# lsd — The Next Gen ls Command with Icons and Colors

> lsd is a Rust-powered replacement for `ls` with Nerd-Font icons, colors, tree view, Git indicators, and sane defaults for human-readable file listings.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# lsd — The Next Gen ls Command with Icons and Colors

## Quick Use
```bash
brew install lsd
# Classic replacement
alias ls=lsd
alias ll="lsd -lah --blocks permission,size,date,name --date relative"
alias tree="lsd --tree -I node_modules"
```

## Introduction
`ls` is 50 years old and shows its age: cryptic colors, no icons, no git integration, awkward `-h --size=K` dance. `lsd` modernizes it by keeping ls's flag compatibility while adding icons (when a Nerd Font is installed), smart coloring, tree view, and per-file-type icons — all in a fast Rust binary.

## What lsd Does
- Lists directories with icons, colors, permission, size, date.
- `--tree` prints a full directory tree with depth limits.
- `--blocks` lets you pick which columns to display.
- Preserves most GNU `ls` flags (`-la`, `-S`, `-t`, `-r`).
- Respects `.gitignore` when combined with other tools.

## Architecture Overview
lsd wraps the standard libc `stat` and `readdir` calls, maps file extensions to icons via a bundled table, and colors output based on type using `crossterm`. Sort, filter, and tree logic live in a single Rust pipeline for predictable performance on large directories.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via brew, cargo, apt, dnf, pacman, scoop.
- Config file `~/.config/lsd/config.yaml` sets default columns, date format, indent width.
- Icon theme `~/.config/lsd/icons.yaml` maps extensions → glyphs.
- Color theme `~/.config/lsd/colors.yaml`.
- Needs a Nerd Font in terminal for icons.

## Key Features
- GNU ls compat — muscle memory transfers.
- Per-extension icons.
- Tree mode without installing `tree`.
- Configurable columns — size-first, date-first, etc.
- Portable: Linux, macOS, Windows (PowerShell/WT).

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **eza (exa fork)** — also Rust; slightly broader feature set (git-aware columns).
- **ls** — POSIX default.
- **tree** — dedicated tree viewer; lsd covers both.
- **nnn/ranger** — interactive file managers, different use case.
- **bat** — pager for files; complementary.

## FAQ
**Q: No icons showing?**
A: Install a Nerd Font (Hack, JetBrainsMono NF, Fira Code NF) and set it in the terminal.

**Q: Git indicators?**
A: `--blocks git` column.

**Q: Windows support?**
A: Yes, via scoop/winget; Windows Terminal recommended.

**Q: Customize colors?**
A: Edit `~/.config/lsd/colors.yaml`.

## Sources
- https://github.com/lsd-rs/lsd

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/441b26d7-38c4-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot