lsd — The Next Gen ls Command with Icons and Colors

What it is

lsd (LSDeluxe) is a modern replacement for the Unix ls command written in Rust. It adds Nerd Font icons, color-coded file types, tree view, Git status indicators, and human-readable file sizes. The output is immediately more informative than standard ls while remaining compatible as a drop-in replacement.

lsd targets developers and system administrators who spend significant time in the terminal and want better file listing visibility. It works on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

How it saves time or tokens

lsd provides more information at a glance than standard ls. Color-coded file types let you instantly distinguish directories from executables, symlinks, and regular files. Git indicators show modified, untracked, and staged files without running git status. Tree view replaces the need for a separate tree command. These visual cues reduce the mental parsing time when navigating codebases.

How to use

1. Install lsd:

brew install lsd

1. Set up aliases for seamless replacement:

alias ls=lsd
alias ll='lsd -lah --blocks permission,size,date,name --date relative'
alias tree='lsd --tree -I node_modules'

1. Use the same flags you already know from ls.

Example

Common lsd workflows:

# Detailed listing with relative dates
lsd -lah --date relative

# Tree view excluding node_modules
lsd --tree --depth 3 -I node_modules -I .git

# Sort by modification time
lsd -lt

# Group directories first
lsd --group-dirs first

# Show Git status indicators
lsd -l --git
# Output shows M for modified, ? for untracked

The icons and colors require a Nerd Font installed in your terminal.

Related on TokRepo

• AI Tools for Coding — Development tools that enhance the terminal coding experience
• AI Tools for DevOps — DevOps tools for terminal productivity and system administration

Common pitfalls

• Icons require a Nerd Font (like FiraCode Nerd Font or JetBrainsMono Nerd Font) installed and configured in your terminal emulator. Without it, icons appear as empty squares.
• Color output may not display correctly in terminals with limited color support. Ensure your terminal supports 256 colors or true color.
• Some ls flags have slightly different behavior in lsd. Test your aliases before adding them to your shell profile permanently.
• Always check the official documentation for the latest version-specific changes and migration guides before upgrading in production environments.
• For team deployments, establish clear guidelines on configuration and usage patterns to ensure consistency across developers.