Terminal Markdown previewer — GUI-like experience.

_{See more screenshots in the features demo}

Install#

Install the latest published binary.

macOS / Linux / Android / Termux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RivoLink/leaf/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Windows:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RivoLink/leaf/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

npm:

npm install -g @rivolink/leaf

Verify the installation:

leaf --version

Update#

Update an existing installation to the latest published release.

Self:

leaf --update

leaf --update downloads the matching published asset, verifies it against the published checksums.txt SHA256, and then installs it.

On Windows, if replacing the running .exe is blocked by the OS, rerun the PowerShell installer from the install section.

npm:

npm update -g @rivolink/leaf

Build#

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/RivoLink/leaf.git
cd leaf

Build the release binary locally:

cargo build --release

Create a local bin directory if needed and symlink leaf into it:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ln -sf "$(pwd)/target/release/leaf" ~/.local/bin/leaf

If ~/.local/bin is not already on your PATH, add it to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Usage#

# Open a Markdown file
leaf TESTING.md

# Watch mode — reloads automatically on save
leaf --watch TESTING.md
leaf -w TESTING.md

# Open the fuzzy Markdown picker
leaf

# Open the classic directory browser picker
leaf --picker

# Open the fuzzy Markdown picker, then watch the selected file
leaf -w

# Open the classic directory browser picker, then watch the selected file
leaf -w --picker

# Open a dash-prefixed filename
leaf -- -notes.md

# Stream Markdown from another CLI tool
claude "explain Rust lifetimes" | leaf

# Preview a local file through stdin
cat TESTING.md | leaf

Keybindings#

Features#

• Live preview — Watch mode with automatic reload and visual feedback.
• File picker — Fuzzy Markdown picker, directory browser, and watch after selection.
• Editor integration — Open the current file in your preferred editor.
• Rich Markdown rendering — Tables, lists, blockquotes, rules, bold, italic, and strikethrough.
• Syntax highlighting — Common aliases like py, cpp, json, toml, ps1, dockerfile.
• LaTeX support — Inline, block, and latex / tex code blocks rendered as formulas.
• Navigation — TOC sidebar, active section tracking, heading jumps, and search.
• Terminal UX — Theme picker, help popup, file path popup, mouse and keyboard support.
• CLI friendly — stdin support and leaf --update with SHA256 verification.

Typical AI Workflow#

# Terminal 1: generate the file
aichat "..." > notes.md

# Terminal 2: live watch
leaf --watch notes.md

Troubleshooting#

Windows: missing Visual C++ runtime#

If leaf.exe does not start on Windows and reports a missing MSVC runtime, install the latest supported Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft Learn:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170

Direct download for the latest supported X64 Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable:

• https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x64.exe

For leaf-windows-x86_64.exe, the relevant package is the latest supported X64 Visual C++ v14 Redistributable.

Windows: update or file replacement error#

If leaf --update fails on Windows with an error about replacing, renaming, or writing leaf.exe, the running executable was likely locked by the OS.

Close any terminal session still running leaf, then rerun the PowerShell installer from the install section:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RivoLink/leaf/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Uninstall#

macOS / Linux / Android / Termux:

rm -f ~/.local/bin/leaf

Windows:

Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\leaf\leaf.exe" -Force

npm:

npm uninstall -g @rivolink/leaf