lazyftp brings a familiar TUI experience to file transfers. If you live in the terminal and find yourself constantly switching to a GUI client just to move files around — this is for you.
Dual-pane local/remote navigation, real-time transfer progress, FTP, FTPS and SFTP support, all from the keyboard.
- FTP, FTPS and SFTP support
- Dual-pane layout — local and remote side by side
- Real-time transfer progress with direction indicators
- Multiple file selection and batch transfers
- Keyboard-driven navigation (vim-style + arrow keys)
- Context-aware hints bar
- Transfer and connection log
Grab the archive for your platform from the
latest release, unpack it and put lazyftp
somewhere on your PATH. Linux, macOS and Windows, on both x86-64 and arm64. No Go toolchain
needed.
git clone https://github.com/MawCeron/lazyftp.git
cd lazyftp
go build -o lazyftp .go install github.com/MawCeron/lazyftp@latestlazyftpThe local panel opens in the directory you ran it from.
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
--verbose |
Show the FTP control dialogue in the Log panel |
--log-file <path> |
Write the log to a file as well, appending to it |
--version |
Print the version and exit |
Fill in the connection bar at the top:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Proto | FTP, FTPS or SFTP — cycle with ← / → |
| Host | Server hostname or IP |
| User | Username |
| Pass | Password |
| Port | Leave empty for the protocol's default: 21 for FTP and FTPS, 22 for SFTP |
Press Enter to connect, Esc to give up on an attempt that is taking too long.
FTPS certificates are verified, so a server with a self-signed certificate is refused.
- Navigate to the file or directory you want to transfer
- Optionally mark multiple files with
x - Press
tto transfer
If you are in the local panel, the file will be uploaded to the current remote path. If you are in the remote panel, it will be downloaded to the current local path.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+L |
Focus connection bar |
Tab |
Switch between local and remote panels |
Esc |
Exit connection bar, or abandon a connection attempt |
q / Q |
Quit |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Tab |
Next field |
Shift+Tab |
Previous field |
← / → |
Change protocol (on the Proto field) |
Enter |
Connect |
Esc |
Close, or abandon an attempt in progress |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
j / ↓ |
Move down |
k / ↑ |
Move up |
Enter / Space |
Enter directory |
- / Backspace |
Go up one level |
x |
Mark / unmark file or directory |
t |
Transfer (upload or download depending on active panel) |
A connection fails and you want to know why. Both flags together put the whole exchange in a file you can attach to an issue. Passwords are masked.
lazyftp --verbose --log-file lazyftp.logFTPS is refused and the credentials are right. The server most likely does not offer TLS.
Connect over FTP instead.
lazyftp/
├── .github/
│ └── workflows/ CI on Linux and Windows, plus the release build
├── docs/ Contributor documentation
├── internal/
│ ├── client/ FTP, FTPS and SFTP behind one interface
│ ├── model/ FileInfo — one entry in a listing, local or remote
│ ├── shared/ Messages and progress wrappers used across packages
│ ├── transfer/ Uploads and downloads, running in the background
│ └── ui/ The Bubble Tea model, the panels and every keystroke
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── LICENSE
├── ROADMAP.md
├── go.mod
└── main.go
| Release | Focus |
|---|---|
| v0.1.2 | FTP connectivity and stability |
| v0.2.0 | TUI overhaul — responsive layout, theming, help screen |
| v0.3.0 | File operations — rename, delete, create directories |
| v0.4.0 | Connections and authentication — favorites, history, SSH keys |
| v0.5.0 | Transfer queue and permissions |
See ROADMAP.md for what each release contains and why, or the milestones for progress.
| Resource | What it covers |
|---|---|
| CHANGELOG.md | What changed in each release |
| ROADMAP.md | What each release is for, and why the issues are ordered as they are |
| docs/architecture.md | Where things live, how a keystroke becomes a transfer, the rules that are easy to break |
| docs/style.md | What a patch is expected to look like — comments, naming, errors, tests |
| docs/CONTRIBUTING.md | Picking up an issue, branching, commits, and what is in scope |
Pull requests are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md.
For anything larger than a fix, open an issue before writing code.
Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.