=head1 NAME
ranger - visual file manager
=head1 SYNOPSIS
B<ranger> [B<--help>] [B<--version>] [B<--debug>] [B<--clean>]
[B<--list-unused-keys>] [B<--fail-unless-cd>] [B<--choosedir>=I<targetfile>]
[B<--choosefile>=I<targetfile>] [B<--copy-config>=I<file>] [B<--mode>=I<mode>]
[B<--flags>=I<flags>] [I<path/filename>]
=head1 DESCRIPTION
ranger is a console file manager with VI key bindings. It provides a
minimalistic and nice curses interface with a view on the directory hierarchy.
The secondary task of ranger is to figure out which program you want to use to
open your files with.
This manual mainly contains information on the usage of ranger. Refer to the
F<README> for install instructions and to F<doc/HACKING> for development
specific information. For configuration, see the files in F<ranger/defaults>.
They are usually installed to F</usr/lib/python*/site-packages/ranger/defaults>
and can be obtained with ranger's --copy-config option.
Inside ranger, you can press I<1?> for a list of key bindings, I<2?> for a list
of commands and I<3?> for a list of settings.
=head1 OPTIONS
=over 14
=item B<-d>, B<--debug>
Activate the debug mode: Whenever an error occurs, ranger will exit and print a
full traceback. The default behavior is to merely print the name of the
exception in the statusbar/log and try to keep running.
=item B<-c>, B<--clean>
Activate the clean mode: ranger will not access or create any configuration
files nor will it leave any traces on your system. This is useful when your
configuration is broken, when you want to avoid clutter, etc.
=item B<--choosefile>=I<targetfile>
Allows you to pick a file with ranger. This changes the behavior so that when
you open a file, ranger will exit and write the name of that file into
I<targetfile>.
=item B<--choosedir>=I<targetfile>
Allows you to pick a directory with ranger. When you exit ranger, it will
write the last visited directory into I<targetfile>.
=item B<--copy-config>=I<file>
Create copies of the default configuration files in your local configuration
directory. Existing ones will not be overwritten. Possible values: I<all>,
I<rc>, I<apps>, I<commands>, I<options>, I<scope>.
=item B<--list-unused-keys>
List common keys which are not bound to any action in the "browser" context.
This list is not complete, you can bind any key that is supported by curses:
use the key code returned by C<getch()>.
=item B<--fail-unless-cd>
Return the exit code 1 if ranger is used to run a file instead of used for file
browsing. (For example, "ranger --fail-unless-cd test.txt" returns 1.)
=item B<-m> I<n>, B<--mode>=I<n>
When a filename is supplied, run it in mode I<n>. This has no effect unless
the execution of this file type is explicitly handled in the configuration.
=item B<-f> I<flags>, B<--flags>=I<flags>
When a filename is supplied, run it with the given I<flags> to modify
behavior. The execution of this file type is explicitly handled in the
configuration.
=item B<--version>
Print the version and exit.
=item B<-h>, B<--help>
Print a list of options and exit.
=back
=head1 CONCEPTS
=head2 TAGS
Tags are single characters which are displayed left of a filename. You can use
tags however you want. Press "t" to toggle tags and "T" to remove any tags of
the selection. The default tag is an Asterisk ("*"), but you can use any tag by
typing I<"<tagnameE<gt>>.
=head2 PREVIEWS
By default, only text files are previewed, but you can enable external preview
scripts by setting the option C<use_preview_script> and C<preview_files> to True.
This default script is F<~/.config/ranger/scope.sh>. It contains more
documentation and calls to the programs I<lynx> and I<elinks> for html,
I<highlight> for text/code, I<img2txt> for images, I<atool> for archives,
I<pdftotext> for PDFs and I<mediainfo> for video and audio files.
Install these programs (just the ones you need) and scope.sh will automatically
use them.
=head2 SELECTION
The I<selection> is defined as "All marked files IF THERE ARE ANY, otherwise
the current file." Be aware of this when using the :delete command, which
deletes all files in the selection.
You can mark files by pressing <Space>, v, etc. A yellow B<Mrk> symbol at the
bottom right indicates that there are marked files in this directory.
=head2 MACROS
Macros can be used in commands to abbreviate things.
