How to install exa
brew install exa exa use case
List directory contents with color-coded file types, metadata, and Git integration for quick file exploration.
When to use exa
- Display file listings with rich metadata (size, permissions, timestamps) in a human-readable format
- Explore directory trees with color-coded file types and symlink detection
- Show Git status of files (modified, staged, new) alongside the listing
When not to use exa
- When you need a maintained tool (exa is unmaintained; use eza instead)
- When you require programmatic output in JSON or structured format (exa lacks native JSON output)
exa features
- · Color-coded output distinguishing file types and metadata
- · Symlink and extended attribute awareness
- · Git integration (show modified, staged, untracked files)
- · Multiple display modes: grid, long, one per line, recursive
Want your agent to find this automatically?
Add the MCP server to your agent config and it will discover tools like exa on its own.
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