F3 / Ctrl+P for quick view, F4 / Ctrl+O for editor, and F1 for help.
| Feature | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Navigate | ↑↓ / Enter / Backspace |
Move through directories instantly |
| Quick View | F3 / Ctrl+P |
Preview files with built-in highlighting or optional bat |
| Multi-select | Space |
Batch operations on multiple files |
| Copy | F5 / Ctrl+Y |
Copy selected file(s) to opposite pane or prompted destination, with background progress and overwrite prompts |
| Move | F6 |
Move selected file(s) to opposite pane or prompted destination, with background progress and overwrite prompts |
| Rename | Shift+F6 |
Inline rename of file or directory under cursor |
| New Folder | F7 |
Create a new directory in current pane |
| Delete | F8 / Ctrl+W |
Move to trash (safe delete) |
| Open in editor | F4 / Ctrl+O |
Uses $EDITOR, then falls back to VS Code |
| Find Files | Ctrl+F |
Find files with fd |
| Content Search | Ctrl+R |
Search file contents with ripgrep |
| Shell Command | ! |
Run a shell command; use {1} for selected file, {@} for all selected |
| Favorites | Ctrl+D |
Quick-jump to pinned directories (stored in ~/.fishez/favorites.txt) |
| Hidden files | Ctrl+H |
Toggle dotfiles |
| Filter | Start typing | Instantly filter current directory |
| Help | F1 |
Show all shortcuts |
Press Ctrl+T for a split view. -2 / --two-pane still work as startup aliases, but they are the same toggle.
Copy (F5) and move (F6) run in the background, so the UI stays responsive during large transfers — a progress line shows the current file and how many are done. If a destination file already exists, fishez pauses and asks: (O)verwrite, (S)kip, Overwrite (A)ll, Skip a(L)l, or (Esc) to cancel the whole transfer. Copying or moving a directory onto an existing one merges the two instead of silently replacing it. Press Esc at any time to stop a transfer after the current file.
Written in Rust with zero-copy rendering. Directory listings, inline filters, and previews stay responsive.
- Syntax-aware previews via built-in highlighting or optional
bat - One-key editor integration (
F4/Ctrl+O) using$EDITOR, with VS Code fallback - ripgrep-powered search finds content across thousands of files in seconds
- fd integration for blazing-fast fuzzy file search
- Raw image previews via the
jpgfromrawlib-supported camera formats directly in quick view - Animated GIF previews that play in any terminal with kitty-graphics or iTerm2 image support
Built with maintainability in mind using Clean Architecture principles. Domain logic stays pure, adapters are swappable, and the codebase remains readable. Contributing is straightforward.
Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Uses native system commands for opening files and integrates with your existing toolchain.
Use those if you want a highly configurable file manager. Use fishez when you want:
- Zero-config developer defaults.
fzcd-on-exit as the core workflow.- fd, ripgrep, and editor actions built into the default keymap.
- Quick previews without writing a config file first.
fishez is built for the modern developer workflow.
While other file managers try to be general-purpose, fishez optimizes for one thing: getting developers to their files faster. The combination of instant preview, one-key editor opening, and ripgrep/fd integration means you spend less time navigating and more time coding.
fishez works standalone but shines with these tools installed:
- fd — Fast file search (
Ctrl+F) - ripgrep — Content search (
Ctrl+R) - bat — Optional colorized text previews
$EDITORor VS Code CLI — Editor integration (F4/Ctrl+O)
# macOS
brew install fd ripgrep bat
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install fd-find ripgrep bat
# Arch
sudo pacman -S fd ripgrep batNavigation File Operations
───────────────────────── ─────────────────────────
↑/↓ Move cursor F5/Ctrl+Y Copy selected
Home/End Jump to start/end F6 Move selected
Tab Switch pane Shift+F6 Rename
F7 New folder
Quick View (F3 / Ctrl+P) F8/Ctrl+W Delete selected
─────────────────────────
↑/↓ Scroll content Actions
←/→ Prev/next file ─────────────────────────
PgUp/PgDn Page scroll Enter Open / Enter dir
Esc Close preview Backspace Go up one level
Space Toggle selection
Favorites (Ctrl+D) Ctrl+Enter Copy path
───────────────────────── Ctrl+Shift+Enter Copy absolute path
↑/↓ Navigate
Enter Jump to favorite Search & Tools
Ctrl+Shift+D Add current dir ─────────────────────────
F4/Ctrl+O Open in editor
Ctrl+F fd file search
Ctrl+R ripgrep search
Ctrl+H Toggle hidden files
! Shell command
F1 Show help
Esc/F10/Ctrl+C Quit
Contributions are welcome! The codebase follows Clean Architecture:
src/
├── domain/ # Pure business entities
├── application/ # Use cases & ports
├── infrastructure/ # External adapters (fs, clipboard, search)
├── presentation/ # Terminal UI & input handling
└── main.rs # Composition root
cargo check # Type check
cargo fmt # Format code
cargo clippy # Lint
cargo test # Run testsAdditional docs live under docs/.
The README demo is a scripted vhs recording, so it can be re-recorded any time the UI changes:
brew install vhs ttyd bat edit # recording tools + preview/editor used in the tape
cargo build --release
eval "$(TMPDIR=/tmp bash scripts/demo_setup.sh)" # stages the demo project, exports FISHEZ_DEMO_DIR
FISHEZ_BIN=/tmp/fishez_target/release/fishez vhs demo.tape # target dir is set in .cargo/config.tomlThis rewrites demo.gif. The tape sets EDITOR=edit for the editor scene and uses the Ctrl+P/Ctrl+O aliases because vhs cannot send F-keys.
CI runs extra integration tests that are gated locally to avoid opening files or moving items to trash during development. To run them locally:
FISHEZ_RUN_OPEN_TESTS=1 FISHEZ_RUN_TRASH_TESTS=1 cargo test --test integration_flowsOn Linux CI, the workflow installs fd, ripgrep, and xdg-utils to support
these tests and the file open adapter.
MIT © ioma8