%f the highlighted file
%d the path of the current directory
%s the selected files in the current directory.
%t all tagged files in the current directory
%c the full paths of the currently copied/cut files
The macros %f, %d and %s also have upper case variants, %F, %D and %S,
which refer to the next tab. To refer to specific tabs, add a number in
between. (%7s = selection of the seventh tab.)
%c is the only macro which ranges out of the current directory. So you may
"abuse" the copying function for other purposes, like diffing two files which
are in different directories:
Yank the file A (type yy), move to the file B, then type
@diff %c %f
Macros for file paths are generally shell-escaped so they can be used in the
:shell command.
=head2 BOOKMARKS
Type B<m<keyE<gt>> to bookmark the current directory. You can re-enter this
directory by typing B<`<keyE<gt>>. <key> can be any letter or digit. Unlike vim,
both lowercase and uppercase bookmarks are persistent.
Each time you jump to a bookmark, the special bookmark at key ` will be set
to the last directory. So typing "``" gets you back to where you were before.
Bookmarks are selectable when tabbing in the :cd command.
Note: The bookmarks ' (Apostrophe) and ` (Backtick) are the same.
=head2 FLAGS
Flags give you a way to modify the behavior of the spawned process. They are
used in the commands :open_with (key "r") and :shell (key "!").
s Silent mode. Output will be discarded.
d Detach the process. (Run in background)
p Redirect output to the pager
w Wait for an Enter-press when the process is done
c Run the current file only, instead of the selection
By default, all the flags are off unless specified otherwise in the F<apps.py>
configuration file. You can specify as many flags as you want. An uppercase
flag negates the effect: "ddcccDs" is equivalent to "cs".
Examples: C<:open_with p> will pipe the output of that process into
the pager. C<:shell -w df> will run "df" and wait for you to press Enter before
switching back to ranger.
=head2 MODES
By specifying a mode (a positive integer), you can tell ranger what to do with
a file when running it. You can specify which mode to use by typing <mode>l or
<mode><Enter> or :open_with <mode>. The default mode is 0.
Examples: C<l> (mode zero) to list the contents of an archive, C<1l> (mode one)
to extract an archive. See the F<apps.py> configuration file for all programs
and modes.
=head1 KEY BINDINGS
Key bindings are defined in the file F<ranger/defaults/rc.conf>. Check this
file for a list of all key bindings. You can copy it to your local
configuration directory with the --copy-config=rc option.
Many key bindings take an additional numeric argument. Type I<5j> to move
down 5 lines, I<2l> to open a file in mode 2, I<10<SpaceE<gt>> to mark 10 files.
This list contains the most useful bindings:
=head2 MAIN BINDINGS
=over 14
=item h, j, k, l
Move left, down, up or right
=item ^D or J, ^U or K
Move a half page down, up
=item H, L
Move back and forward in the history
=item gg
Move to the top
=item G
Move to the bottom
=item ^R
Reload everything
=item ^L
Redraw the screen
=item S
Open a shell in the current directory
=item ?
Opens this man page
=item yy
Yank the selection to the "copy" buffer and mark them as to be copied
=item dd
Cut the selection to the "copy" buffer and mark them as to be moved
=item pp
Paste the files from the "copy" buffer here (by moving or copying, depending on
how they are marked.) By default, this will not overwrite existing files. To
overwrite them, use I<po>.
=item mI<X>
Create a bookmark with the name I<X>
=item `I<X>
Move to the bookmark with the name I<X>
=item n, N
Find the next file. By default, this gets you to the newest file in the
directory, but if you search something using the keys /, cm, ct, ..., it will
get you to the next found entry.
=item N
Find the previous file.
=item oI<X>
Change the sort method (like in mutt)
=item zI<X>
Change settings. See the settings section for a list of settings and their
hotkey.
=item f
Quickly navigate by entering a part of the filename.
=item Space
Mark a file.
=item v
Toggle the mark-status of all files, unmark all files.
=item V, uv
Unmark all files
=item /
Search for files in the current directory.
=item :
Open the console.
=item Alt-I<N>
Open a tab. N has to be a number from 0 to 9. If the tab doesn't exist yet, it
will be created.
