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apatrushev/rdn

A terminal file manager in Rust and ratatui, styled after the classic DOS Dos Navigator with two panels and F-key shortcuts.

Open-source alternative to:Norton Commander

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Last commit
7 months ago

What is it?

rdn is a terminal file manager written in Rust with ratatui, visually modeled on Dos Navigator, the DOS-era orthodox file manager from RIT Research Labs. It uses a two-panel layout with a 3-column Brief mode, a dark gray theme with a cyan cursor bar, and double-line borders marking the active panel.

The core workflow follows the classic F-key scheme: copy (F5), move (F6), make directory (F7), delete (F8), sort (F9), and a built-in text and hex viewer (F3). Files can be selected with Insert, pattern-based +/- selection, or inverted with *, and incremental quick search is available on Alt+F7. Deleted files go to the system trash on macOS and Linux.

The project is a small hobby effort, described by its author as a quick vibe-coded rewrite of the original Dos Navigator source. It includes a built-in Tetris game carried over from the original, and is installable via cargo install from the Git repository.

Key features

  • 01Two-panel orthodox layout with a 3-column Brief mode
  • 02Copy, move, mkdir and delete via F5–F8 keys
  • 03Built-in text and hex file viewer on F3
  • 04Incremental quick search, pattern selection and sorting by name, size, date or extension
  • 05Deleted files go to the system trash on macOS and Linux

Use cases

  • Navigating and managing files from a terminal with keyboard shortcuts familiar from Norton Commander or DOS Navigator
  • Nostalgic use for those who want a retro-styled DOS-look file manager on modern systems
  • Quick file browsing over SSH sessions without a graphical desktop

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install from the Git repository with Cargo

    cargo install --git https://github.com/apatrushev/rdn
  2. 2

    Run rdn from any directory

    rdn

Things to know

  • The README calls it a one-hour vibe-coding project and asks not to take it seriously.
  • Trash support is only available on macOS and Linux.
  • The original Dos Navigator code it draws on carries its own license with attribution conditions.

Topics

#terminal#file-manager#tui#rust#ratatui#retro

FAQ

What is rdn?
A terminal file manager in Rust and ratatui, styled after the classic DOS Dos Navigator with two panels and F-key shortcuts. rdn is a terminal file manager written in Rust with ratatui, visually modeled on Dos Navigator, the DOS-era orthodox file manager from RIT Research Labs. It uses a two-panel layout with a 3-column Brief mode, a dark gray theme with a cyan cursor bar, and double-line borders marking the active panel.
Is rdn free to use? What license does it have?
rdn is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is rdn still maintained?
No commits for 6+ months. The last commit to rdn was on Mar 17, 2026.
What can I use rdn for?
Navigating and managing files from a terminal with keyboard shortcuts familiar from Norton Commander or DOS Navigator Nostalgic use for those who want a retro-styled DOS-look file manager on modern systems Quick file browsing over SSH sessions without a graphical desktop
How do I install rdn?
Install from the Git repository with Cargo: cargo install --git https://github.com/apatrushev/rdn Run rdn from any directory: rdn
Where can I get rdn?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/apatrushev/rdn

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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