exa – Modern ls Replacement

exa is a modern replacement for the venerable ls command. Written in Rust, it provides better defaults, Git integration, and colorful output while remaining compatible with ls arguments.

Key Features

• Colors: Distinct colors for file types
• Git Status: Show file modification status
• Tree View: Hierarchical directory display
• Extended Attributes: xattrs and selinux support
• Grid View: Space-efficient layouts

Installation

Install exa on Ubuntu:

sudo apt install exa

# Create useful aliases
alias ls="exa"
alias ll="exa -la"
alias lt="exa --tree"

Usage Examples

Common exa commands:

# Long format with Git
exa -la --git

# Tree view with depth
exa --tree --level=2

# Sort by modification time
exa -la --sort=modified

# Group directories first
exa -la --group-directories-first

# Show icons (with nerdfont)
exa --icons

Benefits

exa improves directory listings with visual clarity and useful defaults. Its Git integration helps developers understand repository state at a glance.

Download exa