=item gn, ^N
Create a new tab.
=item gt, gT
Go to the next or previous tab. You can also use TAB and SHIFT+TAB instead.
=item gc, ^W
Close the current tab. The last tab cannot be closed this way.
=back
=head2 MIDNIGHT COMMANDER-LIKE BINDINGS
=over 14
=item <F1>
Display Help.
=item <F3>
Display the file.
=item <F4>
Edit the file.
=item <F5>
Copy the file.
=item <F6>
Cut the file.
=item <F7>
Open the console with ":mkdir ".
=item <F8>
Prompt for deletion of the selected files.
=item <F10>
Exit ranger.
=back
=head2 READLINE-LIKE BINDINGS IN THE CONSOLE
=over 14
=item ^B, ^F
Move left and right (B for back, F for forward)
=item ^P, ^N
Move up and down (P for previous, N for Next)
=item ^A, ^E
Move to the start or to the end
=item ^D
Delete the current character.
=item ^H
Backspace.
=back
=head1 MOUSE BUTTONS
=over
=item Left Mouse Button
Click on something and you'll move there. To run a file, "enter" it, like a
directory, by clicking on the preview.
=item Right Mouse Button
Enter a directory or run a file.
=item Scroll Wheel
Scrolls up or down. You can point at the column of the parent directory to
switch directories.
=back
=head1 SETTINGS
This section lists all built-in settings of ranger. The valid types for the
value are in [brackets]. The hotkey to toggle the setting is in <brokets>, if
a hotkey exists.
Settings can be changed in the file F<~/.config/ranger/options.py> or on the
fly with the command B<:set option value>. Examples:
:set column_ratios (1,2,3)
:set show_hidden=True
=over
=item autosave_bookmarks [bool]
Save bookmarks (used with mX and `X) instantly? This helps to synchronize
bookmarks between multiple ranger instances but leads to *slight* performance
loss. When false, bookmarks are saved when ranger is exited.
=item collapse_preview [bool] <zc>
When no preview is visible, should the last column be squeezed to make use of
the whitespace?
=item colorscheme_overlay [function, None]
An overlay function for colorschemes. See the default options.py for an
explanation and an example.
=item colorscheme [string]
Which colorscheme to use? These colorschemes are available by default:
B<default>, B<default88>, B<texas>, B<jungle>, B<snow>. Snow is monochrome,
texas and default88 use 88 colors.
=item column_ratios [tuple, list]
How many columns are there, and what are their relative widths? For example, a
value of (1, 1, 1) would mean 3 even sized columns. (1, 1, 1, 1, 4) means 5 columns
with the preview column being as large as the other columns combined.
=item dirname_in_tabs [bool]
Display the directory name in tabs?
=item display_size_in_main_column [bool]
Display the file size in the main column?
=item display_size_in_status_bar [bool]
Display the file size in the status bar?
=item display_tags_in_all_columns [bool]
Display tags in all columns?
=item draw_bookmark_borders [bool]
Draw borders around the bookmark window?
=item draw_borders [bool]
Draw borders around columns?
=item flushinput [bool] <zi>
Flush the input after each key hit? One advantage is that when scrolling down
with "j", ranger stops scrolling instantly when you release the key. One
disadvantage is that when you type commands blindly, some keys might get lost.
=item hidden_filter [regexp]
A regular expression pattern for files which should be hidden.
=item max_console_history_size [integer, None]
How many console commands should be kept in history?
=item max_history_size [integer, None]
How many directory changes should be kept in history?
=item mouse_enabled [bool] <zm>
Enable mouse input?
=item padding_right [bool]
When collapse_preview is on and there is no preview, should there remain a
little padding on the right? This allows you to click into that space to run
the file.
=item preview_directories [bool] <zP>
Preview directories in the preview column?
=item preview_files [bool] <zp>
Preview files in the preview column?
=item preview_script [string, None]
Which script should handle generating previews? If the file doesn't exist, or
use_preview_script is off, ranger will handle previews itself by just printing
the content.
=item save_console_history [bool]
Should the console history be saved on exit? If disabled, the console history
is reset when you restart ranger.
=item scroll_offset [integer]
Try to keep this much space between the top/bottom border when scrolling.
