Grove

Grove gives Helix the project pane it has been missing: navigate your workspace naturally with keyboard or mouse and never lose sight of Git changes or unsaved work.

Install

Grove requires Steel-enabled Helix and does not work with stock Helix. On macOS, install the current helix-steel formula through Homebrew:

brew install --HEAD ivoronin/ivoronin/helix-steel

The formula lives in a personal tap but installs hx, Steel, and forge directly from the upstream repository. To build the Steel fork manually instead, follow Up and running with Helix and Steel Scheme.

Use the same Forge command for the initial install and later upgrades. --force installs Grove when absent and overwrites an existing installation with the latest revision:

forge pkg install --git https://github.com/ivoronin/grove.hx.git --force

Add the following setup to ~/.config/helix/init.scm:

(require "grove/grove.scm")
(require "helix/keymaps.scm")

(define (grove-workspace-launch?)
  (let loop ([args (cdr (command-line))])
    (cond
      [(null? args) #f]
      [(equal? (car args) "--") #f]
      [(or (equal? (car args) "-w")
           (equal? (car args) "--working-dir"))
       #t]
      [else (loop (cdr args))])))

(grove-start!
  #:visibility
  (if (grove-workspace-launch?) 'always 'focused))

(keymap (global)
  (normal
    (space
      (e ":grove-focus!")
      (E ":grove-visibility-toggle!"))))

This setup keeps Grove visible when Helix starts with -w or --working-dir. For other launches, Grove stays hidden until Space e focuses it and hides again when Grove releases focus. Space E switches between these behaviors for the current Helix process. Merge both bindings into your existing keymap or choose other chords if they are already taken.

Use hx -w . or hx --working-dir . for an explicit Workspace launch. Do not use hx .; Helix treats a positional directory as a request to open its native file picker before Steel components mount.

Configuration

grove-start! accepts these optional settings:

Setting	Default	Values	Effect
#:icons	#t	#t or #f	Shows file icons. Requires a terminal font with Nerd Fonts 3.3 glyphs.
#:guides	#t	#t or #f	Shows ancestor traces and Leaf marks. Cursor (>) and Active file (*) marks remain visible when disabled.
#:side	'left	'left or 'right	Places Grove on that side of the editor.
#:theme	(grove-theme)	A grove-theme value	Follows the active Helix theme by default. See THEMING.md for role and color overrides.
#:width	32	16 through 64	Sets the total width, including the Rail that separates Grove from the editor and acts as its scrollbar.
#:visibility	'always	'always or 'focused	Keeps the Pane visible, or shows it only while Grove is focused.

For example:

(grove-start!
  #:icons #f
  #:guides #f
  #:side 'right
  #:width 40)

Visibility controls when Grove presents an available Pane and when Helix can use its space:

Visibility	While Grove is unfocused	grove-focus!
'always	The Pane stays visible.	Focuses the current Pane.
'focused	The Pane stays hidden.	Shows and focuses the current Pane.

Controls

Keyboard commands apply after Grove receives focus through your configured binding. Mouse input works without focusing Grove.

Input	Action
j / k, Up / Down	Move through the tree
h / l, Left / Right	Collapse or expand a directory
PageUp / PageDown	Move by one visible page
Enter	Toggle a directory or open a file
Ctrl-s	Open a file in a horizontal split
Ctrl-v	Open a file in a vertical split
n	Create and open a new file
N	Create a new directory
r	Rename or move a file, link, or directory
d	Permanently delete a file or link, or recursively delete a directory
+ / -	Resize Grove
Escape	Return focus to the editor
Click a file or directory	Open the file or toggle the directory
Mouse wheel	Scroll the tree
Click or drag the Rail	Page, scroll, or resize Grove

The first key Grove does not bind returns focus to Helix and continues there, so existing Helix mappings remain available.