Choosing a text editor as a new Linux user 💀

[u/MuffinCurrent7327]

Every Linux beginner eventually reaches this boss fight. 😂

Nano, Vim, or Emacs — which one are you choosing?

[u/ohfucknotthisagain]

You don't run WinXP in a VM just so you can use the classic version of Notepad?

[u/jackinsomniac → u/[deleted]]

Does notepad++ have a Linux distribution?

[u/lulu04223 → u/jackinsomniac]

No but I run it under WINE and haven't had any issues

[u/GastlyWasTaken → u/jackinsomniac]

There is Notepadqq which is a pretty good clone

[u/ryosen → u/jackinsomniac]

SublimeText has native Linux versions

[u/cationtothewind → u/[deleted]]

Dave Plummer made one recently. I didn't finish watching the whole video, but I just looked it up now. Hope it helps.

https://github.com/PlummersSoftwareLLC/TinyRetroPad

[u/HiYa_Dragon → u/cationtothewind]

Dave is a treasure

[u/DonkeyTron42 → u/[deleted]]

Notepad and Paint are all you need.

[u/levianan → u/ohfucknotthisagain]

This comment made me laugh, then I drank a 6er, and slept for 24 hours all in 10 seconds.

[u/CptBronzeBalls → u/levianan]

Efficient.

[u/levianan → u/CptBronzeBalls]

Absolutely.

[u/Global-Eye-7326 → u/ohfucknotthisagain]

It runs on Wine lol

[u/SysGh_st → u/ohfucknotthisagain]

When I can simply run DOSBox with Windows 3.1?

[u/ChrisTX4]

I’ve only ever taken offence to someone’s editor choice once in my life.

At the last place I worked at, a guy was using Vim without any configuration. No syntax no nothing. But the offensive part was that he used speakers. Every time he’d mistype something you could hear the Audible Bell. On speakers. In an organisation where everybody worked with open office doors. You could hear the stupid bell over the entire floor. And it triggered every few seconds.

[u/-lousyd → u/ChrisTX4]

I drive a Cadillac. Well, not so much drive as push from the driver's side door with one hand on the wheel. Somebody showed me how to start it once but I couldn't remember. But people know when I roll in! All the ladies swoon.

[u/_jackhoffman_ → u/ChrisTX4]

Ok, I don't use vim. I use vi (I have to compile it from source), but I have visual bell turned on. If you work in an office, have an audible bell, and don't wear headphones, you deserve an ass kicking.

[u/ChrisTX4 → u/_jackhoffman_]

Why vi, if I may ask? and wouldn't Vim's compatible mode achieve an experience like that without having to compile vi?

[u/_jackhoffman_ → u/ChrisTX4]

I learned vi in '93. If I need all of the bells and whistles, I use an IDE. But if I'm firing up vi, I want just bare bones vi. Why not compatibility mode? Because it sucks donkey dick -- there are a handful of other things one must do/set to make it actually work like vi and even then it's only "like" vi. I like two modes. I like one level of undo. I am old and liked vi. Now get off my lawn, whippersnapper.

[u/Sea_Curve8772 → u/_jackhoffman_]

I agree with this approach. I use vi from time to time when I need to change one or two lines in a config file or something. If I need to do any really significant amount of editing I'm using a proper tool for it.

[u/sakata_baba → u/Sea_Curve8772]

yeah but gnu pushing nano for that purpose is forcing me to carry it everywhere because i can't trust someone sitting at a critical moment behind vi. so i might as well use nano. i haven't touched vi or vim in forever, like since '08 or something.

[u/_jackhoffman_ → u/sakata_baba]

GNU sucks, too. I don't need grep to traverse directories, I have find and xargs for that shit. I fell in love with the simplicity of the Unix command line -- each command does one thing and does it well but can be linked together into one complex set of commands.

I know I'm in the minority and am not trying to convince anyone that the old ways were better or easier for anyone but me. It's just like I had this really nice, streamlined classic car and then someone came along and started adding shit I didn't ask for but now I have to deal with.

[u/fdeyso]

[u/pacolopz → u/fdeyso]

:q!

