Minimal Explorer is a fast, highly performant Windows Explorer replacement built for Windows 11. Engineered with a lightweight Rust backend, it prioritizes speed and keyboard-centric workflows.

Because Windows Explorer is deeply integrated into Windows 10/11, it is not practically possible to completely replace it natively. However, this file explorer serves as an extremely capable alternative power-user tool. With minor adjustments (mostly removing Windows-specific APIs), it could easily be ported to Linux.

• Fast Architecture: Rust backend with native-like performance and minimal RAM usage. Zero-copy asynchronous file loading for massive directories.
• Dual-Pane & Tabbed Interface: Manage files side-by-side with horizontal or vertical split views, or open multiple directories in background tabs.
• Integrated Terminal: Built-in drop-down terminal (`Ctrl + ``) powered by xterm.js. Supports PowerShell, CMD, or custom shells (like WSL). It automatically syncs to your current working directory.
• Advanced Deep Search: Quickly filter for files by name, or use the Command Palette to search by file contents, extension, size, and modification date.
• Native Archive Management: Compress files to .zip (with configurable compression levels) or extract archives directly within the UI without third-party software.
• Rich File Previews: Instantly preview images, PDFs, raw text, and Markdown files (rendered securely) right inside the explorer pane.
• Quick Access Sidebar: Pin favorite folders for quick access, alongside automatic detection and mounting of WSL (Linux) distributions.
• Command Palette & Custom Hotkeys: A VS Code-style command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or >) for quick actions, jumping to recent folders, and running operations. Almost all hotkeys are completely customizable.
• Modern UI: Custom-drawn titlebars, grid/list toggle modes, auto-calculating folder sizes, and right-click context menus with Acrylic-style blur effects. Supports Light, Dark, and System Auto themes.

Instant Search	Power User Hotkeys
Integrated Terminal	Deep Customization
Integrated Terminal	Deep Customization

Light & Dark Mode Support

Access the Preferences menu (⚙ Preferences or via the Command Palette) to adjust the application to your liking:

• Theme: Force Dark Mode, Light Mode, or respect System Auto.
• Layout: Switch between vertical and horizontal split panes.
• Terminal Shell: Choose between PowerShell, Command Prompt, or specify a custom path (e.g., wsl, bash, wt.exe).
• Thumbnails: Toggle image thumbnails on or off for better performance.
• Hotkeys: Rebind almost every action (Copy, Paste, New Tab, Open Search, etc.) to your preferred keystrokes.
• Hidden Files & Git Badges: Toggle visibility for hidden items and Git repository status badges.

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• Rust (Ensure C++ Build Tools are installed via the Visual Studio Installer)
• Git

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [https://github.com/yourusername/minimal-explorer.git](https://github.com/yourusername/minimal-explorer.git)
   cd minimal-explorer

2. Install Dependencies: npm install
3. Run in dev mode: npm run tauri dev