=item shorten_title [integer, bool]
Trim the title of the window if it gets long? The number defines how many
directories are displayed at once, False turns off this feature.
=item show_cursor [bool]
Always show the terminal cursor?
=item show_hidden_bookmarks [bool]
Show dotfiles in the bookmark preview window? (Type ')
=item show_hidden [bool] <zh>, <^H>
Show hidden files?
=item sort_case_insensitive [bool] <zc>
Sort case-insensitively? If true, "a" will be listed before "B" even though
its ASCII value is higher.
=item sort_directories_first [bool] <zd>
Sort directories first?
=item sort_reverse [bool] <or>
Sort reversed?
=item sort [string] <oa>, <ob>, <oc>, <om>, <on>, <ot>, <os>
Which sorting mechanism should be used? Choose one of B<atime>, B<basename>,
B<ctime>, B<mtime>, B<natural>, B<type>, B<size>
Note: You can reverse the order by using an uppercase O in the key combination.
=item tilde_in_titlebar [bool]
Abbreviate $HOME with ~ in the title bar (first line) of ranger?
=item unicode_ellipsis [bool]
Use a unicode "..." character instead of "~" to mark cut-off filenames?
=item update_title [bool]
Set a window title?
=item use_preview_script [bool] <zv>
Use the preview script defined in the setting I<preview_script>?
=item xterm_alt_key [bool]
Enable this if key combinations with the Alt Key don't work for you.
(Especially on xterm)
=back
=head1 COMMANDS
You can enter the commands in the console which is opened by pressing ":".
There are additional commands which are directly translated to python
functions, one for every method in the ranger.core.actions.Actions class.
They are not documented here, since they are mostly for key bindings, not to be
typed in by a user. Read the source if you are interested in them.
=over 2
=item bulkrename
This command opens a list of selected files in an external editor. After you
edit and save the file, it will generate a shell script which does bulk
renaming according to the changes you did in the file.
This shell script is opened in an editor for you to review. After you close
it, it will be executed.
=item cd [I<directory>]
The cd command changes the directory. The command C<:cd -> is equivalent to
typing ``.
=item chain I<command1>[; I<command2>[; I<command3>...]]
Combines multiple commands into one, separated by columns.
=item chmod I<octal_number>
Sets the permissions of the selection to the octal number.
The octal number is between 000 and 777. The digits specify the permissions for
the user, the group and others. A 1 permits execution, a 2 permits writing, a
4 permits reading. Add those numbers to combine them. So a 7 permits
everything.
Key bindings in the form of [-+]<who><what> and =<octal> also exist. For
example, B<+ar> allows reading for everyone, -ow forbids others to write and
=777 allows everything.
See also: man 1 chmod
=item cmap I<key> I<command>
Binds keys for the console. Works like the C<map> command.
=item console [-pI<N>] I<command>
Opens the console with the command already typed in. The cursor is placed at
I<N>.
=item copycmap I<key> I<newkey> [I<newkey2> ...]
See C<copymap>
=item copymap I<key> I<newkey> [I<newkey2> ...]
Copies the keybinding I<key> to I<newkey> in the "browser" context. This is a
deep copy, so if you change the new binding (or parts of it) later, the old one
is not modified.
To copy key bindings of the console, taskview, or pager use "copycmap",
"copytmap" or "copypmap".
=item copypmap I<key> I<newkey> [I<newkey2> ...]
See C<copymap>
=item copytmap I<key> I<newkey> [I<newkey2> ...]
See C<copymap>
=item cunmap I<key> I<command>
Removes key mappings of the console. Works like the C<unmap> command.
=item delete [I<confirmation>]
Destroy all files in the selection with a roundhouse kick. ranger will ask for
a confirmation if you attempt to delete multiple (marked) files or non-empty
directories.
When asking for confirmation, this command will only proceed if the last given
word starts with a `y'.
=item edit [I<filename>]
Edit the current file or the file in the argument.
=item eval [I<-q>] I<python_code>
Evaluates the python code. `fm' is a reference to the FM instance. To display
text, use the function `p'. The result is displayed on the screen unless you
use the "-q" option.