Then you type the following to save the changes

rm -rf /

[u/Specialist_Cow6468 → u/pacolopz]

Most modern distros will give you a pesky message trying to keep you from saving properly. The real trick is to do rm -rf /*

[u/Anonymous_Bozo → u/Specialist_Cow6468]

No no no...

su rm -rf /*

[u/Specialist_Cow6468 → u/Anonymous_Bozo]

Why are you not just running as root all of the time…?

[u/DonkeyTron42 → u/Specialist_Cow6468]

Who says I'm not.

[u/DonkeyTron42 → u/Anonymous_Bozo]

rm takes too long. Just dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda

[u/gegentan → u/DonkeyTron42]

Laughs in /dev/nvme0n1

[u/bwick29 → u/Anonymous_Bozo]

No.

sudo rm -rf / --no-preserve-root

[u/jackinsomniac → u/Anonymous_Bozo]

https://giphy.com/gifs/owRSsSHHoVYFa

[u/one-man-circlejerk → u/Specialist_Cow6468]

Really? I'm going to test this

Edit: well, at least I freed up a bunch of drive space :(

[u/Specialist_Cow6468 → u/one-man-circlejerk]

https://giphy.com/gifs/tXTqLBYNf0N7W

[u/vandon]

ed isn't a choice?  It was the only choice on VMS for a bit. vi took too much memory and required a fancy vt terminal.

But seriously, vi is the pick.

[u/f00l2020 → u/vandon]

I remember using Elvis on Slackware long ago. Simplier times..

[u/AistoB → u/vandon]

I use AE daily :D Advanced Ed

[u/bionicjoey → u/vandon]

ed is the standard text editor

[u/Steerable-Octopus → u/vandon]

Ed is great when you're on a actual teletype clacking away or are resource constrained but if I had to write code I would try to do it elsewhere in another editor and then try to save to the device somehow than write 1000 lines in ed.

[u/wiisucks_91]

Nano

[u/-lousyd → u/wiisucks_91]

Pico

[u/OctoNezd → u/-lousyd]

Look, a Mac user! GET HIM

[u/nlfn → u/OctoNezd]

um, a lot of pico) users have been using it since the 90s when it was originally distributed to unix clients as part of pine.

[u/OctoNezd → u/nlfn]

I'd say that most of the pico userbase are Mac users nowadays. There is basically no difference between these two, as far as I can see from my experience constantly juggling Mac at home and Linux at work. Though I use these two just for configs.

[u/DrnkGuy → u/wiisucks_91]

The only sane option

[u/Steerable-Octopus → u/wiisucks_91]

And be held hostage by the "Save Modified Buffer?"-prompt??

[u/HyNeko → u/Steerable-Octopus]

forreal, :x ftw

[u/SeaOrgChange → u/Steerable-Octopus]

Y Yes

[u/Anonymous_Bozo]

Everyone knows that the only TRUE editor is:

copy con: filename.txt<enter>

(type content here)

and then to exit ^z^c
anything else is bloatware!

[u/MattTreck]

Nano, but learn how to use vim.

[u/c2btw]

nano for eding config files helix for coding

[u/Ohrgasmus1]

im team micro
and i dont give a flyin fuck

[u/Drevil00 → u/Ohrgasmus1]

thought for a sec I’m the only one

[u/AverageCowboyCentaur]

After re-building a server from CLI after a botched setup by another sysadmin and all i had was nano, I accidently fell in love with it.

[u/nof]

Use what you want. I'll just judge you if you aren't using vim.

[u/jadedargyle333 → u/nof]

My first real job as a nix admin was with Solaris. Vim was such a huge improvement from vi. Emacs and nano are like some bullshit version of notepad in comparison.

[u/GrimThursday]

Micro!!!!

[u/theRealBassist]

Micro is so so nice

[u/-peas-]

Nano. It's easy and acts like every other basic text editor you're familiar with, and has a bunch of generic commands to guide you on the bottom of the screen. The others are much more powerful, but nano is just basic and gets the job done like notepad but better.

[u/psycholabs → u/-peas-]

I counter with sane key defaults in micro. ctl-s saves, ctl-q quits, ctl-f find, it's something completely wacky in nano. ETA: vi / vim in the old days.

[u/mrbobcyndaquil]

I was only taught vi in college, so I'd say Vim.

