How to Use the ‘exa’ Command in Linux
Say goodbye to "ls" and hello to "exa" for a refreshed Linux journey.
The exa Linux command is more than just a file lister; it’s a modern replacement for the well-known ls command, offering enhanced features and a more visually appealing display. With its color-coded output and flexible options, exa provides a comprehensive view of your files and directories.
While the traditional ls command has been a staple in Linux, exa takes it a step further by offering better integration with other commands and tools. Whether you’re a seasoned professional managing large servers or a hobbyist tinkering with a home setup, the exa command can be a valuable addition to your toolkit. Used in conjunction with commands like grep and find, exa allows for more efficient file searching and manipulation, streamlining your workflow and enhancing your command-line experience.
How to Install the exa Command
exa is not typically included by default in most Linux distributions, so you’ll need to install it. Here’s how you can install exa on some common Linux distributions:
Ubuntu/Debian
You can install exa from the package manager using the following commands:
sudo apt update sudo apt install exa
Fedora
On Fedora, you can use the following command:
sudo dnf install exa
Arch Linux
If you’re using Arch Linux, you can install exa from the AUR:
yay -S exa
From Source
If exa is not available in your distribution’s package manager, or if you want the latest version, you can compile it from source. You’ll need to have Rust installed to do this:
git clone https://github.com/ogham/exa.git cd exa cargo build --release sudo cp target/release/exa /usr/local/bin/
Precompiled Binaries
You can also download precompiled binaries from the official GitHub releases page and place them in your PATH.
After installation, you can run exa from the command line just like you would with ls or any other command-line tool.
How to Use exa
1. Basic Listing
Syntax: exa
Explanation: Lists files and directories in the current directory.
Example: exa
Output:
Documents Pictures Videos
Displays the names of three directories: Documents, Pictures, and Videos.
2. Long Format
Syntax: exa -l
Explanation: Displays detailed information about files and directories.
Example: exa -l
Output:
drwxr-xr-x user group 4 KB Jul 1 10:00 Documents drwxr-xr-x user group 4 KB Jul 1 10:00 Pictures drwxr-xr-x user group 4 KB Jul 1 10:00 Videos
Shows permissions, owner, group, size, modification date, and name for three directories.
3. Tree View
Syntax: exa --tree
Explanation: Displays files and directories in a tree-like structure.
Example: exa --tree
Output:
. ├── Documents ├── Pictures └── Videos
Shows the current directory and its three subdirectories in a tree structure.
4. Sort by Size
Syntax: exa -S
Explanation: Sorts files and directories by size.
Example: exa -S
Output:
Videos Pictures Documents
Lists three directories sorted by size.
5. Show Hidden Files
Syntax: exa -a
Explanation: Lists all files and directories, including hidden ones.
Example: exa -a
Output:
.hidden Documents Pictures Videos
Displays three directories and one hidden file.
6. Display Git Status
Syntax: exa --git
Explanation: Shows the Git status of files and directories.
Example: exa --git
Output:
.M Documents ?? Pictures .D Videos
Displays three items with Git status: modified (M) Documents, untracked (??) Pictures, and deleted (D) Videos.
7. Human-Readable Sizes
Syntax: exa -h
Explanation: Displays file sizes in a human-readable format.
Example: exa -h
Output:
Documents 4 KB Pictures 10 MB Videos 1 GB
Lists three directories with sizes in KB, MB, and GB.
8. List with Icons
Syntax: exa --icons
Explanation: Displays icons next to the files.
Example: exa --icons
Output:
📠Documents 📠Pictures 🎥 Videos
Shows three items with icons representing folders and videos.
9. Color Scale for Sizes
Syntax: exa --colour-scale
Explanation: Displays file sizes with a color scale.
Example: exa --colour-scale
Output:
Documents (green) Pictures (yellow) Videos (red)
Lists three directories with colors representing different size scales.
10. Filter by File Type
Syntax: exa --type=directory
Explanation: Lists only directories.
Example: exa --type=directory
Output:
Documents Pictures Videos
Shows only the directories in the current location.
11. Group Directories First
Syntax: exa --group-directories-first
Explanation: Lists directories first, followed by files.
Example: exa --group-directories-first
Output:
Documents Pictures Videos file1.txt file2.txt
Lists three directories followed by two files.
12. Limit Depth of Recursion
Syntax: exa --level=2 --tree
Explanation: Limits the depth of recursion in tree view to 2 levels.
Example: exa --level=2 --tree
Output:
. ├── Documents │ └── file1.txt ├── Pictures └── Videos
Shows the current directory and its subdirectories and files up to 2 levels deep.
More Linux commands:
| Directory Operations | rmdir · cd · pwd · exa · ls |
| File Operations | cat · cp · dd · less · touch · ln · rename · more · head |
| File System Operations | chown · mkfs · locate |
| Networking | ping · curl · wget · iptables · mtr |
| Search and Text Processing | find · grep · sed · whatis · ripgrep · fd · tldr |
| System Information and Management | env · history · top · who · htop · glances · lsof |
| User and Session Management | screen · su · sudo · open |