Reference Guide

Complete Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

The comprehensive reference for every keyboard shortcut in Captain's Deck.

Navigation

Action	Vim Style	Standard	Notes
Move cursor down	`j`	`Down`
Move cursor up	`k`	`Up`
Enter directory / Open file	`l`	`Right` / `Enter`
Go to parent directory	`h`	`Left` / `Backspace`
Jump to first item	`gg`	`Cmd+Up` / `Home`	Press g twice
Jump to last item	`G`	`Cmd+Down` / `End`	Shift+g
Page up	`Ctrl+U`	`Page Up`
Page down	`Ctrl+D`	`Page Down`
Switch to other pane	`Tab`
Go to path	`Cmd+G`
Go to home directory	`Cmd+Shift+H`
Go to Desktop	`Cmd+Shift+D`
Go back in history	`Cmd+[`
Go forward in history	`Cmd+]`

Selection

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Toggle selection on current item	`Space`	Also moves down
Select all	`Cmd+A`
Deselect all	`Cmd+Shift+A`
Invert selection	`Cmd+Option+I`
Extend selection up	`Shift+Up` / `Shift+K`
Extend selection down	`Shift+Down` / `Shift+J`
Select to top	`Shift+Cmd+Up`
Select to bottom	`Shift+Cmd+Down`

File Operations

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Copy to other pane	`F5`
Move to other pane	`F6`
Create new directory	`F7`
Delete (move to Trash)	`F8` / `Cmd+Delete`
Rename	`F2` / `R`
View file	`F3`	Built-in viewer
Edit file	`F4`	Opens in external editor
Visual Diff	`F9`	Compare selected files
Quick Look preview	`Cmd+Y` / `Space` (in Finder mode)
Get file info	`Cmd+I`
Batch rename	`Cmd+Shift+R`	Pro feature
Create archive	`Cmd+Shift+C`
Extract archive	`Cmd+Shift+E`
Duplicate	`Cmd+D`
Create alias/symlink	`Cmd+L`

Clipboard

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Copy files to clipboard	`Cmd+C`
Cut files to clipboard	`Cmd+X`
Paste files from clipboard	`Cmd+V`
Copy path to clipboard	`Cmd+Option+C`	Copies file path as text

Tabs

Action	Shortcut	Notes
New tab	`Cmd+T`	Opens in active pane
Close tab	`Cmd+W`
Next tab	`Cmd+]` / `Ctrl+Tab`
Previous tab	`Cmd+[` / `Ctrl+Shift+Tab`
Go to tab 1-9	`Cmd+1` through `Cmd+9`
Duplicate tab	`Cmd+Shift+T`

Search & Filter

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Quick filter	`/`	Filter current view
Clear filter	`Escape`
Search files	`Cmd+F`	Opens search panel
Find next	`Cmd+G`	In search results
Find previous	`Cmd+Shift+G`	In search results

Bookmarks

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Show bookmarks panel	`Cmd+B`
Add current path to bookmarks	`Cmd+D`
Go to bookmark 1-9	`Cmd+1` through `Cmd+9`	First 9 bookmarks

View Options

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Toggle hidden files	`Cmd+.`
Toggle terminal	`	Backtick key
Refresh view	`Cmd+R`
Sort by name	`Cmd+1`	In View menu
Sort by date	`Cmd+2`	In View menu
Sort by size	`Cmd+3`	In View menu
Sort by kind	`Cmd+4`	In View menu
Toggle column visibility	Right-click column header

Remote Connections

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Connect to SFTP server	`Cmd+K`
Connect to S3	Go -> Connect to S3
Connect to FTP	Go -> Connect to FTP Server
Disconnect	Navigate to local path or close tab

Terminal (when focused)

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Copy selected text	`Cmd+C`
Paste	`Cmd+V`
Clear screen	`Cmd+K`
Cancel command	`Ctrl+C`
End of input	`Ctrl+D`
Search command history	`Ctrl+R`
Clear line	`Ctrl+U`
Move to line start	`Ctrl+A`
Move to line end	`Ctrl+E`

Application

Action	Shortcut	Notes
Preferences	`Cmd+,`
Help	`F1`
Hide Captain's Deck	`Cmd+H`
Hide others	`Cmd+Option+H`
Minimize	`Cmd+M`
Quit	`Cmd+Q` / `F10`

Function Keys Quick Reference

`F1` Help	`F2` Rename	`F3` View	`F4` Edit	`F5` Copy
`F6` Move	`F7` MkDir	`F8` Delete	`F9` Diff	`F10` Quit

Using F-Keys on macOS

By default, F1-F12 control system functions (brightness, volume, etc.). To use them as standard function keys in Captain's Deck:

Option 1: Hold Fn

Hold Fn while pressing any F-key.

Option 2: System Setting

Open System Settings -> Keyboard
Click Keyboard Shortcuts...
Select Function Keys
Enable "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys"

Next Steps

Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet (Condensed) Understanding the Dual-Pane Interface