Vim like navigation keys for Finder












2














So I use vim all the time, and I've grown use to the navigation keys h, j, k, l, (especially when navigating with NERDTree).



Does anyone know if it's possible to implement this motion in macOS Finder.app?



I thought of remapping the keys using something like Karabiner or BetterTouchTool, but in either case, I would not be able to use those keys when renaming a file.






keyboard finder vi







share|improve this question





























    2














    So I use vim all the time, and I've grown use to the navigation keys h, j, k, l, (especially when navigating with NERDTree).



    Does anyone know if it's possible to implement this motion in macOS Finder.app?



    I thought of remapping the keys using something like Karabiner or BetterTouchTool, but in either case, I would not be able to use those keys when renaming a file.






    keyboard finder vi







    share|improve this question



























      2












      2








      2







      So I use vim all the time, and I've grown use to the navigation keys h, j, k, l, (especially when navigating with NERDTree).



      Does anyone know if it's possible to implement this motion in macOS Finder.app?



      I thought of remapping the keys using something like Karabiner or BetterTouchTool, but in either case, I would not be able to use those keys when renaming a file.






      keyboard finder vi







      share|improve this question















      So I use vim all the time, and I've grown use to the navigation keys h, j, k, l, (especially when navigating with NERDTree).



      Does anyone know if it's possible to implement this motion in macOS Finder.app?



      I thought of remapping the keys using something like Karabiner or BetterTouchTool, but in either case, I would not be able to use those keys when renaming a file.






      keyboard finder vi




      keyboard finder vi






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 2 hours ago









      Nimesh Neema

      14.6k43871




      14.6k43871










      asked 4 hours ago









      Benjamin Chausse

      335




      335






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

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          2














          Vim can get addictive once we get the hang of it. To vim-ify the Finder is a lovely idea.



          However, what features are you thinking about? For example, browsing files using the navigation keys h, j, k, l, then pressing i to enter edit mode and rename files or folders?



          Vim’s power lies in text mode, whereas macOS interface is designed to be used with a mouse/trackpad. It may be better to stick with vim to process textual information, and to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment.



          By the way, I cannot see a simple and effective way to hack the Finder (as you said Karabiner is fantastic, but it just won't do it). It would probably require to program a specific macOS Finder utility using Swift.



          Alternatively:




          1. Some code editors can be controlled the vim way, like Sublime Text, via a plugin.


          2. The bash shell running in Terminal.app can be used in vi mode using set -o vi or set editing-mode vi.



          3. There are great textual file managers ready to install via Homebrew that worth a try, like:




            • nnn. To install run brew install nnn.


            • lf. To install run brew install lf.


            • vifm. To install run brew lf.


            • ranger. To install run brew install ranger.


            • midnight-commander. To install run brew install midnight-commander. Run by typing mc.


            • fdclone. To install run brew install fdclone. Run by typing fd.









          share|improve this answer










          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
            – Ruslan
            13 mins ago













          Your Answer








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          1 Answer
          1






          active

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          active

          oldest

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          active

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          2














          Vim can get addictive once we get the hang of it. To vim-ify the Finder is a lovely idea.



          However, what features are you thinking about? For example, browsing files using the navigation keys h, j, k, l, then pressing i to enter edit mode and rename files or folders?



          Vim’s power lies in text mode, whereas macOS interface is designed to be used with a mouse/trackpad. It may be better to stick with vim to process textual information, and to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment.



          By the way, I cannot see a simple and effective way to hack the Finder (as you said Karabiner is fantastic, but it just won't do it). It would probably require to program a specific macOS Finder utility using Swift.



          Alternatively:




          1. Some code editors can be controlled the vim way, like Sublime Text, via a plugin.


          2. The bash shell running in Terminal.app can be used in vi mode using set -o vi or set editing-mode vi.



          3. There are great textual file managers ready to install via Homebrew that worth a try, like:




            • nnn. To install run brew install nnn.


            • lf. To install run brew install lf.


            • vifm. To install run brew lf.


            • ranger. To install run brew install ranger.


            • midnight-commander. To install run brew install midnight-commander. Run by typing mc.


            • fdclone. To install run brew install fdclone. Run by typing fd.









          share|improve this answer










          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
            – Ruslan
            13 mins ago


















          2














          Vim can get addictive once we get the hang of it. To vim-ify the Finder is a lovely idea.



