Linux - Ranger

Table of Contents

Ranger is a popular and powerful file manager in console.

Installation

In archlinux, ranger can be directly installed using pacman. 

pacman -S ranger

Configuration

Ranger can be customized by 4 configuration files below.

  • rc.conf organizes various options and keybindings.
  • commands.py defines commands, which can be provoked via :.
  • rifle.conf defines the default programs to open each type of files.
  • scope.sh is a shell script to preview each type of files.

In fact, there are both global and local versions for each configuration above. The local versions are stored in ~/.config/ranger. Optionally, the global version of the configuration files can be copied as follows to ~/.config/ranger as a starting point before further customization, i.e., 

ranger --copy-config=rc/rifle/commands/scope/all

For rc.conf and commands, ranger subsequently loads the global version first and then the local version. By default, only the options different from the default values in the global version need to be overridden in the local counterpart. The loading of global version can be skipped by setting environment variable RANGER_LOAD_DEFAULT_RC to FALSE.

For scope.sh and rifle.conf, what is different, ranger loads either the local or the global version.

Usage

Macro

Following macros are defined to facilitate the commands in range console.

Macro Description
%f The highlighted file
%d Path of current directory
%p Full paths of the selected files
%s Selected files in the current directory
%t Tagged files in the current directory
%c Full paths of the currently copied/cut files

Tag

A tag is a single character1 displayed to the left of a filename.

Keybinding Description
t Tag/untag on current file.
ut Remove tags from the selected files.
"<character> Set <character> as a tag for a file.

Filter

Command :filter <regexp> can be used to filter files matching regular expression <regexp>. Particularly, :filter can clear and reset the filter.

:filter_stack is used to combine a series of filters with desired combinator, e.g., .& for AND combinator and .| for OR combinator.

Keybinding Description
. Prefix for filter related operations
.c Clear filter_statck.

Flatten

Command :flat <n> can flatten a nested directory tree within n levels. Particularly,

  • n=-1 means infinite levels, i.e., no limit.
  • n=0 disables the flat view.

TODO Rename

Keybinding

Ranger comes up with vim-like keybindings, e.g.,

Keybinding Description
q Close the current tabaz2.
j/k Move down/up.
h Enter parent directory.
l Enter the selected directory.
i Preview the selected file.
g Go to
r :open_with
y Yank/copy
yy Copy file(s).
yd Copy directory as text.
yn Copy file name as text.
yp Copy file path (with name) as text.
ya Copy and append file(s) to the clipboard buffer.
d Cut/delete
dd Cut file(s).
da Cut and append file(s) to the clipboard.
p Paste
o Sort/order
u Undo
m<key> Bookmark the current folder with key.
'<key> Access the folder bookmarked by key.
'' Move back.
Alt-<n> Create or switch to tab n.
space Mark the current file.
v Invert the selection.
V Enter a visual mode to mark a range of files.
:mark/unmark <regexp> Mark/unmark files matching regexp.
:mark/unmark_tag <tag> Mark/unmark files by tag.
tab/shift-tab Switch to next/previous tab.
M Linemode
+/-/= Set access right to files
z Change the settings of ranger in the current session.
zh Show/hide hidden files.
zi Toggle image preview.

Get help

Keybinding Description
? Get help.
?m Man page for ranger.
?k List of keybindings.
?c List of commands.
?s List of options and their values.

Footnotes:

1

The default tag is an asterisk (*).

2

Or even quit the ranger (if it is the last tab).