CLI

Launch elio at a path, return selections, and integrate it with your shell.

STARTUP PATHS

Open a path

Command	Action
`elio`	Open the current directory.
`elio example.png`	Open the current directory and focus a file.
`elio Downloads`	Start in a directory.
`elio Downloads/example.pdf`	Open Downloads and focus a file.

CHOOSER MODE

Use --chooser-file to run elio as a picker and send the chosen paths back to a script or launcher.

Command	Action
`elio --chooser-file /path/to/choice-file`	Write selected paths to a file.
`elio --chooser-file -`	Write selected paths to stdout.
`elio --chooser-file - Downloads`	Start in Downloads and write to stdout.

Double-click confirms the clicked item. Enter confirms the active selection, or the focused item when nothing is selected.

Remap the key in config.toml. See Configuration.

choose = "enter"

Confirmed selections are written as absolute paths, one per line. Cancel exits nonzero and writes nothing.

CURRENT DIRECTORY

Use --cwd-file to save the directory where elio closes, so another script can read it.

Command	Action
`elio --cwd-file /path/to/cwd-file`	Save the directory where elio exits.
`elio --cwd-file /path/to/cwd-file Downloads`	Start in Downloads and save the directory you end in.

It installs a wrapper that runs elio with --cwd-file, reads the saved directory, and moves your shell there after quitting elio.

ENVIRONMENT

Variable	Effect
`ELIO_IMAGE_PREVIEWS=1`	Force-enable Kitty Graphics Protocol on unrecognized compatible terminals.
`ELIO_ZOXIDE_OPTS`	Extra options appended to the zoxide interactive picker options.
`ELIO_DEBUG_PREVIEW`	Log image preview activity to elio-preview.log in the system temp directory.
`ELIO_LOG_MOUSE`	Log raw mouse events to elio-mouse.log in the system temp directory.