https://github.com/tracyspacy/fli

cli tool to list directory content
https://github.com/tracyspacy/fli

command-line files libc ls rust rust-no-std terminal tools

Last synced: 12 days ago
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cli tool to list directory content

Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/tracyspacy/fli
Owner: tracyspacy
License: mit
Created: 2026-06-05T08:57:57.000Z (28 days ago)
Default Branch: main
Last Pushed: 2026-06-17T12:01:28.000Z (16 days ago)
Last Synced: 2026-06-17T12:05:47.072Z (16 days ago)
Topics: command-line, files, libc, ls, rust, rust-no-std, terminal, tools
Language: Rust
Homepage:
Size: 81.1 KB
Stars: 9
Watchers: 0
Forks: 1
Open Issues: 0
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE

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README

# fli
**fli** is a cli tool to list directory content

mascot

# Why
I have access to my raspberry pi zero via ssh only. As for me it is hard to differentiate types of files etc based on colors, I needed something more readable and clear like picture/icon or emoji as I ended up with etc. And I decided to build fli and since `ls` is obviosly preinstalled on almost any machine, the second requirement for `fli` as a complimentary tool, is to be tiny.

**Thus fli is a tiny (18KB), easy to read file listing tool.**

While working on fli, another aspect of my interest and motivation is to check if with Rust one can build coreutils-like tools, but faster and smaller.

**Readability**: Nice readability thanks to use of emojis (📄 and 🗂️) instead of text coloring.

**Speed**: By default directory entries are streamed directly from `readdir()` to stdout without heap allocation.

**Size:** Since rust `std` contributes heavily to binary size, this project is `no_std` + `libc` (**it contains unsafe code blocks**).

**Binary size:**
- M series mac: **51 KB**,
- rpi zero w : **18 KB**.

#### Current display options:
- `fli` : short (name and type) not sorted output - direct stream, no heap allocation
- `fli -s`: short (name and type) sorted by name output - uses heap allocation
- `fli -l` : long (name, type, metadata ) not sorted output and fixed-sized alignment (20 chars for size and n_link) - direct stream, no heap allocation
- `fli -l -s`: long (name, type, metadata ) sorted by **name** output and dynamic alignment - uses heap allocation.
- `fli -l -S`: long (name, type, metadata ) sorted by **size** output and dynamic alignment - uses heap allocation.

New display options may be added soon.

### Build
**Build:** ```cargo build --release```

**Build with cross for raspberry pi zero w:** ```cross build --release --target arm-unknown-linux-gnueabihf```

**Copy to rpi** : ```scp /target/arm-unknown-linux-gnueabihf/release/fli @.local: ```

## View

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