Introduction

What is mdv?

mdv is a Markdown viewer for ANSI-compatible terminals, written in Rust. Read a README, follow a guide or keep a rendered document next to your editor without leaving the command line.

It works with files, directories and standard input. Choose a theme, adjust the layout and use the built-in document browser or pager when you need an interactive view.

Key features

• Readable Markdown: headings, syntax-highlighted code, tables, callouts, task lists and links.
• Your own layout: control width, wrapping, margins, heading alignment and table behavior.
• Themes and presets: use built-in palettes or save a custom configuration in YAML.
• Interactive reading: browse Markdown files, search a document and open its source in your editor.
• Live monitoring: refresh the rendered view when a file changes.
• Command-line workflows: read pipes, control color output and export HTML.

Quick start

Install from crates.io with Rust 1.95 or newer:

cargo install mdv
mdv README.md

Try a theme, watch a file or browse the current directory:

mdv --theme catppuccin README.md
mdv --monitor notes.md
mdv -i

Where next?

• Installation covers installers, Cargo, RPM, Arch, Nix, source builds and updates.
• Usage, document browser, pager and monitoring explain reading workflows and controls.
• Layout, code, math, callouts, lists, links, front matter and HTML cover rendering in detail.
• Themes, theme fields, presets and syntax definitions explain customization.
• Configuration, all YAML settings, environment variables and the complete CLI reference document every available setting.

Development covers building and testing the project. The GitHub repository contains its source and examples.