path: root/doc/ranger.pod

=head1 NAME

ranger - visual file manager




=head1 SYNOPSIS

B<ranger> [B<--version>] [B<--help>] [B<--debug>] [B<--clean>]
[B<--cachedir>=I<directory>] [B<--confdir>=I<directory>] [B<--datadir>=I<directory>]
[B<--copy-config>=I<which>]
[B<--choosefile>=I<target>] [B<--choosefiles>=I<target>]
[B<--choosedir>=I<target>] [B<--selectfile>=I<filepath>]
[B<--list-unused-keys>] [B<--list-tagged-files>=I<tag>]
[B<--profile>] [B<--cmd>=I<command>] [I<path>]




=head1 DESCRIPTION

ranger is a console file manager with VI key bindings.




=head1 RESOURCES

I<This manual> contains instructions on how to use and configure ranger.

I<Inside ranger>, you can press I<?> for a list of key bindings, commands or
settings.

The F<README> contains install instructions.

The file F<HACKING.md> contains guidelines for code modification.

The directory F<doc/configs> contains configuration files.  They are usually
installed to F</usr/share/doc/ranger/config> and can be obtained with ranger's
--copy-config option.

The directory F<examples> contains reference implementations for ranger
plugins, sample configuration files and some programs for integrating ranger
with other software.  They are usually installed to
F</usr/share/doc/ranger/examples>.

The man page of rifle(1) describes the functions of the file opener

The section I<LINKS> of this man page contains further resources.




=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<--cachedir>=I<dir>

Change the cache directory of ranger from $XDG_CACHE_HOME or ~/.cache/ranger to "dir".

=item B<-r> I<dir>, B<--confdir>=I<dir>

Change the configuration directory of ranger from $XDG_CONFIG_HOME or ~/.config/ranger to "dir".

=item B<--datadir>=I<dir>

Change the data directory of ranger from $XDG_DATA_HOME or ~/.local/share/ranger to "dir".

=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<commands>, I<commands_full>, I<rc>, I<rifle>, I<scope>.

Note: You may want to disable loading of the global configuration files by
exporting I<RANGER_LOAD_DEFAULT_RC=FALSE> in your environment.  See also:
B<FILES>, B<ENVIRONMENT>

--copy-config=B<commands> will copy only a small sample configuration file with
a thoroughly commented example.  It is recommended to keep this file tidy to
avoid getting defunct commands on ranger upgrades.  The full default
commands.py can be copied with --copy-config=B<commands_full>, but that file
will be ignored by ranger and serves only as a reference for making your own
commands.

=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 absolute path of that file into
I<targetfile>.

=item B<--choosefiles>=I<targetfile>

Allows you to pick multiple files with ranger.  This changes the behavior so
that when you open a file, ranger will exit and write the absolute paths of all
selected files into I<targetfile>, adding one newline after each filename.

=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<--selectfile>=I<targetfile>

Open ranger with I<targetfile> selected.

=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<--list-tagged-files>=I<tag>

List all files which are tagged with the given tag.  Note: Tags are single
characters.  The default tag is "*"

=item B<--profile>

Print statistics of CPU usage on exit.

=item B<--cmd>=I<command>

Execute the command after the configuration has been read.  Use this option
multiple times to run multiple commands.

=item B<--version>

Print the version and exit.

=item B<-h>, B<--help>

Print a list of options and exit.

=back




=head1 CONCEPTS

This part explains how certain parts of ranger work and how they can be used
efficiently.

=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 "ut" 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.

Independently of the preview script, there is a feature to preview images
by drawing them directly into the terminal. To enable this feature, set the
option C<preview_images> to true and enable one of the image preview modes:

=head3 w3m

This does not work over ssh, requires certain terminals (tested on "xterm" and
"urxvt") and is incompatible with tmux, although it works with screen.

To enable this feature, install the program "w3m" and set the option
C<preview_images_method> to w3m.

=head3 iTerm2

This only works in iTerm2 compiled with image preview support, but works over
ssh.

