Besides common file operations such as copy, move, remove, etc., clifm provides the following features:

• Specific
  • Really CLI-based. No GUI nor TUI at all, but just a command-line
  • It can run on the kernel built-in console and even on a SSH or any other remote session
  • Highly compatible with old VT102-only terminal emulators like Rxvt and Rxvt-based ones: even on a terminal with only 8 colors and no Unicode support, clifm will just work. It can run even on an old DEC-VT100 terminal!
  • High performance. Incredibly lightweight and fast even on really old hardware
  • Short (and even one-character) commands
  • Entry list numbers (ELN's) for file names
  • Extended color codes for file-types and -extensions
  • Files counter for directories and symlinks to directories
  • Privacy: Zero data collection and no connection to the outside world at all
  • Security: Secure environment and secure commands. See also the stealth mode section
• Navigation and file operations
  • Bookmarks
  • File tags
  • File filters
  • Files selection (supports both glob and regular expressions and works even across multiple instances of the program)
  • Files search (supports both glob and regular expressions)
  • copy(-as), move(-as), interactive rename, and open-with functions
  • File names cleaner
  • Autocommands
  • Auto-cd, auto-open, and autols
  • Directory jumper, similar to autojump, z.lua, and zoxide
  • Virtual directories
  • Fastback - Quickly change to any parent directory
  • A built-in resource opener (supports regular expressions and is able to discern between GUI and non-GUI environments)
  • A built-in Freedesktop-compliant trash system
  • Up to eight workspaces
  • Eleven sorting methods
  • Bulk operations: rename, create, remove, and create symbolik links in bulk
  • Files encryption/decryption (plugin)
  • Copy files to your smart phone (plugin)
  • Archiving and compression support (including Zstandard and ISO 9660)
  • Symlinks editor
  • Remote file systems management
  • Mount/unmount storage devices
  • Advanced Copy support (just cp and mv with a nice progress bar)
  • Directory history map to keep in sight previous, current, and next entries in the directory history list
• Shell
  • Auto-suggestions
  • TAB completion, with fzf integration (including file previews)
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Warning prompt for invalid command names
  • Fused parameters for ELN's
  • Fuzzy completion for file names and paths
  • Wildcards expansion via TAB (s *.[ch]<TAB>)
  • File types expansion via TAB (=l<TAB> to list all symlinks in the current dir)
  • Bash-like quoting system
  • Shell commands execution
  • Sequential and conditional commands execution
  • Directory and commands history
  • Glob and regular expressions (including inverse matching)
  • Aliases
  • Logs
  • Prompt and profile commands (run commands with each new prompt or at program startup)
• Modes
  • Stealth mode, also known as incognito or private mode
  • Light mode (just in case it is not fast enough for you)
  • Resource opener
  • Disk usage analyzer mode
  • Files lister (ls-mode)
• Customization
  • User profiles
  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  • Theming support (more than a dozen color schemes)
  • Prompt customization
  • Four customizable keybindings for custom plugins
  • Compile features in/out
• Misc
  • Plugins
  • File previews (via TAB completion!)
  • Icons support, including emoji-icons 😏
  • Git integration
  • Desktop notifications
  • Unicode suppport
  • Disk usage
  • CD on quit and file picker functions
  • A built-in pager for files listing
  • Read and list files from STDIN (standard input)

Auto-suggestions in action

For a detailed explanation of each of these features, follow the corresponding links or consult the Wiki.

• Development:
  • NEW: s: works now like sel keyword, to be in line with t: (for tags) and b: (for bookmarks). Consult the Files selection section.
  • NEW: The :b construct was removed. b: now lists bookmark names instead of paths. b:mybm expands to the path pointed to by the bookmark named mybm. The ExpandBookmarks option (config file) is now deprecated, just as the bookmarks suggestions strategy (in the SuggestionStrategy option). See the Bookmarks section.
  • NEW: Bookmarks can be created directly from the command line, without an interactive prompt: bm add FILE BM_NAME.
  • NEW: Rename profiles via the rename subcommand
  • NEW: oc, a files ownership editor
  • NEW: Get list of commands and a brief description via cmd<TAB>
  • NEW: Suggest a brief description for internal commands
  • NEW: Set a custom selections file via the --sel-file flag
• version 1.9 (Sharptooth):
  • Improved fuzzy suggestions/completions for file names and paths
  • Automatic expansion for bookmarks, file type, and MIME type filters
  • Private workspace settings
  • Run autocommands based on workspaces, and not just on paths
  • Run the pager based on the current amount of files
  • Files counter for directories in long view mode
  • Filter files by file type
  • Filter files by MIME type
  • pc, a file permissions editor
  • cd - works now just like in most shells
  • The view command can now select files via TAB
  • Launch the view command via Alt+-
  • Use --fzfpreview-hidden to start the preview window hidden (toggle via Alt-p)
• version 1.8 (Otis):
  • If upgrading from a previous version (optional, but recommended):
    • F7 opens now shotgun's configuration file (instead of the jump database file). Update keybindings.clifm: removing the file and restarting is enough. Manually: run kb edit and then replace open-jump-db:\e[18~ by open-preview:\e[18~.
    • New specific options to control the files preview window. Add the following options to the FzfTabOptions line in your theme file (via the cs edit command) or just copy the theme file from the data directory (usually /usr/local/share/clifm/colors): --bind alt-p:toggle-preview,change:top,alt-up:preview-page-up,alt-down:preview-page-down --preview-window=wrap,border-left --color="border:7:dim".
  • clifmimg plugin, for image previews
  • view command, to preview files in full screen
  • TAB completion with file previews
  • Shotgun, a built-in files previewer
  • Improved Unicode support for the suggestions system
  • Flat-view for the fzfsel plugin via the -f option
  • Improved VT100 compatibility via the --vt100 switch
  • Cygwin support
  • Improved performance/portability of the suggestions system: no more slow/non-portable CPR-CUP escape sequences! These were replaced by 100% made in-house cursor position calculation plus basic/portable escape sequences: CUU, CUD, CUF, and CUB.
• version 1.7 (Elaine):
  • Configuration files renamed from .cfm to .clifm (avoid conflict with ColdFusion files)
  • Ctrl-l added for screen refresh
  • cc command removed to avoid conflicts with /bin/cc (use colors instead)
  • --std-tab-comp option renamed to --stdtab (to match --fzytab and --smenutab options)
• version 1.6 (Guybrush):
  • ELN's color defaults now to cyan
  • --no-folders-first and --folders-first options renamed to --no-dirs-first and --dirs-first respectively. In the same way, the folders-first command was renamed to dirs-first.
  • PromptStyle option renamed as Notifications (taking true and false as values)
• version 1.5 (Nano):
  • Prompt, WarningPromptStr, DividingLine, and FfzTabOptions options were moved from the config file to the color scheme file to get a centralized and single theming file. However, to keep backwards compatibility, the old location is still recognized. If any of these options is found in the color scheme file, values taken from the main configuration file will be overriden.
  • The warning prompt color is set now via escape codes (exactly as the regular prompt). The wp color code is used now only for the input text color of the warning prompt.
• version 1.4 (Alma):
  • In order to make Lira more powerful (it can now match entire file names instead of just file extensions) it was necessary to introduce a little syntax modification in its configuration file.