https://github.com/lepergnome/bt
Interactive tree-like terminal file manager
https://github.com/lepergnome/bt
bubbletea filemanager tree tui
Last synced: 5 months ago
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Interactive tree-like terminal file manager
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/lepergnome/bt
- Owner: LeperGnome
- License: mit
- Created: 2024-08-01T00:23:06.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-09-14T20:40:52.000Z (9 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-14T22:19:16.622Z (9 months ago)
- Topics: bubbletea, filemanager, tree, tui
- Language: Go
- Homepage:
- Size: 3.94 MB
- Stars: 135
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 6
- Open Issues: 7
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE.txt
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Better tree (arguably)
Manipulate file tree in terminal.
## Installation
`bt` is currently only supported on linux and macOS. Windows support is on todo list.
```bash
go install github.com/LeperGnome/bt/cmd/bt@v1.2.2
```
Or from source
```bash
make install
```
Or download prebuilt binaries from the [latest release](https://github.com/LeperGnome/bt/releases).
## Usage
```bash
bt [flags] [directory]
Usage of bt:
--file_preview Enable file previews (default true)
--highlight_indent Highlight current indent (default true)
-i, --in_place_render In-place render (without alternate screen)
-p, --padding uint Edge padding for top and bottom (default 5)
```
Key bindings:
| key | desc |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| j / arr down | Select next child |
| k / arr up | Select previous child |
| h / arr left | Move up a dir |
| l / arr right | Enter selected directory |
| tab | Mark selected child and move down |
| shift+tab | Mark selected child and move up |
| d | Move marked children (then 'p' to paste) |
| y | Copy marked children (then 'p' to paste) |
| D | Delete marked child |
| if / id | Create file (if) / directory (id) in current directory |
| r | Rename selected child |
| e | Edit selected file in $EDITOR |
| gg | Go to top most child in current directory |
| G | Go to last child in current directory |
| H | Toggle hidden files in current directory |
| enter | Open / close selected directory or open file (xdg-open / open) |
| esc | Clear error message / stop current operation / drop marks |
| ? | Toggle help |
| q / ctrl+c | Exit |
## Configuration
You can configure `bt` via configuration file at `$HOME/.config/bt/conf.yaml`
```yaml
padding: 5
file_preview: true
highlight_indent: true
in_place_render: false
```
## Motivation
I find myself disliking a majority of column-based terminal file managers.
The reason for that is - when I need to copy/move some files across nested subdirectories,
I constantly lose context of where I am currently, because columns always go left and right.
Even though those file managers are really mature and loaded with features (e.g. [ranger](https://github.com/ranger/ranger), [lf](https://github.com/gokcehan/lf), [xplr](https://github.com/sayanarijit/xplr), [nnn](https://github.com/jarun/nnn)), it's uneasy for me to perform simple tasks.
I like how [broot](https://github.com/Canop/broot) renders the ui, but I guess that it's mainly usable for exploring a file tree, but not manipulating it (at least I found it this way, when I had to type a target directory for `move`).
That's why I'm writing my own simple tool for simple use cases. It's currently lacking a bunch of features (see todo list below), but the fundamentals are here.
## TODO
```
Functional:
- [x] Tree rendering
- [x] File preview
- [x] Scrolling trees, that don't fit the screen
- [x] Move files
- [x] Jump into empty directories
- [x] Copy / paste files
- [x] Not reading whole file contents, only fix size
- [x] Remove files
- [~] Resolve filename conflicts (kinda done)
- [x] Sorting
- [x] "G" to go bottom and "gg" to go top
- [x] Creating files and directories
- [x] Renaming files and directories
- [x] Handle fs updates
- [~] Error handling (permissions denied, etc) (kinda)
- [x] File permission in status bar
- [x] Stylesheets
- [x] Edit selected file in editor of choice
- [x] Help
- [x] Toggle hidden directories
- [x] Image preview (half-block only)
- [x] xdg-open files
- [x] Async preview
- [x] Mark multiple files
- [ ] Image preview TGP
- [ ] Custom delete cmd
- [ ] Search
- [ ] Marked to stdout on exit
- [ ] Jump to current directory
- [ ] Go higher then local root
- [ ] Make current directory a local root
- [ ] Windows support
Fixes:
- [x] Fix size notation
- [x] Check existing name on rename
- [x] "gg" drops previous operation
- [ ] File preview ignore control chars
Maintenance:
- [x] Tests (at least a little bit)
- [x] Release artifacts
- [x] CI
- [ ] Distribution
- [ ] CONTRIBUTING.md
```