This is your command line on lsd
Command Line – lsd
© Lead Image © bluedarkat, 123RF.com
A revamp of ls, lsd offers color coding plus revised options relevant to the modern computer.
If you work at the command line, you probably use ls [1] frequently to list directories and their contents. However, it is one of the oldest commands, and many of its options are no longer relevant to modern computer use. In fact, most people can get by with only a small sub-set of its available options. One of several new revamps, lsd (LSDeluxe) [2] (Figure 1) attempts to modernize and simplify ls by assuming a default color code and – apparently – by reducing the number of options and adding options of its own. However, since this is 0.2.21 release, it is hard to be sure exactly what the general release will look like.
The lsd release page includes Linux packages for Debian and Gentoo. An alternative is to build from source with the Rust Cargo package manager or install a Snap package. Should you install from source, you will also need to install Nerd Fonts [3] in order to use fancy icons to identify file types.
On installation – or perhaps later, after you have tried lsd and have a better sense of what it can do – you may also want to add a configuration file (Figure 2), copying and modifying the sample provided on the project page. This configuration file should be placed in ~/.config/lsd/config.yaml. Table 1 lists the main fields available and their settings. Default configurations can be overridden from the command line but can reduce the length of entered commands.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.