yazi/Q/How can I maximize the preview pane so I can use glow in a bigger space?

• How can I maximize the preview pane in yazi so I can use glow in a bigger space?

  • My Notes

    • 2026-05-05 Tue
      • Goal: from Yazi, open the highlighted file in glow as a pager using the full terminal, then return to Yazi. The Answer below spells out the minimal config; the trick is Yazi’s blocking shell, not the preview column width.

  • Answer

    • AI/Response
      • Simplest way — glow in a blocking shell: Assign a shortcut that means: run a command on the file under the cursor, give it the full terminal, and do not show Yazi again until that command exits. In Yazi you do that with the shell action plus the --block flag. The placeholder %h becomes the hovered file’s path. Use glow -p so glow runs as a pager (long files scroll inside glow). Docs: shell.
      • 1. Open (or create) your Yazi keymap file: ~/.config/yazi/keymap.toml.
      • 2. Add a binding whose run value is shell 'glow -p %h' --block. Use prepend_keymap in keymap.toml so you add one shortcut without wiping defaults. Example chord g then l — pick different keys if yours are taken:

      • [[mgr.prepend_keymap]]
        on   = [ "g", "l" ]
        run  = "shell 'glow -p %h' --block"
        desc = "Glow pager for hovered file (full terminal)"

      • 3. Restart Yazi. Point at a markdown file, press the shortcut, read in glow, quit glow (often q). You should return to Yazi.
      • If you do not want pager behavior: keep the same shell '…' --block pattern but swap in glow %h instead of glow -p %h.
      • Optional — bigger preview column only: The narrow preview panel on the right is separate from this full-terminal trick. To widen only that panel (still not full-screen), edit ~/.config/yazi/yazi.toml, section [mgr], key ratio, three numbers meaning parent column, file list, preview — e.g. [0, 1, 3] hides the parent column and gives preview more room (ratio). That is optional; it does not replace shell … --block for full-terminal glow.
      • Preview pane images/PDFs: In yazi.toml, [preview] max_width and max_height affect image/PDF thumbnails in the side preview; after edits run yazi --clear-cache.
      • Glow pager settings: See Glow/Q/How do I use Glow as a default pager for markdown documents when I'm in a terminal? for glow -p, pager:, and related options.