A Guide to Using cmus (with examples)

Opening cmus in a specified directory

To open cmus in a specific directory, you can use the following command:

cmus path/to/directory

The path/to/directory argument specifies the directory you want cmus to open in. This command is useful when you have your music files organized in different directories and want to navigate directly to a specific location.

For example, if you want to open cmus in the “Music” directory located in your home folder, you would use the following command:

cmus ~/Music

Adding a file or directory to the cmus library

To add a file or directory to the cmus library, you can use the following command:

:add path/to/file_or_directory

The path/to/file_or_directory argument specifies the file or directory you want to add to the library. This command is useful when you have new music files that you want to include in cmus for easier access and playback.

For example, if you have a new music album downloaded in the “Downloads/Music” directory, you would use the following command to add it to cmus library:

:add ~/Downloads/Music

Pausing or unpausing the current song

To pause or unpause the current song, you can use the following command:

c

This command is helpful when you need to quickly pause a song that is currently playing in cmus without navigating through the UI.

Toggling shuffle mode on or off

To toggle shuffle mode on or off in cmus, you can use the following command:

s

This command allows you to easily switch the shuffle mode to mix up the order of your music playlist or turn it off to play songs in the sequence they are added.

Quitting cmus

To quit cmus, you can use the following command:

q

This command is useful when you’re done using the music player and want to exit out of the program. It helps to ensure that cmus is properly closed and no processes are running in the background.

Example Output

• Opening cmus in a specified directory:

cmus ~/Music

Output: cmus opens in the “Music” directory with the available music files in that directory ready for playback.

• Adding a file or directory to the cmus library:

:add ~/Downloads/Music

Output: The music files contained in the “Downloads/Music” directory are added to the cmus library and can be accessed and played through cmus.

• Pausing or unpausing the current song:

c

Output: The current song playing in cmus is paused if it is currently playing. If the song is already paused, it will resume playing from the same point.

• Toggling shuffle mode on or off:

s

Output: The shuffle mode in cmus is toggled on or off, depending on its previous state. When enabled, cmus will randomly order the songs in the playlist.

• Quitting cmus:

q

Output: cmus is closed, and you return to the command line.