28 Dired commands

Keystrokes	Command name	Action
C-x d File → Open Directory	dired	Start Dired.
A Operate → Search Files	dired-do-search	Do a regular expression search on marked files; stops at first match;M-, finds next match.
B Operate → Byte-compile	dired-do-byte-compile	Byte-compile file.
C Operate → Copy to	dired-do-copy	Copy file.
d Mark → Flag	dired-flag-file-deletion	Flag for deletion.
D Operate → Delete	dired-do-delete	Query for immediate deletion.
e Immediate → Find This File	dired-find-file	Edit file.
f	dired-advertised-find-file	Find (so you can edit).
g Immediate → Refresh	revert-buffer	Reread the directory from disk.
G Operate → Change Group	dired-do-chgrp	Change group permissions.
h	describe-mode	Display descriptive help text for Dired.
H Operate → Hardlink to ...	dired-do-hardlink	Create a hard link to this file; Emacs asks you to name the hard link (not all OSes support hard links).
i Subdir → Insert This Subdir ...	dired-maybe-insert-subdir	Add a listing of this subdirectory to the current dired buffer; if it’s already there, just move to it.
k	dired-do-kill-lines	Remove line from display (don’t delete file).
L Operate → Load	dired-do-load	Load file.
m or * m Mark → Mark	dired-mark	Mark with*.
M Operate → Change Mode	dired-do-chmod	Usechmod command on this file.
n	dired-next-line	Move to next line.
o Immediate → Find in Other Window	dired-find-file-other-window	Find file in another window; move there.
C-o Immediate → Display in Other Window	dired-display-file	Find file in another window; don’t move there.
O Operate → Change Owner	dired-do-chown	Change ownership of file.
p	dired-previous-line	Move up a line.
P Operate → Print	dired-do-print	Print file.
q	quit-window	Quit Dired.
Q Operate → Query Replace in Files	dired-do-query-replace	Query replace string in marked files.
R Operate → Rename to	dired-do-rename	Rename file.
S Operate → Symlink to	dired-do-symlink	Create a symbolic link to this file; Emacs asks you to name the symbolic link.
s	dired-sort-toggle-or-edit	Sort the Dired display by date or by filename (toggles between these).
t Mark → Toggle Marks	dired-toggle-marks	Toggle marks on files and directories; pressingt once marks all unmarked files and directories; pressing t again restores original marks.
u Mark → Unmark	dired-unmark	Remove mark.
v Immediate → View This File	dired-view-file	View file (read-only).
w	dired-copy-filename-as-kill	Copy filename into the kill ring; if multiple files are marked, copy names of all marked files to kill ring.
x	dired-do-flagged-delete	Delete files flagged withD.
y	dired-show-file-type	Display information on the type of the file using thefile command.
Z Operate → Compress	dired-do-compress	Compress or uncompress file.
~ Mark → Flag Backup Files	dired-flag-backup-files	Flag backup files for deletion;C-u ~ removes flags.
# Mark → Flag Auto-save Files	dired-flag-auto-save-files	Flag auto-save files for deletion;C-u # removes flags.
& Mark → Flag Garbage Files	dired-flag-garbage-files	Flag “garbage” files for deletion.
.Mark → Mark Old Backups	dired-clean-directory	Flag numbered backups for deletion (if any).
= Immediate → Diff	dired-diff	Compare this file to another file (the one at the mark).
M-= Immediate → Compare With Backup	dired-backup-diff	Compare this file with its backup file.
! or X Operate → Shell Command	dired-do-shell-command	Ask for shell command to execute on the current file or marked files.
+ Immediate → Create Directory	dired-create-directory	Create a directory.
> Subdir → Next Dirline	dired-next-dirline	Move to next directory.
< Subdir → Prev Dirline	dired-prev-dirline	Move to previous directory.
^	dired-up-directory	Find the parent directory in a new Dired buffer.
$ Subdir → Hide/Unhide Subdir	dired-hide-subdir	Hide or show the current directory or subdirectory.
M-$ Subdir → Hide All	dired-hide-all	Hide all subdirectories, leaving only their names; repeat command to show.
C-M-n Subdir → Next Subdir	dired-next-subdir	Move to next subdirectory (if you’ve inserted subdirectories usingi).
C-M-p Subdir → Prev Subdir	dired-prev-subdir	Move to previous subdirectory (if you’ve inserted subdirectories usingi).
C-M-u Subdir → Tree Up	dired-tree-up	If you’ve inserted subdirectories usingi, move to the parent directory in this buffer.
C-M-d Subdir → Tree Down	dired-tree-down	If you’ve inserted subdirectories usingi, move to the first subdirectory for this directory in this buffer.
* c Mark → Change Marks	dired-change-marks	Change marks on specified files, for example, from* (generic mark) to D (flagged for deletion).
* ! or M-Del Mark → Unmark All	dired-unmark-all-files	Remove all marks from all files.
* * Mark → Mark Executables	dired-mark-executables	Mark executables;C-u * unmarks.
* / Mark → Mark Directories	dired-mark-directories	Mark directories;C-u / unmarks.
* @ Mark → Mark Symlinks	dired-mark-symlinks	Mark symlinks;C-u * @ unmarks.
M-} Mark → Next Marked	dired-next-marked-file	Move to the next file marked with* or D.
M-{ Mark → Previous Marked	dired-prev-marked-file	Move to previous file marked with* or D.
% d Regexp → Flag	dired-flag-files-regexp	Flag for deletion files that match regular expression.
% g Regexp → Mark Containing	dired-mark-files-containing-regexp	Mark files whose contents match regular expression.
% l Regexp → Downcase	dired-downcase	Lowercase marked files.
% R Regexp → Mark	dired-do-rename-regexp	Rename files with filenames that match regular expression.
% u Regexp → Upcase	dired-upcase	Uppercase marked files.