To enable this feature, set the option C<preview_images_method> to iterm2.

=head3 urxvt

This only works in urxvt compiled with pixbuf support. Does not work over ssh.

Essentially this mode sets an image as a terminal background temporarily, so it
will break any previously set image background.

To enable this feature, set the option C<preview_images_method> to urxvt.

=head3 urxvt-full

The same as urxvt but utilizing not only the preview pane but the whole terminal
window.

To enable this feature, set the option C<preview_images_method> to urxvt-full.

=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
 %p   the full paths of selected files

The macros %f, %d, %p, and %s also have upper case variants, %F, %D, %P, 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
C<shell> command.

Additionally, if you create a key binding that uses <any>, a special statement
which accepts any key, then the macro %any (or %any0, %any1, %any2, ...) can be
used in the command to get the key that was pressed.

The macro %rangerdir expands to the directory of ranger's python library, you
can use it for something like this command:
  alias show_commands shell less %rangerdir/config/commands.py

%confdir expands to the directory given by B<--confdir>.

%datadir expands to the directory given by B<--datadir>.

The macro %space expands to a space character. You can use it to add spaces to
the end of a command when needed, while preventing editors to strip spaces off
the end of the line automatically.

To write a literal %, you need to escape it by writing %%.

=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 RIFLE

Rifle is the file opener of ranger.  It can be used as a standalone program or
a python module.  It is located at F<ranger/ext/rifle.py>.  In contrast to
other, more simple file openers, rifle can automatically find installed
programs so it can be used effectively out of the box on a variety of systems.

It's configured in F<rifle.conf> through a list of conditions and commands.
For each line the conditions are checked and if they are met, the respective
command is taken into consideration.  By default, simply the first matching
rule is used.  In ranger, you can list and choose rules by typing "r" or simply
by typing "<rulenumber><enter>".  If you use rifle standalone, you can list all
rules with the "-l" option and pick a rule with "-p <number>".

The rules, along with further documentation, are contained in
F<ranger/config/rifle.conf>.

=head2 FLAGS

Flags give you a way to modify the behavior of the spawned process.  They are
used in the commands C<:open_with> (key "r") and C<:shell> (key "!").

 f   Fork the process.  (Run in background)
 c   Run the current file only, instead of the selection
 r   Run application with root privilege (requires sudo)
 t   Run application in a new terminal window

There are some additional flags that can currently be used only in the C<shell>
command: (for example C<:shell -w df>)

 p   Redirect output to the pager
 s   Silent mode.  Output will be discarded.
 w   Wait for an Enter-press when the process is done

By default, all the flags are off unless specified otherwise in the
F<rifle.conf> configuration file.  You can specify as many flags as you want.
An uppercase flag negates the effect: "ffcccFsf" is equivalent to "cs".

The terminal program name for the "t" flag is taken from the environment
variable $TERMCMD.  If it doesn't exist, it tries to extract it from $TERM and
uses "xterm" as a fallback if that fails.

Examples: C<:open_with c> will open the file that you currently point at, even
if you have selected other files.  C<:shell -w df> will run "df" and wait for
you to press Enter before switching back to ranger.

=head2 PLUGINS

ranger's plugin system consists of python files which are located in
F<~/.config/ranger/plugins/> and are imported in alphabetical order when
starting ranger.  A plugin changes rangers behavior by overwriting or extending
a function that ranger uses.  This allows you to change pretty much every part
of ranger, but there is no guarantee that things will continue to work in
future versions as the source code evolves.

Adding new commands via a plugin as simple as specifying them like you would do
in the I<commands.py>.

There are some hooks that are specifically made for the use in plugins.  They
are functions that start with hook_ and can be found throughout the code.

 grep 'def hook_' -r /path/to/rangers/source

Also try:

 pydoc ranger.api

Note that you should NOT simply overwrite a function unless you know what
you're doing.  Instead, save the existing function and call it from your new
one.  This way, multiple plugins can use the same hook.  There are several
sample plugins in the F</usr/share/doc/ranger/examples/> directory, including a
hello-world plugin that describes this procedure.