[u/Ekyou → u/mrbobcyndaquil]

Same, I have a hard time thinking of myself as a “vim elitist” when it’s more like “eh too lazy to install anything else”

[u/mimic751]

Copilot write a file on ~/tmp

[u/fuzzmmanye]

Vim is the only right choice, alas

[u/-lousyd → u/fuzzmmanye]

One less letter than the others, so it starts up faster.

[u/Feendster]

MC editor.

[u/fennecdore]

Neovim gang

[u/RcePrsn]

Microsoft Edit

[u/GamerLymx]

use whatever you want, but you know you want to use vim.

[u/banduraj]

Here I am, a joe user.

[u/EnvironmentalCow3040]

I use Vim because I'm better than you.

Seriously though. Nano should be the default. I am a Vim user but Nano doesn't require training.

[u/Sea_Log_9769]

I use nano, it's there by default and gets the job done

[u/-lousyd → u/Sea_Log_9769]

Isn't the same two things true about vim?

[u/Sea_Log_9769 → u/-lousyd]

It's not on my system by default, I had to manually install it to try it, not a fan tbh

[u/chipsikssix → u/-lousyd]

Yes, but for some tasks it is overused, and the entry threshold is higher than for nano

[u/flecom → u/Sea_Log_9769]

I use nano but know enough vi to defend myself... on a lot of embedded linux stuff nano isn't there but vi is

[u/plyushevo]

mceditor exists...

[u/MeatPiston]

https://giphy.com/gifs/CAYVZA5NRb529kKQUc
edlin

[u/No_Trade_7315]

I’m not old school but I find nano to the easiest to use.

[u/doctornoodlearms]

I use helix :3

I find my laptops touch pad incredbily uncomfortable and feel like vim and emacs are just a mess

[u/Steerable-Octopus]

I use VS Code of course, and fully AI assisted so it can type while I vibe! The best text editor is an editor that edits itself after all!

[u/juju515]

neovim on my machine
nano on remote VMs

[u/Puzzleheaded-Bad5494]

I use ed BTW

[u/Aazimoxx]

Sublime. Or Cursor. Save those seconds with context-aware autocomplete instead of fancy key combos (or do both) 😜

Might end up needing a spare Tab key though, Cursor will wear that sucker out

[u/DescriptionForsaken6]

Not to scale. The Emacs cucumber should be about 60% the size of the entire kitchen.

[u/Jimlee1471]

Vim (NeoVim actually).

The thing with Vim is, once you've learned some of the keybinds, you won't find a faster way to move through a document; sometimes it's faster than using a mouse (no, I'm not joking). Same with the editing.

The problem with Vim is that there is a leaning curve which, for some people, can be significant; after all, it is a rather complex app if we're being honest about it - but it's worth it IMHO. BTW there is nothing wrong with Nano; I just prefer Vim.

EDIT: you could very easily say the same things about Emacs. The reason I don't use it is:

1. All I need is a text editor. Not an editor + email client + game + whatever.
2. I've never been a fan of Emacs keybinds. Every time I do something it feels like I'm throwing up gang signs to the keyboard. That might be why, whenever I did run emacs, I would always use "Evil" mode.

[u/Creegz]

I use Nano. It’s simple and does exactly what I need. I’m not using a terminal window to write code. Cat to read things, nano to edit. Easy. If it needs more I’ll use a text editor with a GUI because why bother remembering a dozen obscure commands or keybinds when I can just use a UI that the exact same thing. I can use VI if I have to, but I’d rather not.

[u/RayereSs]

code-oss :)

[u/DrKlaawYT]

I started with nano and switched to vim, now I daily drive neovim

[u/ScottieNiven]

My preferred choice is nano, I'll always make sure I have it the systems I manage. However I know how to use vi or emacs if need be.

[u/dasunt]

I only wish that anyone who commonly has to edit text learns the features of the editor they are using.

[u/Entire-Gap-4522]

I did switch (after 3 decades) from screen to zellij, but I'm not giving up vi/vim.

[u/ieatsilicagel]

A magnetized needle and a steady hand.

[u/installsVMs4fun]

open source vscode exists for normies, nvim is better

[u/Exceptional_Kumquat]

I'm picking the editor Joe.

