# Yazi — Blazing Fast Terminal File Manager in Rust

> Yazi is a blazing fast terminal file manager written in Rust, based on async I/O. Preview images and videos in terminal, fuzzy search, batch operations, plugin system, and seamless integration with tools like fzf, zoxide, and rg.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

## Quick Use

```bash
# Install
brew install yazi ffmpeg sevenzip jq poppler fd ripgrep fzf zoxide imagemagick font-symbols-only-nerd-font
cargo install --locked yazi-fm yazi-cli

# Launch
yazi
```

Key bindings:
- `h/j/k/l` — navigate
- `space` — select
- `enter` — open
- `y` — yank (copy)
- `x` — cut
- `p` — paste
- `d` — delete
- `a` — create new file
- `r` — rename
- `/` — search
- `cc` — shell command
- `g` — goto
- `?` — help

## Intro

Yazi is a blazing fast terminal file manager written in Rust, based on async I/O. Created by sxyazi with the motto Blazing Fast File Manager. Unlike older file managers (nnn, ranger, lf), Yazi embraces async I/O for non-blocking previews, parallel operations, and smooth UI even on slow filesystems.

- **Repo**: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi
- **Stars**: 36K+
- **Language**: Rust
- **License**: MIT

## What Yazi Does

- **Async I/O** — non-blocking UI during heavy operations
- **Image previews** — in terminal via Kitty, iTerm2, Sixel protocols
- **Video previews** — thumbnails via ffmpeg
- **PDF previews** — via poppler
- **Archive browsing** — tar, zip, 7z
- **Plugin system** — Lua-based
- **Fuzzy find** — integrated with fzf
- **Zoxide integration** — smart cd
- **Multi-tabs** — browse multiple dirs simultaneously
- **Batch rename** — edit names in your $EDITOR

## Architecture

Async Rust runtime (tokio) with a Ratatui-like renderer. Plugin system uses mlua for Lua 5.4. Previews delegated to external tools (ffmpeg, poppler, exiftool) via the preview adapter system.

## Self-Hosting

CLI tool.

## Key Features

- Async non-blocking operations
- In-terminal image and video preview
- Lua plugin system
- Batch rename via $EDITOR
- Multi-tab browsing
- Integrated with fzf, zoxide, rg
- Mouse support
- Customizable keymaps
- Beautiful default theme

## Comparison

| File Manager | Language | Async | Image Preview | Plugins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yazi | Rust | Yes | Native | Lua |
| nnn | C | No | Via script | Shell |
| ranger | Python | No | Via script | Python |
| lf | Go | No | Via script | Shell |
| xplr | Rust | Partial | Via script | Lua |
| Midnight Commander | C | No | Limited | No |

## FAQ

**Q: Image preview isn't working?**
A: Your terminal needs to support the Kitty, iTerm2, Sixel, or Überzug protocol. Ghostty, Kitty, WezTerm, and iTerm2 support it natively.

**Q: How do I install plugins?**
A: `ya pack -a user/plugin-name`. Plugins live in `~/.config/yazi/plugins/`.

**Q: Performance?**
A: Rust + async — large directories (100k files) open instantly. Older Python/C file managers stall.

## Sources

- Docs: https://yazi-rs.github.io
- GitHub: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi
- License: MIT

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/yazi-blazing-fast-terminal-file-manager-rust-224cd538
Author: AI Open Source