=head1 KEY BINDINGS

Key bindings are defined in the file F<ranger/config/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 [, ]

Move up and down in the parent directory.

=item ^R

Reload everything

=item ^L

Redraw the screen

=item i

Inspect the current file in a bigger window.

=item E

Edit the current file in $EDITOR ("nano" by default)

=item S

Open a shell in the current directory

=item ?

Opens this man page

=item W

Opens the log window where you can review messages that pop up at the bottom.

=item w

Opens the task window where you can view and modify background processes that
currently run in ranger.  In there, you can type "dd" to abort a process and
"J" or "K" to change the priority of a process.  Only one process is run at a
time.

=item ^C

Stop the currently running background process that ranger has started, like
copying files, loading directories or file previews.

=item <octal>=, +<who><what>, -<who><what>

Change the permissions of the selection.  For example, C<777=> is equivalent to
C<chmod 777 %s>, C<+ar> does C<chmod a+r %s>, C<-ow> does C<chmod o-w %s> etc.

=item yy

Copy (yank) the selection, like pressing Ctrl+C in modern GUI programs.  (You
can also type "ya" to add files to the copy buffer, "yr" to remove files again,
or "yt" for toggling.)

=item dd

Cut the selection, like pressing Ctrl+X in modern GUI programs.  (There are
also "da", "dr" and "dt" shortcuts equivalent to "ya", "yr" and "yt".)

=item pp

Paste the files which were previously copied or cut, like pressing Ctrl+V in
modern GUI programs.

=item po

Paste the copied/cut files, overwriting existing files.

=item pP, pO

Like pp and po, but queues the operation so that it will be executed I<after>
any other operations.  Reminder: type C<w> to open the task window.

=item pl, pL

Create symlinks (absolute or relative) to the copied files

=item phl

Create hardlinks to the copied files

=item pht

Duplicate the subdirectory tree of the copied directory, then create
hardlinks for each contained file into the new directory tree.

=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

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 uI<?>

Universal undo-key.  Depending on the key that you press after "u", it either
restores closed tabs (uq), removes tags (ut), clears the copy/cut buffer (ud),
starts the reversed visual mode (uV) or clears the selection (uv).

=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

=item V

Starts the visual mode, which selects all files between the starting point and
the cursor until you press ESC.  To unselect files in the same way, use "uV".

=item /

Search for files in the current directory.

=item :

Open the console.

=item !

Open the console with the content "shell " so you can quickly run commands

=item @

Open the console with the content "shell  %s", placing the cursor before the
" %s" so you can quickly run commands with the current selection as the
argument.

=item r

Open the console with the content "open with " so you can decide which program
to use to open the current file selection.

=item cd

Open the console with the content "cd "

=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.

=item M

A key chain that allows you to quickly change the line mode of all the files of
the current directory.  For a more permanent solution, use the command
"default_linemode" in your rc.conf.

=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 while
scrolling 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/rc.conf> or on the
fly with the command B<:set option value>.  Examples:

 set column_ratios 1,2,3
 set show_hidden true

Toggling options can be done with:

 set show_hidden!

The different types of settings and an example for each type:

 setting type   | example values
 ---------------+----------------------------
 bool           | true, false
 integer        | 1, 23, 1337
 string         | foo, hello world
 list           | 1,2,3,4
 none           | none

You can view a list of all settings and their current values by pressing "3?"
in ranger.

=over

=item automatically_count_files [bool]

Should ranger count and display the number of files in each directory
as soon as it's visible?  This gets slow with remote file sytems.  Turning it
off will still allow you to see the number of files after entering the
directory.

=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 autoupdate_cumulative_size [bool]

You can display the "real" cumulative size of directories by using the command
:get_cumulative_size or typing "dc".  The size is expensive to calculate and
will not be updated automatically.  You can choose to update it automatically
though by turning on this option.

=item cd_bookmarks [bool]

Specify whether bookmarks should be included in the tab completion of the "cd"
command.

