kimlimjustin/xplorer

★ 5,549TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Xplorer))
    What it does
      Cross-platform file manager
      Windows macOS Linux
      Tabbed file browsing
    Tech Stack
      TypeScript SCSS frontend
      Rust backend via Tauri
    Features
      File previews
      Session restore
      Theme support
    Status
      Unstable refactoring
      Extensions planned

mindmap root((Xplorer)) What it does Cross-platform file manager Windows macOS Linux Tabbed file browsing Tech Stack TypeScript SCSS frontend Rust backend via Tauri Features File previews Session restore Theme support Status Unstable refactoring Extensions planned

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Install as a themed, tabbed alternative to Windows Explorer or macOS Finder that runs natively on all three major desktop platforms.

USE CASE 2

Use as a Tauri reference project to see how a desktop app combines a TypeScript and SCSS front end with Rust for file system operations.

USE CASE 3

Contribute to an open-source file manager and gain experience with Tauri, Rust, and cross-platform desktop development.

Tech stack

TypeScriptRustTauriSCSS

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Download the pre-built installer from the releases page for instant use, building from source requires both Rust and Node.js toolchains.

License details are not explicitly mentioned in the documentation for this project.

In plain English

Xplorer is a file manager application, similar to Windows Explorer or Finder on Mac, but built to run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The goal is a modern-looking, customizable alternative to the file browsers built into each operating system. You can download and install it like any regular desktop app from the project's releases page. The app is built using a framework called Tauri, which lets developers write the visual parts of a desktop app using web technologies (TypeScript and SCSS in this case) while the parts that interact with the actual file system are written in Rust, a lower-level programming language known for speed and safety. This combination is what allows Xplorer to run natively on all three major desktop platforms without being a slow, resource-heavy app. Features already working include browsing files and folders, previewing files including videos, opening multiple tabs (like a web browser), and restoring your previous session when you reopen the app. The interface supports themes so you can change how it looks. The project is open source, meaning anyone can read the code, suggest changes, or contribute improvements. The README notes that the app is not fully stable and is undergoing significant refactoring. Some planned features are not yet available, including a full extension system beyond themes, custom file categorization, multiple workspaces, remote file support (like Google Drive or OneDrive), and a web version. The author is a student and mentions that ongoing development has real costs, with a link for optional sponsorship. If you try it and something crashes, the project has an active issues page and community discussions on GitHub. Installation problems and common crash scenarios are documented in a separate troubleshooting page on the project website.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Using Xplorer's Tauri architecture as a guide, show me how to define a new Rust command that the TypeScript front end can call to read and return directory contents.

Prompt 2

I want to create a custom theme for Xplorer. Show me the SCSS variables or CSS overrides I need to change to update the app's colors and fonts.

Prompt 3

In the Xplorer codebase, how does the multi-tab system work? Show me the TypeScript data structure that tracks open tabs and how switching tabs updates the displayed file listing.

Prompt 4

Show me how to build Xplorer from source on Linux and package it as an AppImage using Tauri's built-in bundler.

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