          However, what features are you thinking about? For example, browsing files using the navigation keys h, j, k, l, then pressing i to enter edit mode and rename files or folders?



          Vim’s power lies in text mode, whereas macOS interface is designed to be used with a mouse/trackpad. It may be better to stick with vim to process textual information, and to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment.



          By the way, I cannot see a simple and effective way to hack the Finder (as you said Karabiner is fantastic, but it just won't do it). It would probably require to program a specific macOS Finder utility using Swift.



          Alternatively:




          1. Some code editors can be controlled the vim way, like Sublime Text, via a plugin.


          2. The bash shell running in Terminal.app can be used in vi mode using set -o vi or set editing-mode vi.



          3. There are great textual file managers ready to install via Homebrew that worth a try, like:




            • nnn. To install run brew install nnn.


            • lf. To install run brew install lf.


            • vifm. To install run brew lf.


            • ranger. To install run brew install ranger.


            • midnight-commander. To install run brew install midnight-commander. Run by typing mc.


            • fdclone. To install run brew install fdclone. Run by typing fd.









          share|improve this answer










          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.


















          • It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
            – Ruslan
            13 mins ago
















          2












          2








          2






          Vim can get addictive once we get the hang of it. To vim-ify the Finder is a lovely idea.



          However, what features are you thinking about? For example, browsing files using the navigation keys h, j, k, l, then pressing i to enter edit mode and rename files or folders?



          Vim’s power lies in text mode, whereas macOS interface is designed to be used with a mouse/trackpad. It may be better to stick with vim to process textual information, and to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment.



          By the way, I cannot see a simple and effective way to hack the Finder (as you said Karabiner is fantastic, but it just won't do it). It would probably require to program a specific macOS Finder utility using Swift.



          Alternatively:




          1. Some code editors can be controlled the vim way, like Sublime Text, via a plugin.


          2. The bash shell running in Terminal.app can be used in vi mode using set -o vi or set editing-mode vi.



          3. There are great textual file managers ready to install via Homebrew that worth a try, like:




            • nnn. To install run brew install nnn.


            • lf. To install run brew install lf.


            • vifm. To install run brew lf.


            • ranger. To install run brew install ranger.


            • midnight-commander. To install run brew install midnight-commander. Run by typing mc.


            • fdclone. To install run brew install fdclone. Run by typing fd.









          share|improve this answer










          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          Vim can get addictive once we get the hang of it. To vim-ify the Finder is a lovely idea.



          However, what features are you thinking about? For example, browsing files using the navigation keys h, j, k, l, then pressing i to enter edit mode and rename files or folders?



          Vim’s power lies in text mode, whereas macOS interface is designed to be used with a mouse/trackpad. It may be better to stick with vim to process textual information, and to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment.



          By the way, I cannot see a simple and effective way to hack the Finder (as you said Karabiner is fantastic, but it just won't do it). It would probably require to program a specific macOS Finder utility using Swift.



          Alternatively:




          1. Some code editors can be controlled the vim way, like Sublime Text, via a plugin.


          2. The bash shell running in Terminal.app can be used in vi mode using set -o vi or set editing-mode vi.



          3. There are great textual file managers ready to install via Homebrew that worth a try, like:




            • nnn. To install run brew install nnn.


            • lf. To install run brew install lf.


            • vifm. To install run brew lf.


            • ranger. To install run brew install ranger.


            • midnight-commander. To install run brew install midnight-commander. Run by typing mc.


            • fdclone. To install run brew install fdclone. Run by typing fd.










          share|improve this answer










          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 42 mins ago









          Nimesh Neema

          14.6k43871




          14.6k43871






          New contributor




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          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          answered 2 hours ago









          Yoric

          1363




          1363




          New contributor




          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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          New contributor





          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          Yoric is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.












          • It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
            – Ruslan
            13 mins ago




















          • It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
            – Ruslan
            13 mins ago


















          It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
          – Ruslan
          13 mins ago






          It may be better <...> to use mouse/trackpad in a graphical environment. Not always. I consider modern web browsers graphical environments, and there used to be quite some extensions like Vimperator, which worked quite successfully (until broken by changing APIs). So there might have been a similarly useful extension for Finder.
          – Ruslan
          13 mins ago




















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