=item collapse_preview [bool] <zc>

When no preview is visible, should the last column be squeezed to make use of
the whitespace?

=item colorscheme [string]

Which colorscheme to use?  These colorschemes are available by default:
B<default>, B<jungle>, B<snow>.  Snow is a monochrome scheme, jungle replaces
blue directories with green ones for better visibility on certain terminals.

=item column_ratios [list]

How many columns are there, and what are their relative widths?  For example, a
value of 1,1,1 would mean 3 evenly sized columns. 1,1,1,1,4 means 5 columns
with the preview column being as large as the other columns combined.

=item confirm_on_delete [string]

Ask for a confirmation when running the "delete" command?  Valid values are
"always" (default), "never", "multiple". With "multiple", ranger will ask only
if you delete multiple files at once.

=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_borders [bool]

Draw borders around columns?

=item draw_progress_bar_in_status_bar [bool]

Draw a progress bar in the status bar which displays the average state of all
currently running tasks which support progress bars?

=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 [string]

A regular expression pattern for files which should be hidden.  For example,
this pattern will hide all files that start with a dot or end with a tilde.

 set hidden_filter ^\.|~$

=item idle_delay [integer]

The delay that ranger idly waits for user input, in milliseconds, with a
resolution of 100ms.  Lower delay reduces lag between directory updates but
increases CPU load.

=item line_numbers [string]

Show line numbers in main column.  Possible values are:

 false      turn the feature off
 absolute   absolute line numbers for use with "<N>gg"
 relative   relative line numbers for "<N>k" or "<N>j"

=item max_console_history_size [integer, none]

How many console commands should be kept in history?  "none" will disable the
limit.

=item max_history_size [integer, none]

How many directory changes should be kept in history?

=item metadata_deep_search [bool]

When the metadata manager module looks for metadata, should it only look for a
".metadata.json" file in the current directory, or do a deep search and check
all directories above the current one as well?

=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_images [bool]

Draw images inside the console with the external program w3mimgpreview?

=item preview_max_size [int]

Avoid previewing files that exceed a certain size, in bytes.  Use a value of 0
to disable this feature.

=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]

Trim the title of the window if it gets long?  The number defines how many
directories are displayed at once. A value of 0 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>

Reverse the order of files?

=item sort_unicode [bool]

When sorting according to some string, should the unicode characters be
compared, instead of looking at the raw character values to save time?

=item sort [string] <oa>, <ob>, <oc>, <oe>, <om>, <on>, <ot>, <os>, <oz>

Which sorting mechanism should be used?  Choose one of B<atime>, B<basename>,
B<ctime>, B<extension>, B<mtime>, B<natural>, B<type>, B<size>, B<random>

Note: You can reverse the order by typing an uppercase second letter in the key
combination, e.g. "oN" to sort from Z to A.

=item status_bar_on_top [bool]

Put the status bar at the top of the window?

=item hostname_in_titlebar [bool]

Show hostname in titlebar?

=item tilde_in_titlebar [bool]

Abbreviate $HOME with ~ in the titlebar (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 update_tmux_title [bool]

Set the title to "ranger" in the tmux program?

=item use_preview_script [bool] <zv>

Use the preview script defined in the setting I<preview_script>?

=item vcs_aware [bool]

Gather and display data about version control systems. Supported vcs: git, hg.

=item vcs_backend_git, vcs_backend_hg, vcs_backend_bzr [string]

Sets the state for the version control backend. The possible values are:

 disabled   don't display any information.
 local      display only local state.
 enabled    display both, local and remote state. May be slow for hg and bzr.

=item wrap_scroll [bool]

Enable scroll wrapping - moving down while on the last item will wrap around to
the top and vice versa.

=item xterm_alt_key [bool]

Enable this if key combinations with the Alt Key don't work for you.
(Especially on xterm)

=item clear_filters_on_dir_change [bool]

If set to 'true', persistent filters would be cleared upon leaving the directory

=back


=head1 COMMANDS

You can enter the commands in the console which is opened by pressing ":".

