Building a Simple Terminal-Based File Manager in Bash

A while ago, I found myself juggling between ls, cd, rm, and mv commands just to move and manage files across different directories. It felt inefficient—why not have a lightweight file manager right inside the terminal? If you’ve ever wished for a simpler way to navigate and manipulate files without leaving the terminal, this guide will show you how to build a basic file manager in Bash—one that lets you browse, create, delete, and move files interactively. Understanding the Core of a Terminal File Manager A terminal-based file manager is essentially a Bash script that allows users to navigate directories and manage files using menus and keyboard inputs. What It Should Do ✅ Display a list of files and directories ✅ Let users navigate between folders ✅ Provide options to delete, move, or rename files ✅ Offer a simple interface using the terminal This can be accomplished using a combination of Bash commands like ls, cd, rm, and mv, along with interactive menus using select or read. Step 1: Listing Files and Directories The first step is displaying the current directory contents in a structured way. Instead of using a plain ls, let’s format the output to distinguish between files and directories. for item in *; do if [ -d "$item" ]; then echo "[DIR] $item" else echo "[FILE] $item" fi done

Mar 13, 2025 - 14:34

Building a Simple Terminal-Based File Manager in Bash

A while ago, I found myself juggling between ls, cd, rm, and mv commands just to move and manage files across different directories. It felt inefficient—why not have a lightweight file manager right inside the terminal?

If you’ve ever wished for a simpler way to navigate and manipulate files without leaving the terminal, this guide will show you how to build a basic file manager in Bash—one that lets you browse, create, delete, and move files interactively.

Understanding the Core of a Terminal File Manager

A terminal-based file manager is essentially a Bash script that allows users to navigate directories and manage files using menus and keyboard inputs.

What It Should Do

✅ Display a list of files and directories

✅ Let users navigate between folders

✅ Provide options to delete, move, or rename files

✅ Offer a simple interface using the terminal

This can be accomplished using a combination of Bash commands like ls, cd, rm, and mv, along with interactive menus using select or read.

Step 1: Listing Files and Directories

The first step is displaying the current directory contents in a structured way. Instead of using a plain ls, let’s format the output to distinguish between files and directories.

for item in *; do
    if [ -d "$item" ]; then
        echo "[DIR]  $item"
    else
        echo "[FILE] $item"
    fi
done