cli.md

CLI Reference

Zed includes a command-line interface for opening files, directories, and controlling the editor from your terminal.

Installation

  • macOS: Run cli: install from the command palette to create a symlink at /usr/local/bin/zed
  • Linux: The CLI is included with your distribution's Zed package (binary name may vary)

Usage

zed [OPTIONS] [PATHS...]

Common Commands

Command Description
zed Open an empty Zed window
zed . Open the current directory as a project
zed /path/to/file Open a specific file
zed /path/to/folder Open a folder as a project
zed file1.rs file2.rs Open multiple files
zed -n /path Open in a new window
ps aux | zed - Read from stdin

Options

Option Description
-n, --new Open in a new window instead of reusing an existing one
-w, --wait Wait for the file to be closed before returning
-a, --add Add files to the current workspace
- Read from stdin
--foreground Start Zed with logs output to the terminal
--dev-server-token <TOKEN> Start as a dev server with the given token
--uninstall Uninstall Zed and all related files
-h, --help Show help information
-v, --version Show version information

Opening Files at a Specific Line

You can open a file at a specific line and column:

zed /path/to/file:42      # Open at line 42
zed /path/to/file:42:10   # Open at line 42, column 10

Examples

Open the current directory in Zed:

zed .

Open a file and wait for it to close (useful for Git commit messages):

GIT_EDITOR="zed -w" git commit

Pipe command output into Zed:

cat /var/log/system.log | zed -

Open multiple files in a new window:

zed -n src/main.rs src/lib.rs