You can always get a list of the currently existing commands by typing "2?" in
ranger.  For your convenience, this is a list of the "public" commands including their parameters, excluding descriptions:

 alias [newcommand] [oldcommand]
 bulkrename
 cd [directory]
 chain command1[; command2[; command3...]]
 chmod octal_number
 cmap key command
 console [-pSTARTPOSITION] command
 copycmap key newkey [newkey2...]
 copymap key newkey [newkey2...]
 copypmap key newkey [newkey2...]
 copytmap key newkey [newkey2...]
 cunmap keys...
 default_linemode [path=regexp | tag=tags] linemodename
 delete
 echo [text]
 edit [filename]
 eval [-q] python_code
 filter [string]
 filter_inode_type [dfl]
 find pattern
 flat level
 grep pattern
 help
 jump_non [-FLAGS...]
 linemode linemodename
 load_copy_buffer
 map key command
 mark pattern
 mark_tag [tags]
 meta key value
 mkdir dirname
 open_with [application] [flags] [mode]
 pmap key command
 prompt_metadata [key1 [key2 [...]]]
 punmap keys...
 quit
 quit!
 quitall
 quitall!
 relink newpath
 rename_append [-FLAGS...]
 rename newname
 save_copy_buffer
 scout [-FLAGS...] pattern
 search pattern
 search_inc pattern
 set option value
 setintag tags option value
 setlocal [path=<path>] option value
 shell [-FLAGS...] command
 source filename
 terminal
 tmap key command
 touch filename
 travel pattern
 tunmap keys...
 unmap keys...
 unmark pattern
 unmark_tag [tags]

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.

These are the public commands including their descriptions:

=over 2

=item alias [I<newcommand>] [I<oldcommand>]

Copies the oldcommand as newcommand.

=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 semicolons.

=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<keys...>]

Removes key mappings of the console. Works like the C<unmap> command.

=item default_linemode [I<path=regexp> | I<tag=tags>] I<linemodename>

Sets the default linemode.  See I<linemode> command.

Examples:

Set the global default linemode to "permissions":
 :default_linemode permissions

Set the default linemode to "permissions" for all files tagged with "p" or "P":
 :default_linemode tag=pP permissions

Set the default linemode for all files in ~/books/ to "metatitle":
 :default_linemode path=/home/.*?/books/.* metatitle

=item delete

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.  This can be changed by modifying the setting "confirm_on_delete".

=item echo I<text>

Display the text in the statusbar.

=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.tabs)
 :eval p("Hello World!")

=item filter [I<string>]

Displays only the files which contain the I<string> in their basename.  Running
this command without any parameter will reset the filter.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=item filter_inode_type [dfl]

Displays only the files of specified inode type. To display only directories,
use the 'd' parameter. To display only files, use the 'f' parameter. To display
only links, use the 'l' parameter. Parameters can be combined. To remove this
filter, use no parameter.

=item find I<pattern>

Search files in the current directory that contain the given (case-insensitive)
string in their name as you type.  Once there is an unambiguous result, it will
be run immediately. (Or entered, if it's a directory.)

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=item flat level

Flattens the directory view up to the specified level. Level -1 means infinite
level. Level 0 means standard view without flattened directory view. Level
values -2 and less are invalid.

=item grep I<pattern>

Looks for a string in all marked files or directories.

=item help

Provides a quick way to view ranger documentations.

=item jump_non [-I<flags>...]

Jumps to first non-directory if highlighted file is a directory and vice versa.

Flags:
 -r    Jump in reverse order
 -w    Wrap around if reaching end of filelist

=item linemode I<linemodename>

Sets the linemode of all files in the current directory.  The linemode may be:

 "filename": display each line as "<basename>...<size>"
 "fileinfo": display each line as "<basename>...<file(1) output>"
 "permissions": display each line as "<permissions> <owner> <group> <basename>"
 "metatitle": display metadata from .metadata.json files if
     available, fall back to the "filename" linemode if no
     metadata was found.  See :meta command.

