The Vim layout preset
Most of what’s on this page works out of the box on the default Orthodox layout — Captain’s Deck has shipped Vim hjkl + visual mode + zz/zt/zb forever. If you want the full Vim treatment, switch to the Vim preset in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts → Layout preset. That layout adds single-key verbs on top of everything else:
| y | Copy selection to clipboard (in addition to Cmd+C) |
| p | Paste from clipboard (in addition to Cmd+V) |
| dd | Delete selection |
| : | Open Go to Path (Vim ex command, in addition to Cmd+G) |
Switching presets prompts you first — it overrides any custom shortcuts you’ve set. The rest of this page applies whether you stay on Orthodox or switch.
Basic Movement
If you're familiar with Vim, you'll feel right at home. The classic hjkl keys work alongside arrow keys:
| j or ↓ | Move cursor down |
| k or ↑ | Move cursor up |
| h or ← or Backspace | Go to parent directory |
| l or → or Enter | Open file/folder |
Note: Vim keys and arrow keys work simultaneously. Use whichever feels natural.
Jumping Around
Move quickly to the top or bottom of the file list:
| gg | Jump to first item (press g twice quickly) |
| Shift+G | Jump to last item |
| Option+G or Home | Jump to first item (alternative to gg) |
| End | Jump to last item |
The gg sequence must be typed within 500ms to register.
Page Navigation
Move through the file list one page at a time:
| Ctrl+U or Page Up | Move up one page |
| Ctrl+D or Page Down | Move down one page |
Screen Position Jumps
Jump the cursor relative to the visible screen area, just like Vim's H/M/L:
| Shift+H | Jump to top of visible screen |
| M | Jump to middle of visible screen |
| Shift+L | Jump to bottom of visible screen |
Tip: Combine with visual mode - press Shift+V, then Shift+L to select everything from the cursor to the bottom of the screen.
Scroll Control
Reposition the view without moving the cursor, matching Vim's scroll commands:
Cursor-Relative Scrolling
| zz | Scroll so cursor is at center of screen |
| zt | Scroll so cursor is at top of screen |
| zb | Scroll so cursor is at bottom of screen |
Line-by-Line Scrolling
| Ctrl+E | Scroll view down one line (cursor stays) |
| Ctrl+Y | Scroll view up one line (cursor stays) |
These are useful for peeking at nearby files without losing your place in the list.
Visual Selection Mode
Select multiple files using Vim-style visual mode:
Entering Visual Mode
- Press Shift+V to enter visual selection mode
- The current file is selected and the cursor changes to indicate visual mode
- Navigate with j/k or arrow keys to extend the selection
- All files between your start position and cursor are selected
Exiting Visual Mode
- Press Shift+V again to exit and keep selection
- Press Escape to exit and clear selection
- Perform an action (copy, move, delete) to exit automatically
Actions in Visual Mode
Once you've selected files, use standard operations:
| F5 | Copy selected files |
| F6 | Move selected files |
| F8 | Delete selected files |
| Delete | Delete selected files |
Tip: Visual mode is perfect for selecting a range of files without holding Shift and clicking.
Quick Filter
Filter the file list by typing:
| / | Start typing to filter (like Vim's search) |
| n | Jump to next filter match |
| Shift+N | Jump to previous filter match |
| Escape | Clear filter |
Press / and start typing to instantly filter the file list. Only matching files are shown. Use n/Shift+N to cycle through matches, just like Vim's search navigation. Press Escape to clear the filter and show all files again.
Pane Navigation
Work efficiently with dual panes:
| Tab | Switch to other pane |
File Operations
Standard F-key operations familiar to Norton Commander and Total Commander users:
| F2 | Rename file |
| F3 | View file |
| F4 | Edit file |
| F5 | Copy to other pane |
| F6 | Move to other pane |
| F7 | Create new folder |
| F8 | Delete |
| F9 | Visual diff |
| F10 | Quit |
Selection Without Visual Mode
You can also select files the traditional way:
| Space | Toggle selection and move down |
| Insert | Toggle selection and move down |
| Cmd+A | Select all files |
| Cmd+Option+I | Invert selection |
| Escape | Clear selection |
Combining Techniques
For maximum efficiency, combine these techniques:
- Press / to filter files by name
- Press gg to jump to top
- Press Shift+V to enter visual mode
- Press G to select all filtered files
- Press F5 to copy them all