canola.nvim

A refined oil.nvim — edit your filesystem like a buffer, with bug fixes and community PRs that haven't landed upstream.

Upstream tracker — full PR and issue triage against oil.nvim

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/506791/209727111-6b4a11f4-634a-4efa-9461-80e9717cea94.mp4

Features

• Edit directory listings as normal buffers — mutations are derived by diffing
• Cross-directory move, copy, and rename across any adapter
• Adapters for local filesystem, SSH, S3, and OS trash
• File preview in split or floating window
• Configurable columns (icon, size, permissions, timestamps)
• Executable file highlighting and filetype-aware icons
• Floating window and split layouts

Requirements

• Neovim 0.10+
• (Optionally) any of the following icon providers:
  • mini.icons
  • nvim-web-devicons
  • nonicons.nvim

Installation

Install with your package manager of choice or via luarocks:

luarocks install canola.nvim

Documentation

:help canola.nvim

FAQ

Q: How do I migrate from stevearc/oil.nvim?

Change the plugin source and replace setup() with vim.g.canola in init. The configuration table is identical — only the entry point changes. For example, with lazy.nvim:

Before (stevearc/oil.nvim):

{
  'stevearc/oil.nvim',
  opts = { ... },
  config = function(_, opts)
    require('canola').setup(opts)
  end,
}

After (barrettruth/canola.nvim):

{
  'barrettruth/canola.nvim',
  init = function()
    vim.g.canola = { ... }
  end,
}

init runs before the plugin loads; config runs after. oil.nvim reads vim.g.canola at load time, so init is the correct hook. Do not use config, opts, or lazy — oil.nvim loads itself when you open a directory.

Q: Why "canola"?

From the vim-vinegar README, a quote by Drew Neil:

Split windows and the project drawer go together like oil and vinegar

Q: What are some alternatives?

• stevearc/oil.nvim: the original
• mini.files: cross-directory filesystem-as-buffer with a column view
• vim-vinegar: the granddaddy of single-directory file browsing
• dirbuf.nvim: filesystem as buffer without cross-directory edits
• lir.nvim: vim-vinegar style with Neovim integration
• vim-dirvish: stable, simple directory browser

Acknowledgements

• stevearc: oil.nvim