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Explore Command Quick Start

Launch the interactive file explorer in 2 ways!

Method 1: Direct Launch ⚡ (Recommended)​

The fastest way to start exploring:

# Basic usage
guestkit explore disk.qcow2

# Start from specific path
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc

# With verbose output
guestkit explore --verbose disk.qcow2

# Short alias
guestkit ex vm.qcow2 /var/log

When to use:​

  • Quick file browsing
  • One-off exploration
  • Finding specific files
  • Reviewing configurations

Method 2: From Interactive Shell​

Launch from within the guestkit shell:

# Start shell first
guestkit shell disk.qcow2

# Then launch explorer
guestkit> explore

# Or from specific path
guestkit> explore /etc

# Short alias
guestkit> ex /var/log

When to use:​

  • Long exploration sessions
  • Combining with other shell commands
  • Scripting and automation
  • When you're already in shell mode

Keyboard Shortcuts (Same for Both Methods)​

Essential Keys​

↑↓ or k/j    Navigate files
Enter        Open directory or view file
v            View file content
i            Show file information
h or ?       Help menu
q or Esc     Quit explorer

Advanced Keys​

/            Filter files by name
.            Toggle hidden files
s            Change sort mode (name/size/type)
PgUp/PgDn    Fast scrolling
Backspace    Go to parent directory

Quick Examples​

Example 1: Find Large Log Files​

# Direct launch
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /var/log

# In explorer:
# Press 's' twice to sort by size
# Largest logs appear at top
# Press 'v' to view content

Example 2: Security Audit​

# Launch at /etc
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc

# In explorer:
# Navigate to ssh config
# Press 'v' on sshd_config
# Review security settings

Example 3: Web Server Investigation​

# Start from web root
guestkit ex disk.qcow2 /var/www/html

# In explorer:
# Browse site structure
# Press 'v' to view index.html
# Check file permissions with 'i'

Example 4: User Home Discovery​

# Launch at /home
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /home

# In explorer:
# Navigate to user directory
# Press '.' to show hidden files
# Check .ssh/authorized_keys

Comparison: Direct vs Shell​

FeatureDirect LaunchShell Mode
SpeedInstantRequires shell startup
Use CaseQuick browsingMulti-command workflow
ContextStandalonePart of shell session
ExitReturns to terminalReturns to shell prompt
Best ForOne taskMultiple tasks

Choose Direct Launch when:​

  • ✅ You just want to explore files
  • ✅ Single quick task
  • ✅ Fastest startup needed
  • ✅ Don't need other shell commands

Choose Shell Mode when:​

  • ✅ Using multiple shell commands
  • ✅ Long investigation session
  • ✅ Combining explore with ls, cat, grep, etc.
  • ✅ Running shell scripts

Tips & Tricks​

1. Start from the Right Path​

Instead of navigating through directories, start where you need to be:

# Direct to config files
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc/nginx

# Direct to logs
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /var/log/apache2

# Direct to application
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /opt/myapp

2. Use Filters Efficiently​

# Launch explorer
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc

# Press '/' and type: .conf
# Shows only .conf files

3. Sort for Quick Analysis​

# In /var/log directory:
# Press 's' to sort by name (default)
# Press 's' again to sort by size (find large logs)
# Press 's' again to sort by type (group by extension)

4. Toggle Hidden Files​

# In /home/user directory:
# Press '.' to show .bashrc, .ssh, .config, etc.
# Press '.' again to hide them

5. View First, Navigate Later​

# When you find an interesting file:
# Press 'v' to view content
# Press 'i' to see metadata
# No need to exit explorer!

Common Workflows​

Workflow 1: Security Review​

# Launch
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc

# Navigate to SSH config
# Press 'v' on sshd_config
# Check settings
# Press any key to return
# Navigate to other configs
# Repeat

Workflow 2: Log Analysis​

# Launch with verbose
guestkit explore --verbose disk.qcow2 /var/log

# Sort by size ('s' twice)
# View largest log ('v')
# Check for errors
# Navigate to related logs

Workflow 3: Application Audit​

# Start from app directory
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /opt/myapp

# Browse structure
# Check config files
# Review permissions ('i')
# View startup scripts ('v')

Workflow 4: Combined Shell + Explorer​

# Start shell
guestkit shell disk.qcow2

# Use traditional commands
guestkit> cat /etc/hosts
guestkit> grep "error" /var/log/syslog

# Launch explorer when needed
guestkit> explore /etc/nginx

# Exit explorer, back to shell
guestkit> ls -la /var/www

Troubleshooting​

Can't Launch Explorer​

Problem:

$ guestkit explore disk.qcow2
Command 'explore' not found

Solution: Make sure you're using the latest version of guestkit:

guestkit --version  # Should be v0.3.1 or later

No OS Found​

Problem:

Error: No operating systems found in disk image

Solution: The image may be:

  • Corrupted or incomplete
  • Not a bootable VM image
  • Using unsupported filesystem

Try with verbose to see more details:

guestkit explore --verbose disk.qcow2

Colors Not Showing​

Problem: Black and white output

Solution: Check terminal color support:

echo $TERM
# Should be: xterm-256color

# If not, set it:
export TERM=xterm-256color

Slow Loading​

Problem: Explorer takes long to load

Solution: Start from a specific subdirectory instead of root:

# Instead of:
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /

# Try:
guestkit explore disk.qcow2 /etc

Help Menu (Press 'h' in Explorer)​

Once inside the explorer, press h or ? to see:

╔════════════════════ Explorer Help ═══════════════════╗
║                                                       ║
║ 📖 Navigation                                        ║
║   ↑/↓ or k/j    - Move selection up/down             ║
║   PgUp/PgDn     - Page up/down                       ║
║   Enter         - Enter directory / view file        ║
║   Backspace     - Go to parent directory             ║
║                                                       ║
║ ⚡ Actions                                            ║
║   v             - View file content                  ║
║   i             - Show file info                     ║
║   /             - Filter files                       ║
║   .             - Toggle hidden files                ║
║   s             - Cycle sort mode                    ║
║                                                       ║
║ 🔧 General                                            ║
║   h or ?        - Show this help                     ║
║   q or Esc      - Exit explorer                      ║
║   Ctrl+C        - Force exit                         ║
║                                                       ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Summary​

Direct Launch (Fastest!)​

guestkit explore disk.qcow2 [path]

Pros:

  • ⚡ Instant start
  • 🎯 Direct to your target
  • 🚀 Fastest method
  • ✨ No shell overhead

Shell Mode​

guestkit shell disk.qcow2
guestkit> explore [path]

Pros:

  • 🔄 Combine with other commands
  • 📜 Shell history
  • 🎨 Full shell features
  • 🛠️ Scripting support

Next Steps​

  1. Try it now:

    guestkit explore your-vm.qcow2

  2. Explore common paths:

    • /etc - Configuration files
    • /var/log - Log files
    • /home - User directories
    • /var/www - Web content

  3. Learn shortcuts:

    • Remember: h for help inside explorer
    • Practice: ↑↓, v, i, /, s

  4. Read full docs:

    • See EXPLORE-COMMAND.md for complete guide
    • Check examples and use cases

Happy Exploring! 🚀📂

Last Updated: 2026-01-30 Version: 1.1 (Added Direct Launch)