Discover Exa: A Modern Replacement for ls in Linux

When it comes to working with files in a Linux environment, ls has been the go-to command for listing directory contents for decades. It serves its purpose well, but for advanced users and those who crave more detailed and visually appealing output, there's a better tool available. Enter exa, a modern, improved replacement for ls that comes with more features and better defaults.

What is Exa?

Exa is a command-line tool designed to be a modern replacement for the venerable ls command. It integrates seamlessly with modern workflows, offering features like git integration, tree views, and more informative, color-coded displays. The tool is written in Rust, ensuring it's both fast and reliable.

Features of Exa

Some of the standout features of exa include:

• Colorful Output: Makes it easier to distinguish file types and permissions.

• Git Integration: Shows git status for each file right in the file list.

• Tree View: Displays directory structures in a tree-like format similar to the tree command.

• Extended Information: Exa can show additional file metadata that helps with detailed inspections without running multiple commands.

Installing Exa on Linux

Installing exa is straightforward. Below is a guide on how to install exa using various package managers such as apt, dnf, and zypper.

Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions

First, you'll need to add the repository that contains exa, as it might not be available in the default Ubuntu repositories:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chrismin13/exa
sudo apt update

Next, install exa using apt:

sudo apt install exa

Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL

For Fedora and other systems using dnf, just use the following command:

sudo dnf install exa

Note that on CentOS or RHEL, you might need to enable the EPEL repository first, or alternatively, download and compile the source code if a package is not available through dnf.

openSUSE

On openSUSE, you can use zypper to install exa:

sudo zypper install exa

Using Exa

Once installed, you can start using exa immediately. Here are some basic commands to get you started:

• List Files: Simply use exa instead of ls.

• Long Listing Format: Use exa -l for more detailed information, similar to ls -l.

• Tree View: Use exa -T to get a tree view of your directories.

• View Hidden Files: Use exa -a to show hidden files (similar to ls -a).

Configuring Exa

For those who plan to use exa as their primary file listing tool, you might want to alias ls to exa. You can do this by adding the following line to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

alias ls='exa'

Conclusion

Exa provides a rich set of features that can enhance productivity and usability over the traditional ls command. With its modern enhancements and ease of use, exa is quickly becoming the go-to command-line tool for file system exploration for many Linux users. Whether you are a developer, system administrator, or a daily Linux user, exa can significantly improve your workflow with its powerful features and intuitive usage. Give it a try and see how it transforms your command-line file management experience!