Examples:
:eval fm
:eval len(fm.env.directories)
:eval p("Hello World!")
=item filter [I<string>]
Displays only the files which contain the I<string> in their basename.
=item find I<pattern>
Search files in the current directory that match the given (case-insensitive)
regular expression pattern as you type. Once there is an unambiguous result,
it will be run immediately. (Or entered, if it's a directory.)
=item grep I<pattern>
Looks for a string in all marked files or directories.
=item load_copy_buffer
Load the copy buffer from F<~/.config/ranger/copy_buffer>. This can be used to
pass the list of copied files to another ranger instance.
=item map I<key> I<command>
Assign the key combination to the given command. Whenever you type the
key/keys, the command will be executed. Additionally, if you use a quantifier
when typing the key, like 5j, it will be passed to the command as the attribute
"self.quantifier".
The keys you bind with this command are accessible in the file browser only,
not in the console, task view or pager. To bind keys there, use the commands
"cmap", "tmap" or "pmap".
=item mark I<pattern>
Mark all files matching the regular expression pattern.
=item mkdir I<dirname>
Creates a directory with the name I<dirname>.
=item open_with [I<application>] [I<flags>] [I<mode>]
Open the selected files with the given application, unless it is omitted, in
which case the default application is used. I<flags> are characters out of
"sdpcwSDPCW" and I<mode> is any positive integer. Their meanings are discussed
in their own sections.
=item pmap I<key> I<command>
Binds keys for the pager. Works like the C<map> command.
=item punmap I<key> I<command>
Removes key mappings of the pager. Works like the C<unmap> command.
=item quit
Like quit!, but closes only this tab if multiple tabs are open.
=item quit!
Quit ranger. The current directory will be bookmarked as ' so you can re-enter
it by typing `` or '' the next time you start ranger.
=item rename I<newname>
Rename the current file. If a file with that name already exists, the renaming
will fail. Also try the key binding A for appending something to a file name.
=item save_copy_buffer
Save the copy buffer from I<~/.config/ranger/copy_buffer>. This can be used to
pass the list of copied files to another ranger instance.
=item search I<pattern>
Search files in the current directory that match the given (case insensitive)
regular expression pattern.
=item search_inc I<pattern>
Search files in the current directory that match the given (case insensitive)
regular expression pattern. This command gets you to matching files as you
type.
=item set I<option>=I<value>
Assigns a new value to an option. Valid options are listed in the settings
section. Use tab completion to get the current value of an option, though this
doesn't work for functions and regular expressions. Valid values are:
None None
bool True or False
integer 0 or 1 or -1 or 2 etc.
list [1, 2, 3]
tuple 1, 2, 3 or (1, 2, 3)
function lambda <arguments>: <expression>
regexp regexp('<pattern>')
string Anything
=item shell [-I<flags>] I<command>
Run a shell command. I<flags> are discussed in their own section.
=item terminal
Spawns the I<x-terminal-emulator> starting in the current directory.
=item touch I<filename>
Creates an empty file with the name I<filename>, unless it already exists.
=item tmap I<key> I<command>
Binds keys for the taskview. Works like the C<map> command.
=item tunmap I<key> I<command>
Removes key mappings of the taskview. Works like the C<unmap> command.
=item unmap [I<keys> ...]
Removes the given key mappings in the "browser" context. To unmap key bindings
in the console, taskview, or pager use "cunmap", "tunmap" or "punmap".
=item unmark I<pattern>
Unmark all files matching a regular expression pattern.
=back
=head1 FILES
ranger reads several configuration files which are located in
F<$HOME/.config/ranger> or F<$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ranger> if $XDG_CONFIG_HOME is
defined. The configuration is done mostly in python. When removing a
configuration file, remove its compiled version too. (Python automatically
compiles modules. Since python3 they are saved in the __pycache__ directory,
earlier versions store them with the .pyc extension in the same directory.)
Use the --copy-config option to obtain the default configuration files. They
include further documentation and it's too much to put here.
You don't need to copy the whole file though, most configuration files are
overlaid on top of the defaults (F<options.py>, F<command.py>, F<rc.conf>) or
can be sub-classed (F<apps.py>, F<colorschemes>).
