What is lowfi?
lowfi is a tiny Rust app that serves a single purpose: play lofi. Created by talwat, it does this as simply as it can - no albums, no ads, no distractions, just pure lofi music for coding and focus. It's designed with the "suckless" philosophy in mind, providing exactly what you need and nothing more.
โก Key Features of lowfi
๐ต Pure Simplicity
Single purpose application - just plays lofi music. No complex interfaces, no distractions, perfect for maintaining coding flow state.
๐ Network Resilient
Buffers 5 whole songs at a time instead of streaming fragments. Designed for inconsistent networks and uninterrupted listening.
๐๏ธ Media Key Support
Works with media keys and MPRIS (playerctl). Control playback without leaving your editor or breaking focus.
๐ป Custom Track Lists
Support for custom track lists including Chillhop, local files, and community-contributed playlists for variety.
โก Lightweight
Tiny binary with minimal resource usage. Won't slow down your development environment or consume system resources.
๐จ Customizable UI
Minimalist mode, borderless display, alternate screen support, and adjustable player width for different terminal setups.
๐ฎ Controls
| Key | Function |
|---|---|
s, n, l | Skip Song |
p, Space | Play/Pause |
+, =, k, โ | Volume Up 10% |
โ | Volume Up 1% |
-, _, j, โ | Volume Down 10% |
โ | Volume Down 1% |
q, Ctrl+C | Quit |
apt upgrade keeps you on the latest version.
๐ฆ Installation from deb.griffo.io
Step 1: Add Repository
sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
sudo apt updateinstall -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
apt update๐ There is an always-free mirror. deb-free.griffo.io serves packages free forever โ no account, no subscription, at most 2 months behind upstream, security fixes immediately. It currently carries Ghostty, Oh My Posh and Zed; lowfi is not one of them, so the repository above is the only way to get it today โ ask and it can be enrolled.
Step 2: Install lowfi
# Install latest lowfi
sudo apt install lowfi
# Verify installation
lowfi --version# Install latest lowfi
apt install lowfi
# Verify installation
lowfi --version๐ฏ Basic Usage Examples
Start listening:
# Just start lowfi - that's it!
lowfi
# Start in minimalist mode (no bottom bar)
lowfi --minimalist
# Start paused
lowfi --paused
# Use alternate terminal screen
lowfi --alternateCustom track lists:
# Use Chillhop instead of Lofi Girl
lowfi --track-list chillhop
# Use custom track list file
lowfi --track-list ~/my-lofi-tracks.txt
# Use community track lists
lowfi --track-list minipopAdvanced options:
# Borderless UI
lowfi --borderless
# Custom player width
lowfi --width 5
# Debug mode (for troubleshooting)
lowfi --debug
# Custom buffer size
lowfi --buffer-size 10๐ Why Choose deb.griffo.io?
- Official Debian: Not available in official repositories
- Cargo Install: Requires Rust toolchain and compilation
- Manual Binary: Manual updates and no package management
- deb.griffo.io: Latest version with automatic updates
- โ Latest Features: Get newest track sources and player improvements
- โ No Rust Compilation: Pre-built binaries, no toolchain needed
- โ Automatic Updates: Packages updated within hours of upstream releases
- โ Proper Audio Setup: Correctly packaged with ALSA and audio dependencies
- โ Multi-Distribution: Works on Bookworm, Trixie, and Sid
- โ Easy Maintenance: Standard apt commands for updates
๐ฆ Package Build Repository
The Debian packages are automatically built and maintained in this GitHub repository:
- ๐ผ lowfi-debian - Latest release builds
๐ Related Packages
Also available from deb.griffo.io:
- termusic - Full-featured terminal music player
- Ghostty Terminal - Modern terminal for development
- Yazi File Manager - Terminal file management
๐ Support This Project
If this repository saves you time and effort, please consider supporting it!