eza — modern ls

💬 "The eza Command"

eza is a Rust-based command that modernizes the classic ls. It displays colors, icons, git status, and tree structure all in one view.

By using the standard ls options while providing more information, it significantly reduces the need for server file exploration.

• Concept: Outputs directory listings in a visually rich format.
• Default ls Replacement: Displays the same list as ls -l but in a more readable format.
• --long: Shows detailed permissions, owner, size, and date.
• --tree: Expands subdirectories into a tree structure.

Installation and Download

eza can be installed via a package manager or Rust cargo. Servers (Debian/Ubuntu) use apt, while development machines can use cargo or brew.

Verify the installation with eza --version. For older distribution versions, the package may not be available, so use cargo or release binaries.

Frequently Used Options

3 Essential Command Combinations

• eza -l — View permissions, size, and date details at a glance.
• eza --tree --level=2 — Visualize the folder structure as a tree up to 2 levels deep.
• eza -l --sort=modified | head — List recently modified files first in detail.

💬 "Show me an example of checking a directory on a real server."

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of a common scenario encountered on a live server.

Step 1 · Verify Installation

First, check if it is installed, and if not, install it.

eza --version || sudo apt install -y eza

Step 2 · Inspect Web Root in Detail

View permissions and owner together.

eza -l /var/www/html

Step 3 · Understand Folder Structure

Check the tree structure up to 2 levels deep.

eza --tree --level=2 /var/www/html

Actual Execution Output

This is the result of listing the web root in detail using eza after installation. Permissions, owner, and size are displayed with colors.

!eza command execution result: detailed web root listing after installation

Live production server

In Practice, It's Used Like This

1. Finding Recently Modified Files

Situation — Locating a deployment file that was just uploaded.

eza -l --sort=modified /var/www/html | head -5

Result — Files with the most recent modification dates appear at the top.

Key Point — Sorting by time is easily done with sort=modified.

2. Getting an Overview of a Project Structure

Situation — Understanding the folder structure of a project you're opening for the first time.

eza --tree --level=2 --git

Result — The tree structure and git-modified files are displayed together.

Key Point — Limiting the depth with level prevents the output from overflowing.

Actual Execution Output

This is the result of viewing files sorted by most recently modified.

!eza command execution result: sorting by recently modified files

Live production server

Points to Note

• eza requires separate installation (via apt, brew, cargo, etc.).
• Older distribution versions may not have the apt package, so use cargo or a binary.
• If an existing ls alias remains, eza might execute first, so be cautious.
• When --tree is expanded deeply, the output can be long, so use it with head.
• When replacing ls with eza in scripts, check for option compatibility.

Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/modern/eza.html This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.