The custom linemodes may be added by subclassing the I<LinemodeBase> class.
See the I<ranger.core.linemode> module for some examples.

=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.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=item mark_tag [I<tags>]

Mark all tags that are tagged with either of the given tags.  When leaving out
the tag argument, all tagged files are marked.

=item meta I<key> I<value>

Set the metadata of the currently highlighted file.  Example:

 :meta title The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
 :meta year 1979

This metadata can be displayed by, for example, using the "metatitle" line mode
by typing Mt.

=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> change the way the
application is executed and are described in their own section in this man
page.  The I<mode> is a number that specifies which application to use.  The list
of applications is generated by the external file opener "rifle" and can be
displayed when pressing "r" in ranger.

Note that if you specify an application, the mode is ignored.

=item pmap I<key> I<command>

Binds keys for the pager. Works like the C<map> command.

=item prompt_metadata [I<keys ...>]

Prompt the user to input metadata with the C<meta> command for multiple keys in
a row.

=item punmap [I<keys ...>]

Removes key mappings of the pager. Works like the C<unmap> command.

=item quit

Closes the current tab, if there's only one tab. Otherwise quits if there are no tasks in progress.
The current directory will be bookmarked as ' so you can re-enter it by typing `` or '' the next time you
start ranger.

=item quit!

Like C<quit>, except will force quit even if tasks are in progress.

=item quitall

Like C<quit>, except will quit even if multiple tabs are open.

=item quitall!

Like C<quitall>, except will force quit even if tasks are in progress.

=item relink I<newpath>

Change the link destination of the current symlink file to <newpath>. First
<tab> will load the original link.

=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 rename_append [-I<flags>...]

Opens the console with ":rename <current file>" with the cursor positioned
before the file extension.

Flags:
 -a    Position before all extensions
 -r    Remove everything before extensions

=item save_copy_buffer

Save the copy buffer to I<~/.config/ranger/copy_buffer>.  This can be used to
pass the list of copied files to another ranger instance.

=item scout [-I<flags>...] [--] I<pattern>

Swiss army knife command for searching, traveling and filtering files.

Flags:
 -a    Automatically open a file on unambiguous match
 -e    Open the selected file when pressing enter
 -f    Filter files that match the current search pattern
 -g    Interpret pattern as a glob pattern
 -i    Ignore the letter case of the files
 -k    Keep the console open when changing a directory with the command
 -l    Letter skipping; e.g. allow "rdme" to match the file "readme"
 -m    Mark the matching files after pressing enter
 -M    Unmark the matching files after pressing enter
 -p    Permanent filter: hide non-matching files after pressing enter
 -r    Interpret pattern as a regular expression pattern
 -s    Smart case; like -i unless pattern contains upper case letters
 -t    Apply filter and search pattern as you type
 -v    Inverts the match

Multiple flags can be combined.  For example, ":scout -gpt" would create
a :filter-like command using globbing.

=item search I<pattern>

Search files in the current directory that match the given (case insensitive)
regular expression pattern.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=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.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=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:

 setting type   | example values
 ---------------+----------------------------
 bool           | true, false
 integer        | 1, 23, 1337
 string         | foo, hello world
 list           | 1,2,3,4
 none           | none

=item setintag I<tags> I<option> I<value>

Assigns a new value to an option, but locally for the directories that are
marked with I<tag>.  This means, that this option only takes effect when
visiting that directory.

For example, to change the sorting order in your downloads directory, tag it
with the I<v> tag by typing I<"v>, then use this command:

 setintag v sort ctime

=item setlocal [path=I<path>] I<option> I<value>

Assigns a new value to an option, but locally for the directory given by
I<path>. This means, that this option only takes effect when visiting that
directory. If no path is given, uses the current directory.

I<path> is a regular expression.  This means that C<path=~/dl> applies to all
paths that start with I<~/dl>, e.g. I<~/dl2> and I<~/dl/foo>. To avoid this,
use C<path=~/dl$>.

