---
name: "vimiv"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "vimiv"
version: "0.9.1-11"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vimiv"
---

# vimiv(1)

an image viewer with vim-like keybindings

## NAME

vimiv - an image viewer with vim-like keybindings

## SYNOPSIS

`vimiv` \[`-bBfFhlLrRsSv`\] \[`--start-from-desktop`\] \[`--slideshow`\] \[`--slideshow-delay` *SLIDESHOW-DELAY*\] \[`-g`, `--geometry` *GEOMETRY*\] \[`--temp-basedir`\] \[`--config` *FILE*\] \[`--debug`\] \[*FILE*\] ...

## DESCRIPTION

Vimiv is an image viewer with vim-like keybindings. It is written in python3 using the Gtk3 toolkit. Some of the features are:

- •

  Thumbnail mode

- •

  Simple library browser

- •

  Basic image editing

- •

  Command line with tab completion

The complete documentation is not included in this manpage but is available at:

⟨http://karlch.github.io/vimiv/documentation/⟩

## OPTIONS

- `-b`, `--bar`

  display the statusbar

- `-f`, `--fullscreen`

  start in fullscreen

- `-h`, `--help`

  display a simple help text

- `-l`, `--library`

  display the library

- `-r`, `--recursive`

  search the directory recursively for images

- `-s`, `--shuffle`

  shuffle the filelist

- `-v`, `--version`

  show version information and exit

- `--start-from-desktop`

  start using the desktop\_start\_dir as path

- `--slideshow`

  start in slideshow mode

- `--slideshow-delay` *SLIDESHOW\_DELAY*

  set the slideshow delay

- `-g`, `--geometry` *GEOMETRY*

  set the starting geometry

- `--temp-basedir`

  use a temporary basedir

- `--config` *FILE*

  use FILE as local configuration file instead of $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/vimiv/vimivrc and ~/.vimiv/vimivrc.

- `--debug`

  run in debug mode

All capitals negate the setting, so e.g. -B means do not display the statusbar. For the long version prepend no-, e.g. --no-bar.

## BUGS

Probably. Please contact me under \<karlch at protonmail dot com\> or, even better, open an issue on the github homepage.

## SEE ALSO

[**vimivrc**(5)](/vimivrc/5.md)

## THANKS TO

James Campos, author of Pim ⟨https://github.com/Narrat/Pim⟩ upon which vimiv is built.

Bert Muennich, author of sxiv ⟨https://github.com/muennich/sxiv⟩ which inspired many of the features of vimiv.

Anyone who has contributed or reported bugs.

## RESOURCES

**Website** ⟨https://karlch.github.io/vimiv/⟩

**Github** ⟨https://github.com/karlch/vimiv/⟩