← Back to home

What is ripgrep?

ripgrep (rg) is a line-oriented search tool written in Rust by Andrew Gallant (BurntSushi) that recursively searches the current directory for a regex pattern. It's designed to be a faster alternative to grep with sensible defaults for programmers. With over 50k GitHub stars, it has become the go-to search tool for developers worldwide.

⚡ Performance Benchmarks:

Faster than grep, ag, git grep, ucg, pt, and sift in most scenarios
Respects .gitignore by default for relevant searches
Unicode support with proper handling of encoding
Parallel directory traversal for maximum performance

            🚀 Why Latest Versions Matter: ripgrep is actively developed with frequent releases containing performance improvements, new features, and enhanced regex support. The latest versions include better Unicode handling, improved performance optimizations, and enhanced integration capabilities.
        

⚡ Key Features of ripgrep

🚀 Blazing Fast

Rust implementation with parallel directory traversal and optimized regex engine. Consistently outperforms traditional search tools.

🎯 Smart Defaults

Respects .gitignore, skips hidden files, and ignores binary files by default. Sensible behavior for code searching out of the box.

🌍 Unicode Support

Proper Unicode handling with automatic encoding detection. Search international text and code with confidence.

🎨 Rich Output

Colored output, line numbers, context lines, and multiple output formats including JSON for programmatic use.

🔧 Highly Configurable

Extensive command-line options, configuration files, and custom type definitions for different file formats.

📦 Cross-Platform

Works consistently across Linux, macOS, and Windows with identical features and performance characteristics.

🆕 What's New in ripgrep 14.1.1+

Performance Improvements: Enhanced regex engine and faster directory traversal
Better Unicode Support: Improved handling of international text and encoding
Enhanced Output: Better formatting and color options
Regex Enhancements: Support for more regex features and patterns
Configuration Options: More flexible configuration and customization
Bug Fixes: Various stability improvements and edge case handling

📦 Installation from debian.griffo.io

Step 1: Add Repository

# Add GPG key
curl -sS https://debian.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/debian.griffo.io.gpg

# Add repository
echo "deb https://debian.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.griffo.io.list

# Update package list
sudo apt update
            

Step 2: Install ripgrep

# Install latest ripgrep
sudo apt install ripgrep

# Verify installation
rg --version
            

🎯 Basic Usage Examples

Basic searching:

# Search for pattern in current directory
rg "function"

# Search with case insensitive
rg -i "TODO"

# Search specific file types
rg -t py "import"
rg -t js "const"

# Search with context lines
rg -C 3 "error"
        

Advanced patterns:

# Regex patterns
rg "fn \w+\(" --type rust

# Word boundaries
rg "\bfunction\b"

# Multiline search
rg -U "class.*\n.*def"

# Replace preview
rg "old_name" --replace "new_name"
        

Integration with other tools:

# Use with fzf for interactive search
rg --color=always --line-number . | fzf --ansi

# Create alias for common usage
alias search='rg --color=always --line-number --heading'

# Use in scripts
rg -l "TODO" | xargs -I {} echo "File with TODOs: {}"
        

🚀 Why Choose debian.griffo.io?

📊 Repository Comparison:

Official Debian: Available but often outdated versions
Cargo Install: Requires Rust toolchain and compilation
debian.griffo.io: Latest version (14.1.1+) with automatic updates

✅ Latest Performance: Get newest speed optimizations and regex improvements
✅ No Rust Compilation: Pre-built binaries, no toolchain needed
✅ Automatic Updates: Packages updated within hours of upstream releases
✅ Complete Package: Includes shell completions and documentation
✅ Multi-Distribution: Works on Bookworm, Trixie, and Sid
✅ Easy Maintenance: Standard apt commands for updates

🔗 Related Packages

Also available from debian.griffo.io:

fzf Fuzzy Finder - Perfect companion for interactive search
eza - Modern ls replacement
Yazi File Manager - Terminal file management

            🎯 Perfect for: Developers searching large codebases, anyone needing fast text search, users who appreciate Rust performance, and teams requiring efficient code exploration and debugging workflows.
        

🔍 Install Latest ripgrep on Debian