A fully-featured terminal file manager with viewers for different file types, easy navigation, and multi-column view.

Overview

Yazi is a modern terminal file manager that provides a visual, intuitive way to navigate and manage files directly from the terminal. It features built-in viewers for different file types, including images on compatible terminals, and offers a split-screen experience perfect for development workflows.

Key Features

  • Blazing Fast: Written in Rust for optimal performance
  • Built-in Viewers: Native viewers for images, videos, PDFs, and archives
  • Multi-Column Layout: Efficient use of terminal space
  • Split Screen: Perfect for side-by-side file management
  • Vim-like Navigation: Familiar keybindings for power users
  • Plugin System: Extensible architecture for custom functionality
  • Image Preview: Image display in compatible terminals

Common Use Cases

Basic File Navigation

bash
# Launch yazi in current directory
yazi

# Launch in specific directory
yazi ~/projects

# Open with specific layout
yazi --cwd-file /tmp/last_dir

Split Screen Development Workflow

The killer feature for developers working with AI agents:

bash
# Terminal 1: AI agent
    opencode "Help me refactor this component"

# Terminal 2: File manager
yazi  # See files change in real-time

File Operations

bash
# Navigation (vim-like)
h/j/k/l - left/down/up/right
gg/G     - top/bottom
Ctrl-u/d - page up/down

# File operations
o/Enter - open file
y        - yank/copy
x        - cut/delete
p        - paste

Why Developers Choose Yazi

  • Real-time visibility: See files change as AI agents modify them
  • Visual feedback: Much clearer than running ls repeatedly
  • Efficient workflow: No context switching between terminal and file manager
  • Image preview: Quick visual confirmation without leaving terminal
  • Performance: Handles large directories without lag
  • Customizable: Extensive configuration options

Advanced Features

Image and Media Preview

bash
# Enable image preview (requires supported terminal)
yazi --image-preview on

# Supported image formats
# PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, WebP, and more

# Video thumbnail generation
# Automatic thumbnails for video files

File Type Handling

bash
# Built-in viewers for:
- Images: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, WebP
- Documents: PDF, EPUB
- Archives: ZIP, TAR, RAR
- Code: Syntax highlighting for source files
- Videos: Thumbnail generation

Plugin System

bash
# Plugin configuration
~/.config/yazi/plugins.toml

# Popular plugins:
- Image preview enhancements
- Archive extraction
- Git integration
- File search utilities

Configuration

Basic Setup

toml
# ~/.config/yazi/yazi.toml
[manager]
ratio          = [1, 4, 3]
sort_by         = "modified"
sort_sensitive  = false
sort_reverse    = true

[preview]
max_width       = 600
max_height      = 900
cache_dir       = "~/.cache/yazi"

Keybindings Customization

toml
# ~/.config/yazi/keymap.toml
[manager]
append_file     = "A"
create_dir      = "M"
create_file     = "a"
rename          = "c"
delete          = "d"

Integration with Development Tools

AI Agent Workflow

bash
# Perfect setup for AI coding:
# Terminal 1: AI agent
    opencode "Implement the user authentication feature"

# Terminal 2: Yazi
yazi  # Watch files appear and change in real-time

Git Integration

bash
# See git status in file manager
yazi --git-status

# Common git workflows visible:
# ✓ = clean files
# ? = untracked files
# + = staged files
# ! = modified files

Quick Actions

bash
# Open file in specific editor
yazi --chooser "nvim %s"

# Custom commands
yazi --exec "git add %s"

Performance Features

Large Directory Handling

  • Lazy loading: Only loads visible files
  • Virtual scrolling: Efficient handling of thousands of files
  • Background caching: Previews cached for quick access
  • Memory efficient: Minimal memory footprint

Search and Filter

bash
# Fuzzy search
/ (search mode)

# Filter by file type
*.py (show only Python files)

# Regular expressions
^test_.*\.js$ (test files)

Resources

Yazi transforms terminal file management from a series of commands into an intuitive, visual experience that’s particularly valuable when working with AI coding agents or managing complex project structures.

Visit Tool GitHub

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