Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Starship (Shell Prompt) VS lf (file manager)

Compare Starship (Shell Prompt) VS lf (file manager) and see what are their differences

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Starship (Shell Prompt) logo Starship (Shell Prompt)

Starship is the minimal, blazing fast, and extremely customizable prompt for any shell! Shows the information you need, while staying sleek and minimal. Quick installation available for Bash, Fish, ZSH, Ion, and Powershell.

lf (file manager) logo lf (file manager)

Terminal file manager written in Go (programming language).
  • Starship (Shell Prompt) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-21
  • lf (file manager) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

Starship (Shell Prompt) features and specs

  • Customization
    Starship is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the prompt to their needs and preferences.
  • Speed
    Starship is designed to be fast and responsive, minimizing any delay in displaying the prompt.
  • Cross-Shell Compatibility
    Starship works with multiple shell environments like Bash, Zsh, Fish, and others, making it versatile and adaptable.
  • Feature-Rich
    It supports a wide array of features including displaying Git information, current directory, user info, and more.
  • Community Support
    Starship has an active community and regular updates, ensuring continued development and support.

Possible disadvantages of Starship (Shell Prompt)

  • Complex Configuration
    The high level of customization can lead to complex configuration files, which might be daunting for new users.
  • Dependency Overhead
    Starship has several dependencies that need to be installed, which can be a hurdle for some users.
  • Resource Usage
    Although optimized for speed, the additional features and functionalities can result in higher resource usage compared to simpler prompts.
  • Initial Learning Curve
    New users might find the initial setup and configuration process challenging, especially if they are not familiar with shell scripting.

lf (file manager) features and specs

  • Speed
    Being a terminal-based file manager, lf is fast and snappy, providing swift navigation and file manipulation compared to GUI-based file managers.
  • Minimalistic Design
    With its simple and minimal interface, lf is less distracting and allows users to focus more on managing files effectively without unnecessary bells and whistles.
  • Keyboard-driven
    Offers efficient, keyboard-driven navigation and file management, increasing productivity for users comfortable with mouse-less interaction.
  • Configurable
    Highly configurable with the ability to customize key bindings, appearance, and integrate with external tools, making it adaptable to various workflows.
  • Cross-platform
    Available on multiple operating systems, including Unix-like systems and Windows, providing a consistent experience across different environments.
  • Vi-like Key Bindings
    Supports vi-like key bindings by default, which can be appealing to users familiar with the vi or vim editors who can extend their keyboard proficiency to file management.

Possible disadvantages of lf (file manager)

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The reliance on keyboard input and lack of graphical user interface elements can be difficult for users unfamiliar with terminal-based applications.
  • Limited Functionality
    May lack out-of-the-box features found in some GUI file managers, such as drag-and-drop support, thumbnail previews, and built-in synchronization capabilities.
  • Dependency on Terminal
    Since lf runs within a terminal, users must be comfortable navigating and operating within a terminal environment, which might not be ideal for everyone.
  • No Built-in Viewer
    Lf doesn't offer a built-in file viewer, requiring users to configure and rely on external programs to open or preview files, adding an extra configuration step.
  • Customization Required
    While lf is highly configurable, it requires users to spend time and effort in setting up custom configurations to tailor it to their specific needs.

Analysis of Starship (Shell Prompt)

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Starship is a good choice for enhancing your command-line experience due to its flexibility, speed, and ease of use.

Why this product is good

  • Starship (Shell Prompt) is considered good because it is highly customizable, fast, and supports multiple shell environments. It offers a clean and minimal design while providing useful information at a glance, such as Git status, time to execute commands, and other contextual data. Additionally, it is easy to install and configure, with a wide range of options to tailor it to different workflows.

Recommended for

  • Developers who often work in terminal environments
  • Users looking for a minimal and informative shell prompt
  • People who frequently switch between different shell environments
  • Anyone who enjoys customizing their development tools

Category Popularity

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User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Starship (Shell Prompt) should be more popular than lf (file manager). It has been mentiond 194 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Starship (Shell Prompt) mentions (194)

  • Getting McFly Working on Ubuntu Server
    If you're using Starship, why does its init script go after McFly's? Both Starship and McFly register Zsh hooks (precmd_functions). If Starship runs first, it can override McFly’s hooks unless you manually re-register them. By initializing Starship after McFly, both tools play nicely together. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Why your terminal is boring and what to use instead
    # install starship Curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sh. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Spice up Your Terminal With a Todo Reminder Using Starship Prompt and iZiDo Bash Script
    This tutorial demonstrates how to integrate a todo reminder into your terminal prompt using the Starship prompt and a Bash script named iZiDo. The setup allows you to manage and display your tasks directly within your terminal. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Day003 - Random posts under TIL
    5. Starship Starship written in rust is the minimal, blazing-fast, and infinitely customizable prompt for any shell! You can download from here. The video by Andrew gives a detailed explanation on configuring the starship. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Let's release Rust-based fish
    The speed impact is one reason I've never liked oh-my-zsh and similar for other shells. It's also why I love starship https://starship.rs/. Lots of plug-ins to customise what I want at the prompt, and all of it native compiled such that it executes in milliseconds. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
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lf (file manager) mentions (65)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Starship (Shell Prompt) and lf (file manager), you can also consider the following products

fish shell - The friendly interactive shell.

nnn - Fast and resource-sensitive file manager for the terminal

Oh My Zsh - A delightful community-driven framework for managing your zsh configuration.

Broot - Commandline app to simplify directory navigation.

fzf - A command-line fuzzy finder written in Go

CliFM - CliFM is a completely CLI-based, shell-like and KISS file manager written in C: simple, fast, and lightweight as hell.