How can I remap or set fd to search in $HOME dir instead of $CWD ?

[Goku-San]

What system are you running Yazi on?

Linux X11

What terminal are you running Yazi in?

st - Simple Terminal from Suckless

yazi --debug output

Yazi
    Version: 25.5.31 (Arch Linux 2025-06-01)
    Debug  : false
    Triple : x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu (linux-x86_64)
    Rustc  : 1.87.0 (17067e9a 2025-05-09)

Ya
    Version: 25.5.31 (Arch Linux 2025-06-01)

Emulator
    TERM                : Some("st-256color")
    TERM_PROGRAM        : Some("tmux")
    TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION: Some("3.5a")
    Brand.from_env      : None
    Emulator.detect     : Emulator { kind: Right(Unknown { kgp: false, sixel: false }), light: false, csi_16t: (13, 27), force_16t: false }

Adapter
    Adapter.matches    : X11
    Dimension.available: Dimension { rows: 56, columns: 195, width: 2535, height: 1512 }

Desktop
    XDG_SESSION_TYPE           : Some("x11")
    WAYLAND_DISPLAY            : None
    DISPLAY                    : Some(":0")
    SWAYSOCK                   : None
    HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE: None
    WAYFIRE_SOCKET             : None

SSH
    shared.in_ssh_connection: false

WSL
    WSL: false

Variables
    SHELL           : Some("/bin/zsh")
    EDITOR          : Some("/usr/bin/vim")
    VISUAL          : None
    YAZI_FILE_ONE   : None
    YAZI_CONFIG_HOME: None
    YAZI_ZOXIDE_OPTS: None
    FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS: Some("--height 95% --layout=reverse --color=fg+:#263232,bg+:#45cd45,hl+:#bb138d\n                      --multi --bind ctrl-f:down,ctrl-d:up\n                      --preview=\"[[ \\$(file --mime {}) =~ binary ]] && echo {} is a binary file ||\n                      bat --paging=never -r :100 {} 2> /dev/null\" --bind ctrl-e:preview-up,ctrl-y:preview-down")

Text Opener
    default     : Some(OpenerRule { run: "$EDITOR \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "", for: None, spread: true })
    block-create: Some(OpenerRule { run: "$EDITOR \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "", for: None, spread: true })
    block-rename: Some(OpenerRule { run: "$EDITOR \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "", for: None, spread: true })

Multiplexers
    TMUX               : true
    tmux version       : tmux 3.5a
    tmux build flags   : enable-sixel=Unknown
    ZELLIJ_SESSION_NAME: None
    Zellij version     : No such file or directory (os error 2)

Dependencies
    file          : 5.46
    ueberzugpp    : 2.9.7
    ffmpeg/ffprobe: 7.1.1 / 7.1.1
    pdftoppm      : 25.06.0
    magick        : 7.1.1-47
    fzf           : 0.62.0
    fd/fdfind     : 10.2.0 / No such file or directory (os error 2)
    rg            : 14.1.1
    chafa         : 1.16.0
    zoxide        : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    7zz/7z        : No such file or directory (os error 2) / 24.09
    resvg         : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    jq            : 1.8.0

Clipboard
    wl-copy/paste: No such file or directory (os error 2) / No such file or directory (os error 2)
    xclip        : 0.13
    xsel         : 1.2.1

Routine
    `file -bL --mime-type`: text/plain


See https://yazi-rs.github.io/docs/plugins/overview#debugging on how to enable logging or debug runtime errors.

### Describe the question

Like the title says is there a clear way to set or override the search with `fd` ?
When looking for files or dirs, I want the lookup to be at least on the $HOME lvl, not on current dir.
How can I do this ?

Thanks in advance...

### Anything else?

_No response_

### Checklist

- [X] I have read all the documentation
- [X] I have searched the existing discussions/issues

[573]

Add

{ on = "s",         run = "search --via=fd --args='--base-directory $HOME'",             desc = "Search files by name via fd" },

to keymaps.toml

[bulletmark]

Without any special configuration, just type ghz, i.e. go to home directory then run fzf to fuzzy search which is better than fd anyhow.

[573]

Except for the case where OP does not want leave cwd. Anyways, nice catch !

[bulletmark]

Except for the case where OP does not want leave cwd. Anyways, nice catch !

Well he wants to navigate away to the dir of the file he is about to open. Anyhow, if he wants to bookmark his current dir first then just preface that command with a t to open a new tab before navigating away.

[Goku-San]

Hi, @573
I tried this and it doesn't work. Don't know why...
Here are the attempts that I tried
keymap.toml

1. This crashes yazi

[mgr]
keymap = [
  { on = "s", run = "search --via=fd --args='--base-directory $HOME'", desc = "Search files by name via fd" },
]

2. This results in not found - it doesn't work

[mgr]
keymap = [
  { on = "s", run = "search --via=fd --args='--base-directory /home/my_username'", desc = "Search files by name via fd" },
]

In both cases, even the description is not reflected when I press s
I also tried with prepend_keymap and nothing...
I also tried inverting the quotation marks in --args=... part

@bulletmark Tnx for the suggestion, but when I am using yazi I usually don't want to leave $CWD, just want to find something and take a glance. I know there is multiple ways to achieve this, but it would be nice if I can make this work..

Please help and explain as to why the above is not working...

Edit
Example workflow. Lets say you are currently in ~/.config/yazi and for some reason you want to check ~/Pictures or ~/Videos whatever...

[sxyazi]

There is no way to search for files outside of the current directory, because the search feature is designed to only search within the current directory and its descendants.

If you don't want to leave your CWD, one way to do the search is in a new tab:

{ on = "s", run = [ "tab_create ~", "search" ], desc = "Search in $HOME" },

After you have done all of your work, press Ctrl-c to close the temporary tab, and you will return to your previous CWD - this should be similar to what you expect, except it's using Ctrl-c to return to your CWD rather than Esc.

Note that, you should use prepend_keymap instead of keymap unless you want to override all default keybindings, I'd recommend reading our keymap documentation here: https://yazi-rs.github.io/docs/configuration/keymap

[Goku-San]

Oki, tnx for the answer... It would be nice though to have a search like that...
I will mark your post as the answer.

[sxyazi]

There is no way to search for files outside of the current directory

This is now supported in #3696 🎉