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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsz.lua is a command-line directory jumper that learns which folders you use and takes you back to them with short queries. It maintains a database of visited paths, then ranks matches with “frecency”—a score that combines how often and how recently each directory was used.
The project is a Lua script for shells including Bash, zsh, Fish, Nushell, PowerShell and Windows command-line environments. See the official README for platform-specific setup.
How z.lua chooses a directory
Every time you work in a directory, z.lua can record that path. When you run z with a query, it searches the recorded database and selects the highest-ranked matching path. A directory visited recently can beat one visited many times in the past, because recency and frequency are combined rather than treated as separate lists.
For example, after visiting /work/projects/foo/bar, the query z foo bar matches components in that order. The default query language uses Lua-pattern expressions, so the order matters: a path containing foo before bar matches, while /bar/foo does not satisfy that ordered query.
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The project describes itself as “A command line tool which helps you navigate faster by learning your habits.”
Default and enhanced matching
Default mode
Default behavior is similar to z.sh: query terms are matched against recorded paths as ordered Lua patterns. This is predictable when your directory names provide distinctive fragments, but it may return several candidates when names overlap.
Enhanced mode
Enhanced matching changes how candidates are selected and can allow z to enter a matching local directory even when that directory has not yet been recorded. Because this mode changes the matching behavior, enable it only after checking the current syntax in the project README.
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Useful commands and flags
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
z query |
Jump to the highest-ranked matching directory. |
z -l query |
List matching directories instead of changing directories. |
z -i query |
Show an interactive list so you can choose a match. |
z -I query |
Use fzf when multiple matches exist. |
z -t query |
Order results by most recent access. |
z -r query |
Order results by frequency. |
z -b query |
Search backward toward a parent directory or project root. |
Flags can be combined where the installed version supports the combination. If a command behaves differently from the README, check the version-specific documentation before changing your shell configuration.
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Installation consists of obtaining the script, ensuring Lua is callable, and evaluating shell-specific initialization code. The exact integration differs by shell.
Bash
- Place
z.luaat a stable path. - Add the initialization command to your Bash startup file, usually
~/.bashrc:eval "$(lua /path/to/z.lua --init bash)" - Open a new shell or source the file, then visit a few directories before trying a query.
The README also documents enhanced and once initialization options; use its current form if you need those behaviors.
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zsh
- Add the zsh initialization form to
~/.zshrc:eval "$(lua /path/to/z.lua --init zsh)" - Reload zsh with
source ~/.zshrcor start a new session.
Fish
Fish uses generated initialization piped to source. Follow the Fish section of the README rather than copying Bash or zsh syntax.
Nushell
Nushell setup generates a file that you source from your Nushell configuration. The project documents support for Nushell 0.96 and newer and notes a lua-filesystem requirement for WSL 1.
PowerShell
PowerShell evaluates generated initialization in the PowerShell profile. Add the documented command to the profile, then restart PowerShell or reload that profile.
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Windows command-line shells
The project documents clink and cmder integrations. Lua must be available on PATH; use the Windows instructions in the README for the shell you actually run.
Using fzf for ambiguous matches
fzf is optional. Install it separately, then use z -I query when you want an interactive fuzzy finder for multiple matches. Without fzf, z -i query provides z.lua’s interactive selection instead. Neither option changes the underlying directory database.
Configuration that matters
$_ZL_CMD: changes the command name from its default,z.$_ZL_DATA: changes the database file location; the default is~/.zlua.$_ZL_EXCLUDE_DIRS: excludes paths you do not want recorded.$_ZL_ADD_ONCE=1: updates the database only after the working directory changes, reducing repeated writes during a session.
z.lua also ages its data: when the total rank exceeds the default threshold of 5,000, ranks are scaled down. This keeps old activity from growing without limit while preserving relative usage patterns.
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Troubleshooting common problems
z: command not found
- Confirm that Lua runs from the shell with
lua -v. - Check that the initialization line is in the startup file used by your current shell.
- Reload the file or open a new terminal.
No directories are returned
Use several directories normally so they can be recorded, then try a distinctive ordered query. If you deliberately excluded a parent path with $_ZL_EXCLUDE_DIRS, it will not appear in results.
The wrong directory wins
Use z -l query to inspect candidates. Choose -t when recency is what matters, -r when frequency is more important, or -i/-I to select manually. Remember that default matching is ordered.
fzf selection fails
Verify that the fzf executable is installed and on PATH. Use z -i as a built-in alternative.
Project status, license and realistic expectations
The official releases page lists v1.8.26, released August 10, 2026; its note mentions a Nushell completion fix and disabled sorting in Nushell completion: https://github.com/skywind3000/z.lua/releases.
z.lua is distributed under the MIT License. The README also makes speed comparisons with fasd, autojump and z.sh, but it does not provide a benchmark setup or methodology on the reviewed page. Treat those multipliers as project claims rather than independently established performance results.
Compared with other directory jumpers, evaluate the shell and operating-system support, ordered versus enhanced matching, database aging, interactive and fzf workflows, and installation dependencies. z.lua’s main advantage is the combination of frecency ranking, multiple shell integrations and selectable matching modes; its main learning cost is understanding shell initialization and ordered Lua-pattern queries.
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