When starting ranger with the B<--clean> option, it will not access or create
any of these files.
=head2 CONFIGURATION
=over 10
=item apps.py
Controls which applications are used to open files.
=item commands.py
Defines commands which can be used by typing ":".
=item rc.conf
Contains a list of commands which are executed on startup. Mostly key bindings
are defined here.
=item options.py
Sets a handful of basic options.
=item scope.sh
This is a script that handles file previews. When the options
I<use_preview_script> and I<preview_files> or, respectively,
I<preview_directories> are set, the program specified in the option
I<preview_script> is run and its output and/or exit code determines rangers
reaction.
=item colorschemes/
Colorschemes can be placed here.
=back
=head2 STORAGE
=over 10
=item bookmarks
This file contains a list of bookmarks. The syntax is /^(.):(.*)$/. The first
character is the bookmark key and the rest after the colon is the path to the
file. In ranger, bookmarks can be set by typing m<key>, accessed by typing
'<key> and deleted by typing um<key>.
=item copy_buffer
When running the command :save_copy_buffer, the paths of all currently copied
files are saved in this file. You can later run :load_copy_buffer to copy the
same files again, pass them to another ranger instance or process them in a
script.
=item history
Contains a list of commands that have been previously typed in.
=item tagged
Contains a list of tagged files. The syntax is /^(.:)?(.*)$/ where the first
letter is the optional name of the tag and the rest after the optional colon is
the path to the file. In ranger, tags can be set by pressing t and removed
with T. To assign a named tag, type "<tagname>.
=back
=head1 ENVIRONMENT
These environment variables have an effect on ranger:
=over 8
=item EDITOR
Defines the editor to be used for the "E" key. Defaults to the first installed
program out of "vim", "emacs" and "nano".
=item SHELL
Defines the shell that ranger is going to use with the :shell command and
the "S" key. Defaults to "bash".
=item XDG_CONFIG_HOME
Specifies the directory for configuration files. Defaults to F<$HOME/.config>.
=item PYTHONOPTIMIZE
This variable determines the optimize level of python.
Using PYTHONOPTIMIZE=1 (like python -O) will make python discard assertion
statements. You will gain efficiency at the cost of losing some debug info.
Using PYTHONOPTIMIZE=2 (like python -OO) will additionally discard any
docstrings. Using this will disable the <F1> key on commands.
=back
=head1 EXAMPLES
=head2 VIM: File Chooser
This is a vim function which allows you to use ranger to select a file for
opening in your current vim session.
fun! RangerChooser()
silent !ranger --choosefile=/tmp/chosenfile `[ -z '%' ] && echo -n . || dirname %`
if filereadable('/tmp/chosenfile')
exec 'edit ' . system('cat /tmp/chosenfile')
call system('rm /tmp/chosenfile')
endif
redraw!
endfun
map ,r :call RangerChooser()<CR>
=head2 Bash: cd to last path after exit
This is a bash function (for F<~/.bashrc>) to change the directory to the last
visited one after ranger quits. You can always type C<cd -> to go back to the
original one.
function ranger-cd {
tempfile='/tmp/chosendir'
/usr/bin/ranger --choosedir="$tempfile" "${@:-$(pwd)}"
test -f "$tempfile" &&
if [ "$(cat -- "$tempfile")" != "$(echo -n `pwd`)" ]; then
cd -- "$(cat "$tempfile")"
fi
rm -f -- "$tempfile"
}
# This binds Ctrl-O to ranger-cd:
bind '"\C-o":"ranger-cd\C-m"'
=head1 LICENSE
GNU General Public License 3 or (at your option) any later version.
=head1 LINKS
=over
=item Download: L<http://ranger.nongnu.org/ranger-stable.tar.gz>
=item The project page: L<http://ranger.nongnu.org/>
=item The mailing list: L<http://savannah.nongnu.org/mail/?group=ranger>
=back
ranger is maintained with the git version control system. To fetch a fresh
copy, run:
git clone git://git.savannah.nongnu.org/ranger.git
=head1 BUGS
Report bugs here: L<http://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?group=ranger>
Please include as much relevant information as possible. For the most
diagnostic output, run ranger like this: C<PYTHONOPTIMIZE= ranger --debug>