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.

CUSTOM FILES

Configuration overrides

Command	Action
`elio --config FILE`	Load configuration from a custom file.
`elio --theme FILE`	Load a theme from a custom file.
`elio --config FILE --theme FILE`	Use both custom files.

ELEVATED PRIVILEGES

sudo and doas

Launching elio with sudo or doas keeps elevated filesystem access while using the invoking user’s configuration, places, shell, applications, editor, zoxide history, and trash. Launching directly as root uses root’s own state.

CHOOSER MODE

Return selected paths

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.

Choosing items

Double-click chooses a file or enters a folder. Enter confirms the active selection, or the focused item when nothing is selected.

Remap the key in config.toml. See Configuration.

choose = "enter"

Output format

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

CURRENT DIRECTORY

Write the final directory on exit

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.

Want cd-on-exit? Use Shell integration.

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

ENVIRONMENT

Environment variables

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.