curl -fL 'https://www.helper.sh/tree-to-file.sh' -o './tree-to-file.sh'This command downloads the bundled file only; it does not run it. Inspect the saved source and compare its version before deciding whether to execute it.
Developer utility
tree-to-file.sh
A helper.sh-hosted shell script for Linux, macOS, and common Unix environments that exports a filtered directory tree into a text file. It prefers the system tree command, attempts installation through the available package manager when tree is missing, and attempts a built-in find plus awk fallback. Output can still fail because of permissions or filesystem errors.
Check the file you downloaded
Compare a saved file with the exact bytes bundled in this page’s build. The file stays in this tab; this tool does not upload or persist it. Maximum 2 MiB.
Expected SHA-2565abd1198eb756cd94316669022678802d59c1121f221cb879d6255259d47097d
Bundled byte count: 2797
Save checksum fileSave the script and checksum in the same directory. On Linux with GNU Coreutils, the command below checks the saved bytes only; it does not run the script. Keep the original filename for this command.
sha256sum --check './tree-to-file.sh.sha256'No comparison yet.
Selected file SHA-256
The checksum and script come from the same site, not an independent signature. A match does not prove safety, authenticity of upstream dependencies, or suitability for your host. Mutable remote dependencies need separate review.
- Download, inspect and compare the saved script before deciding to run it; piping remote content executes it immediately.
- Automatic installation may require sudo or root and may refresh package metadata.
- The built-in fallback matches ignore names exactly, not full shell glob patterns.
Compatibility and limits
- Requires sh; uses tree when available, otherwise may install it through a detected package manager with root or sudo. This is not always a read-only inventory operation. There is no install opt-out or dry-run.
- Argument 1 is the output filename (default tree.txt); argument 2 is the ignore pattern. The current working directory is the scan root. The output file is overwritten without a backup.
- The find fallback requires find, sort, and awk. It filters exact path components after traversal; tree uses its own -I pattern rules. Wildcard behavior and output layout can differ.
Files, services, and data affected
- May refresh package metadata and install tree. It can prompt for sudo; package versions and repository contents are not pinned.
- Writes the selected output file and includes hidden entries. The fallback traverses ignored directories before filtering their names; an ignore rule is not an access-control boundary.
Read-only verification
- Before running, check `command -v tree`, the current directory with `pwd`, and whether the chosen output file already exists.
- After a reviewed run, inspect the output file for expected directories, omitted paths, incomplete output, and sensitive names before sharing it. A completion line alone does not prove the listing is complete.
If it fails
On permission, package-manager, or write errors, preserve any existing output and inspect the error. Install tree separately through your approved process if automatic package changes are unacceptable. Run from the intended directory and choose a new output filename; the script has no backup or rollback.
Download, inspect, then verify the version before execution. A hash only identifies these exact bytes; it does not prove safety. Piped commands run remote content immediately, and upstream dependencies can change.
Choose the output and review what can leak
This is source review, not a filesystem scan or a claim that an export passed. Keep the existing operational limits above; the examples below explain decisions before you run or share an export.
What the two positional arguments mean
The scan root is always the current working directory. Argument 1 is an output filename, not a source directory; argument 2 is the ignore pattern. Empty arguments select the defaults (tree.txt and the bundled ignore list). There is no option parser: do not use --help or --no-install as if they were supported flags. Extra arguments do not set depth or a scan root.
Shell > redirection creates or truncates the output before the renderer reads the tree, and can follow an existing output symlink. A failed renderer can therefore leave an empty or partial replacement. Choose a reviewed new destination outside the scanned tree to avoid listing the output itself; its parent must already exist and be writable. This does not add backup, no-clobber or atomic-write protection.
Read-only checks before deciding whether to run
These commands only display the directory and command locations. They do not run the exporter, install packages, verify permissions or certify compatibility. If tree is absent and package changes are not approved, stop: this script has no installation opt-out.
pwd
command -v tree
command -v find
command -v sort
command -v awkConcrete filter differences
Source/documentation examples, not measured output. “Hidden” below means omitted from the listing, not inaccessible. The fallback still traverses ignored directories. Actual tree versions may differ; check the installed manual.
| Rule / example path | tree branch | find/awk fallback |
|---|---|---|
| node* / node_modules/file.js | Wildcard excludes the name | Literal node* does not equal node_modules; path remains |
| .git / .git/config | Excluded by -I | Excluded by an exact path component |
| Bundled defaults / .env | Not excluded by the default list | Not excluded by the default list |
Excluding the filename .gitignore does not load its rules. The source does not pass tree --gitignore. Hidden names and symlink targets can reveal private information even though this exporter is not a file-content dump. Review the actual saved names before sharing.
Why a completion line is insufficient
The fallback uses find | sort | awk under sh with set -eu and no pipefail setting. On shells using the last pipeline command’s status, a find/sort error may be followed by successful awk output and “Wrote”. Newlines in filenames also break the line-based representation. Read stderr and inspect known paths; a nonempty file or zero exit status alone does not establish completeness. Preserve partial output as evidence and diagnose privately; do not rerun into the same file blindly.
Upstream tree manual · GNU Bash · Read export-review verification and limits
CentOS 7: choose a recovery task
Separate repository failures, SSH access problems and Docker storage pressure before changing an end-of-life host.
Open topic