I<path> can be quoted with either single or double quotes to prevent unwanted
splitting. I<path='~/dl dl$'> or I<path="~/dl dl$">

=item shell [-I<flags>] I<command>

Run a shell command.  I<flags> are discussed in their own section.

=item source I<filename>

Reads commands from a file and executes them in the ranger console.

This can be used to re-evaluate the rc.conf file after changing it:

 map X chain shell vim -p %confdir/rc.conf %rangerdir/config/rc.conf; source %confdir/rc.conf

=item terminal

Spawns the I<x-terminal-emulator> starting in the current directory.

=item tmap I<key> I<command>

Binds keys for the taskview. Works like the C<map> command.

=item touch I<filename>

Creates an empty file with the name I<filename>, unless it already exists.

=item travel I<pattern>

Filters the current directory for files containing the letters in the
string, possibly with other letters in between.  The filter is applied as
you type.  When only one directory is left, it is entered and the console
is automatically reopened, allowing for fast travel.
To close the console, press ESC or execute a file.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=item tunmap [I<keys ...>]

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.

This command is based on the I<scout> command and supports all of its options.

=item unmark_tag [I<tags>]

Unmark all tags that are tagged with either of the given tags.  When leaving
out the tag argument, all tagged files are unmarked.

=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.  You can use the --copy-config option to obtain the default
configuration files.  The files contain further documentation.

F<rc.conf>, F<commands.py> and F<colorschemes> do not need to be copied fully
as they will only be adding to the default configuration files except if explicitly
overridden. This may lead to some confusing situations, for example when a key is
being bound despite the corresponding line being removed from the user's copy of
the configuration file. This behavior may be disabled with an environment
variable (see also: B<ENVIRONMENT>). Note: All other configuration files only
read from one source; i.e. default OR user, not both.

When starting ranger with the B<--clean> option, it will not access or create
any of these files.

=head2 CONFIGURATION

=over 10

=item rc.conf

Contains a list of commands which are executed on startup.  Mostly key bindings
and settings are defined here.

=item commands.py

A python module that defines commands which can be used in ranger's console by
typing ":" or in the rc.conf file.  Note that you can define commands in the
same manner within plugins.

=item commands_full.py

This file is copied by --copy-config=commands_full and serves as a reference
for custom commands.  It is entirely ignored by ranger.

=item rifle.conf

This is the configuration file for the built-in file launcher called "rifle".

=item scope.sh

This is a script that handles file previews.  When the options
I<use_preview_script> and I<preview_files> 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.

=item plugins/

Plugins 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 RANGER_LEVEL

ranger sets this environment variable to "1" or increments it if it already
exists.  External programs can determine whether they were spawned from ranger
by checking for this variable.

=item RANGER_LOAD_DEFAULT_RC

If this variable is set to FALSE, ranger will not load the default rc.conf.
This can save time if you copied the whole rc.conf to ~/.config/ranger/ and
don't need the default one at all.

=item EDITOR

Defines the editor to be used for the "E" key.  Defaults to "nano".

=item SHELL

Defines the shell that ranger is going to use with the :shell command and
the "S" key.  Defaults to "/bin/sh".

=item TERMCMD

Defines the terminal emulator command that ranger is going to use with the
:terminal command and the "t" run flag.  Defaults to "xterm".


=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.

=item W3MIMGDISPLAY_PATH

By changing this variable, you can change the path of the executable file for
image previews.  By default, it is set to F</usr/lib/w3m/w3mimgdisplay>.

=back




=head1 EXAMPLES

There are various examples on how to extend ranger with plugins or combine
ranger with other programs.  These can be found in the
F</usr/share/doc/ranger/examples/> directory, or the F<doc/ranger/> that is
provided along with the source code.




=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>

=item IRC channel: #ranger on freenode.net

=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 SEE ALSO

rifle(1)




=head1 BUGS

Report bugs here: L<https://github.com/ranger/ranger/issues>

Please include as much relevant information as possible.  For the most
diagnostic output, run ranger like this: C<PYTHONOPTIMIZE= ranger --debug>