bt

bt is a terminal user interface file manager that renders file systems as navigable trees rather than columns. It displays directory structures vertically with indentation, allowing users to maintain spatial context while moving through nested subdirectories. The tool supports standard file operations including copying, moving, deleting, creating files and directories, and renaming through vim-style key bindings.

The interface includes file previews in a side panel, supports marking multiple files for batch operations, and integrates with system editors through the $EDITOR environment variable. Navigation uses hjkl keys for movement, tab/shift+tab for marking files, and single-key commands for operations like 'd' for move, 'y' for copy, and 'p' for paste. The tool can toggle hidden files, open files with system defaults, and provides async file previews including basic image support.

bt targets users who find column-based file managers like ranger or lf disorienting when working across deeply nested directories. It focuses on maintaining visual context of the current location within the file tree structure. The tool supports configuration via YAML files and runs on Linux and macOS, with Windows support planned.

Installation

# via Go
go install github.com/LeperGnome/bt/cmd/bt@v1.2.2

# via Make
make install

# via Binary
Download prebuilt binaries from releases