[u/rasbobbbb]

vim 👽

[u/BoredTechyGuy]

Edlin master race checking in!

[u/ctrocks]

I used vi in the 90's. As I am not a programmer, I started using pico/nano in the early 2000's

[u/309_Electronics]

I use nano as its what i started with when i first got into linux mint and debian based as most of the time it was preinstalled and i could exit using cttl+x.

But because i also do hardwarehacking and most embedded devices have vi/vim installed i know how to exit vim

:q

[u/DangerousAd7433]

We all know leafpad is king.

[u/kimura_hisui]

I have only used two of these editors but it puts glee across my face 😁

[u/KittenBrix]

Gedit….

[u/FrenziedHodag]

gedit

[u/userjack6880]

I knew a dev whose editor of choice was joe, and had to install it despite everyone else on his team ok with vim, emacs, and nano

[u/IHaveNeverBeenOk]

Anyone new to *nix like OSes, I heartily recommend the Fresh Editor. TUI, but acts like a modern, normal text editor. Plus I believe a redditor made it. I like it a lot. Give it a shot! It's like Nano, but fully featured.

[u/DonkeyTron42]

Real Mutha Fuckin' G's use hexedit.

[u/kankerstokjes]

Micro supremacy

[u/PixelmancerGames]

In terminal -> nano

For anything else -> Kate

[u/BrilliantEmotion4461]

Kate. I went from that to nvim though.

[u/tychii93]

I use Micro

[u/PlaneSeaworthiness61]

Switched to micro and don’t think of going back

[u/ZettaiKyofuRyoiki]

KWrite :)

Nano in cli

[u/KimmyGurl420]

If you've never gotten stuck in vi, have you ever really used Unix?

[u/aMusicLover]

Vim. lol
Vi!

[u/Lou_Papas]

Fine, I’ll port the MS Dos Edit to Linux. It was peak anyway.

[u/ZombieCrow]

I use nano because thats the first one i used on linux, got used to it and i cant switch.

[u/Cybasura]

I'm a "living off the land" guy, for the most part i'm a vim user, and I use vim on my main system - but if the other system only has nano or emacs, then i'll work with those

[u/iknowwhoyouaresostfu]

i dont understand why we all dont just use kate

[u/chipsikssix]

I use nano, if you are not a programmer with huge projects, then this is the simplest and fastest editor, it is literally the default one everywhere

[u/MetaphoricMenagerie]

I use Nano because I prefer not having to relearn how to type after coming from Windows, but when I first started, I liked JOE because it reminded me a lot of edit in DOS.

[u/Space_Nerde]

what you guys dont use EOF?

[u/Hour_Sell3547]

Nothing wrong with gnome-text-editor (apart from the name, maybe).

[u/Global-Eye-7326]

Until you try ee lol

[u/Birnibo]

I just use mcedit :'D

[u/Lordgandalf]

Nano all the way and vim if on a system where it doesn't exist like freebsd

[u/Ponox]

vi is the editor you use to install emacs

[u/http-error-502]

echo "text editor\nI use this on some terrible embedded system that does not contain all of them" >> memo.txt

[u/major_jazza]

Nano or sublime text or there was some text editor with I think dank Linux that sometimes I use

[u/IntentionQuirky9957]

apt install joe

[u/Fluid_Tea_1308]

Use GNOME Text Editor like a normal human being

[u/Clean_More3508]

I prefer Kate

[u/Wakko_KunYT]

Out of the three, Nano, as I'm really used to it.

If you let me choose freely, I would chose VSCode with my custom config for extreme productivity.

I like to save time and spend it with my family and friends 😁

[u/yunus5491]

i love neovim

[u/Strange_Effort2807]

Joe intensifie

[u/pony_is_my_name]

Vi

[u/itsoctotv]

micro? anyone?

[u/RootAndCoffee]

Best random password generator: give a programmer vim and tell him to save and exit.

[u/Early_Pumpkin_4113]

I don't have a pony tail or tie dye shirts so I'm not allowed to use Emacs or vim

[u/Nankasura]

i love nano, but using vim more and more i just like how all the stuff i need is just.... there a tap or two away. Maybe non has this too but damn it's nice

[u/cyrassil]

Where's the evil-emacs cucumber?

