trex 🦖

A beautiful, informative tree command replacement with icons, git status, language stats, live watch, and more.

📁 my-project/  (3 dirs, 12 files, 48.2 KB)  [Node.js: [email protected]]
├── 📁 src
│   ├── 💙 app.ts              4.2 KB  2026-03-14
│   ├── 💙 utils.ts            1.1 KB  2026-03-12
│   └── ⚛️  components/
│       ├── 📜 Button.jsx       890 B  2026-03-13
│       └── 📜 Modal.jsx        1.2 KB  2026-03-11
├── 📦 package.json            820 B  2026-03-14
├── 💙 tsconfig.json           540 B  2026-03-10
└── 📖 README.md               2.1 KB  2026-03-14

█████████████████████░░░░░░░░  TypeScript 68.2%  JavaScript 21.4%  JSON 10.4%

3 directories, 12 files, 48.2 KB total

Features

| Feature | Flag | Description | |---------|------|-------------| | File icons | always on | 50+ emoji icons by file type | | Syntax colors | always on | Color-coded by language | | Git status | --git | Shows M / A / ? / D badges per file | | Language bar | always on | Visual breakdown of codebase languages | | Disk usage | --du | Real directory sizes (sum of contents) | | Live watch | --watch | Auto-refresh on file changes | | Metadata | --meta | Line counts, image dimensions | | TODO scanner | --todo | Counts TODO/FIXME/HACK per file | | Path squash | --squash | Collapses single-child directory chains | | Directory diff | --diff <path> | Compare two directory trees | | JSON output | --json | Machine-readable output for scripting | | CSV output | --csv | Flat CSV: path, type, size, mtime | | Gitignore | --gitignore | Respect .gitignore files | | Jump navigation | --jump <name> | Find a directory by name | | Smart auto-mode | always on | Auto-detects git repos and project type |

Install

npm (recommended)

npm install -g @edikoo/trex

curl (no Node.js required)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/edikoo/trex/main/install.sh | bash

Manual

Download the latest binary for your platform from Releases:

| Platform | Binary | |----------|--------| | Linux x64 | trex-linux-x64.gz | | Linux ARM64 | trex-linux-arm64.gz | | macOS x64 | trex-macos-x64.gz | | macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon) | trex-macos-arm64.gz |

gunzip trex-linux-x64.gz
chmod +x trex-linux-x64
sudo mv trex-linux-x64 /usr/local/bin/trex

Usage

trex [path] [options]

Display

trex                          # current directory
trex ~/projects/myapp         # specific path
trex -a                       # show hidden files (dotfiles)
trex --depth 2                # limit to 2 levels deep
trex -L 3                     # alias for --depth
trex --no-icons               # strip emoji icons
trex --no-color               # disable colors (pipe-friendly)
trex --full-path              # show absolute path per entry
trex -p, --perms              # show Unix permissions column

Filtering

trex --find "*.go"            # show only Go files
trex -x node_modules -x dist  # exclude patterns
trex --dirs-only              # show only directories
trex --files-only             # show only files
trex --gitignore              # respect .gitignore
trex --prune                  # hide empty directories
trex --newer 7d               # modified in last 7 days
trex --older 2026-01-01       # modified before date
trex --min-size 1MB           # files >= 1MB
trex --max-size 500KB         # files <= 500KB
trex --max-files 10           # max 10 files per directory

Sorting

trex --sort name              # alphabetical (default)
trex --sort size              # largest first
trex --sort date              # most recently modified first
trex -r                       # reverse sort order

Output modes

trex --du                     # show real directory sizes
trex --count-only             # summary only, no tree
trex --json                   # JSON output
trex --json | jq '.children[].name'
trex --csv                    # flat CSV output
trex --csv > files.csv

Advanced features

trex --git                    # git status badges (M / A / ? / D)
trex --meta                   # line counts + image dimensions
trex --todo                   # TODO/FIXME/HACK counts per file
trex --todo-only              # only files with TODOs
trex --squash                 # collapse single-child dir chains
trex --diff /other/dir        # compare two directories
trex --watch                  # live refresh on file changes

Power combos

trex --du --sort size -L 2              # disk usage overview
trex --git --meta --squash              # full project overview
trex --find "*.ts" --newer 7d          # recently changed TypeScript
trex --gitignore --todo-only            # find TODOs in tracked files
trex --json | jq '.children[].name'    # scriptable output
trex --no-color | cat                  # pipe-friendly plain text

Shell Navigation (tx)

trex can jump to directories by name. Since a subprocess can't cd your shell, use the tx wrapper:

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
eval "$(trex --init)"

Then:

tx claude        # → cd /home/you/Desktop/work/new-k8s/claude
tx myapp         # → cd wherever myapp is under $HOME
tx              # → runs trex in current directory

tx searches from your current directory first, then $HOME.

Options Reference

Display:
  -a, --all              Show hidden files (dotfiles)
  -d, --depth <n>        Limit tree depth (default: unlimited)
  -L, --level <n>        Alias for --depth
      --no-icons         Strip emoji icons (keep colors)
      --no-color         Disable color output
  -p, --perms            Show Unix permissions column
      --full-path        Show absolute path for each entry

Filtering:
  -f, --find <pat>       Show only files matching glob (e.g. "*.go")
  -x, --exclude <pat>    Exclude by glob pattern (repeatable)
  -D, --dirs-only        Show only directories
      --files-only       Show only files
      --gitignore        Respect .gitignore files
      --prune            Hide empty directories
      --newer <date>     Only entries modified after date (YYYY-MM-DD or 7d)
      --older <date>     Only entries modified before date
      --min-size <n>     Only files >= size (e.g. 1MB, 500KB)
      --max-size <n>     Only files <= size
      --max-files <n>    Max files shown per directory

Sorting:
  -s, --sort <by>        Sort by: name (default), date, size
  -r, --reverse          Reverse sort order

Output:
      --du               Show directory sizes (sum of contents)
      --count-only       Print summary only, no tree
      --json             Output as JSON
      --csv              Output as flat CSV (path, type, size, mtime)

Advanced:
      --git              Show git status decorations
      --meta             Show content metadata (line count, image dimensions)
      --todo             Show TODO/FIXME/HACK counts per file
      --todo-only        Show only files with TODOs (implies --todo)
      --squash           Collapse single-child directory chains
      --diff <path>      Compare with another directory
      --watch            Live-refresh mode (re-render on file changes)

Navigation:
  -j, --jump <name>      Find directory by name and print path
      --init             Print shell integration (tx function)

  -h, --help             Show this help
  -v, --version          Show version

Requirements

• npm install: Node.js >= 18.3.0
• Binary / curl install: No dependencies (self-contained executable)

License

MIT © edikoo