Ranger file manager

Ranger is a very fast and lightweight file manager that is great for previewing files without explicitly opening them. Ranger is very well suited to Vim keybindings too.

Ranger is not part of Spacemacs by default, so the simplest way is to add the ranger layer.

Add ranger layer to Spacemacs

Edit your ~./spacemacs file and in the ... section add the following layer

(ranger :variables
             ranger-show-preview t
             ranger-show-hidden t
             ranger-cleanup-eagerly t
             ranger-cleanup-on-disable t
             ranger-ignored-extensions '("mkv" "flv" "iso" "mp4"))

This layer definition will add the ranger package and set some recommended variables: * preview files when the cursor is on a file name in ranger * show hidden files (dot files) * clean up buffers when closing ranger * file name extensions to ignore (multi-media files)

Basic usage

Keybinding	Description
SPC a r	Open ranger in current buffer directory
q	Quit ranger
j	Move down the current list / preview screen
k	Move up the current list / preview screen
l	Jump into currently selected child directory / or open previewed file
h	Up to the parent directory

File management

Keybinding	Description
r	revert buffer
R	rename current file or directory
D	delete ...
yy	copy
pp	paste
f	search for file names
i	toggle showing literal / full-text previews
zh	toggle dot files
o	sort options
H	search through history
z- or z+	reduce / increase parents
C-SPC	mark a file or directory
v	toggle mark
V	visually select lines
;C	copy / move directory
;+	create directory
SPC a d	deer (minimal ranger window in current directory)
C-j	(ranger) scroll preview window down
C-k	(ranger) scroll preview window up
S	(ranger) enter shell