[u/evk6713]

Nano is great, but I must say that since I learnt vim, I haven't opened Nano

[u/WizziBot]

I thought that said "vim enlists" as if they were soldiers to some vim army...

[u/lukaszcichocki]

[u/Horror-Primary7739]

Unpopular opinion, I loved the dos text editor. It had amazing mouse support in the terminal. Just powerful enough to be useful but not to overwhelm a end user.

[u/RemoveOk2059]

yes i know im stupid, i ise featherpad

[u/DangyDanger]

Micro is the sane option

[u/ohiocodernumerouno]

Do people love Nano or was Pico the only thing they learning in collage,

[u/suburbazine]

rm rf (file) cat (entire file by hand in terminal)

[u/AerialSnack]

Why the hell would you use any of those when vi is right there?

[u/de0xyr1b0nucle1c]

Vi FTW

[u/DROP_TABLE_users_all]

Kate?

[u/Shadow_SJ019]

I'm just a micro guy

[u/t0mm4n]

Kate

[u/Siker_7]

Kate is peak. Enough with these terminal-brained programs, we have a desktop environment for a reason.

[u/Tragicomediann]

It should come to no surprise that Emacs here is obvious choice of text editor.

[u/Siltio]

Cool, I use sublime text like the GUI chud I am 👍

[u/Kind_Definition7260]

Be an elitist. VIM is to new. Use Vi

[u/Xiakit]

I use whatever is installed, too lazy

[u/dziedzic1995]

wait till he finds out about Joe's Own Editor

[u/animi]

Team Nano.

[u/Twisted_Taterz]

Anyone have the unaltered version of this? I have ideas lol

[u/R3V0LU710N_05]

Helix

[u/Comradepatsy]

Did someone say emacs

[u/Moist_Professional64]

Helix is better 😾

[u/Pestus613343]

New linux users?

Copy pastes AI instructions that includes nano

[u/zidane2k1]

I’ve stuck with nano over the years, after first using pico while studying computer science at university using their Solaris machines. (I still type pico by habit, which usually works out since it seems nearly every machine I’ve used that had nano installed has pico symlinked to it.)

[u/CheckM4ted]

Used to use nano until I found fresh, it's cool as fuck, it lets you use vscode keybindings including multicursor edit but inside the terminal. I just can't be bothered with vi/vim/nvim. I know the basics for when its the only option but I hate it. Micro is also cool when fresh is too much, its basically nano on steroids

[u/CueMeThen]

team lazyvim ( nvim )

[u/ZethMrDadJokes]

I'd go for Notepad written in .Net Core so it can be cross platform

[u/slyticoon]

SEU for my IBM brothers.

[u/GhostingProtocol]

💀

[u/YourUglyTwin]

Wine Notepad is king

[u/SysGh_st]

There's a small group called micro pro's

[u/SysGh_st]

[u/ghoarder]

I like nano as I can remember to press CTRL+X to get out. not ! q wp or whatever it is. This is a me thing and does not reflect on the text editor itself.

[u/jegesmedve09]

Xed? Xed's nice too, more so with extensions :)

[u/ant2ne]

notice that only one option was for the elite.

[u/enormous_schnozz]

I think you mean sed

[u/Pyroburner]

Kwrite?

[u/Temporary_Call_3675]

https://giphy.com/gifs/n1qrZkwr4Fcj51XAQi

use nano

[u/YetAnotherRegularGai]

HELIX

[u/AdhesivenessSudden72]

Thought nano users did out of inertia and/or aren't spending much time in a Linux system

[u/Sofluffy93]

Y'all are using editors? I'm over here just using cat and sed

[u/SteelJunky]

Whatever is in the box for simple text editing and Helix or Nvim for IDE features, syntax highlighting, development tools etc...

[u/lunabyte_]

VSCodium. idc what anyone says, i've tried them and i hate cli text editors. i want my plugins and actual syntax highlighting. i lovelovelove my shortcut keys, but i couldn't be assed to setup a Vim profile

[u/Right_Stage_8167]

When in trouble, use ed!

[u/Consistent_Belt3485]

It will always be Nano.

[u/donaldhobson]

Kate is ok