{"id":35287,"date":"2021-09-20T16:19:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T16:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/?p=35287"},"modified":"2022-04-24T17:19:24","modified_gmt":"2022-04-24T17:19:24","slug":"micro-text-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/micro-text-editor\/","title":{"rendered":"Micro Text Editor: Lightweight and Intuitive Terminal-Based Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A newcomer to the <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/what-is-linux-operating-system\/\">wonderful world of Linux<\/a> will eventually need to place or alter some text in a file. In addition, numerous programs and system settings in Linux are tucked away in text files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, you can open these with your default text editors such as Gedit, Kate, Mousepad, or Pluma, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/best-gpu-accelerated-terminal-emulators\/\">terminal is often faster<\/a>, especially when you need administrator permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so we come to <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/differences-between-vi-and-vim-text-editors-explained\/\">Vi or Vim<\/a>, but they are not the easiest for&nbsp;new Linux users. Fortunately, most Linux distributions include a text editor called Nano as a standard utility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So for most uses, Nano is easy to use, and it doesn\u2019t require a significant learning curve. But you don\u2019t have to settle on Nano. There is a middle ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something a little better than Nano, but not so challenging to learn as Vim, and this is the Micro Text Editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-micro-text-editor\">What&#8217;s Micro Text Editor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Micro Text Editor is a cross-platform terminal-based text editor, which is used for Linux and on all other platforms like Windows and macOS. It comes as one single static binary with no dependencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1-1024x642.png\" alt=\"Micro Text Editor on Linux\" class=\"wp-image-35374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1-1024x642.png 1024w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1-360x226.png 360w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1-768x482.png 768w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1-480x301.png 480w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-1.png 1488w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It is written in GO programming language and designed to utilize the full capabilities of modern Linux terminals, aiming to be somewhat of a successor to the Nano editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, Micro Text Editor is so easy to use that the learning curve is almost flat. Even if you\u2019ve never used a terminal-based text editor, you\u2019ll feel right at home using Micro. You don\u2019t need to learn anything new, and it has some exciting features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Easy to use, small, and straightforward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Syntax highlighting for over&nbsp;130 languages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Color scheme support &amp; true color support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excellent mouse support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Common keybindings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highly customizable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Built-in plugin manager to automatically install, remove, and update plugins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Split-screen and tab features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simple auto-completion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Use Micro Text Editor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To open the Micro Text Editor, use the micro command like:<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><span><code lang=\"bash\" class=\"hljs language-bash\">micro<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To open the file, mention the file name after the <code>micro<\/code> command:<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><span><code lang=\"bash\" class=\"hljs language-bash\">micro filename<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll find a column for line numbers, in addition to two lines at the bottom for the UI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2-1024x769.png\" alt=\"Micro Text Editor\" class=\"wp-image-35353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2-1024x769.png 1024w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2-333x250.png 333w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2-768x577.png 768w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2-480x361.png 480w, https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/micro-2.png 1195w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing you\u2019ll quickly notice is that&nbsp;Micro&nbsp;has proper mouse support. Unlike&nbsp;Nano, you can scroll the whole window properly with the scroll wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, you can click anywhere to move the cursor, click and drag to select the text, double click to select by word, and triple-click to select by line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Micro Text Editor supports horizontal and vertical splits. To open a new split, you need to enter command mode by pressing <code>Ctrl+E<\/code>. This enables a&nbsp;<code>&gt;<\/code>&nbsp;prompt for typing commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, type <code>vsplit<\/code> or <code>hsplit<\/code> and use <code>Ctrl+W<\/code> to move between splits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Press <code>Ctrl+E<\/code> to start typing commands, and you can see which commands are available by pressing the tab or viewing the help topic help commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Micro Keybindings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Micro&#8217;s keybindings are what you would expect from a simple-to-use editor. The bindings may be rebound using the&nbsp;<code>~\/.config\/micro\/bindings.json<\/code>&nbsp;file. Each key is bound to an action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a list of some of&nbsp;Micro&#8217;s&nbsp;hotkeys, but probably you already know most of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>Ctrl+O<\/code>: Open File<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+S<\/code>: Save File<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+Q<\/code>: Quit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+F<\/code>: Find<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+N<\/code>: Find Next<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+P<\/code>: Find Previous<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+Z<\/code>: Undo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+Y<\/code>: Redo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+C<\/code>: Copy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+X<\/code>: Cut<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+V<\/code>: Paste<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Ctrl+E<\/code>: Command Mode<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, Micro Text Editor&nbsp;tried using the same set of standard keys we use in popular text editors. To get the list of default keybindings, open the command bar (<code>CTRL+E<\/code>) and type <code>help defaultkeys<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can&nbsp;find out more information by visiting the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/micro-editor.github.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Install Micro Text Editor on Linux<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Installing the Micro text editor is simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/sublime-text-4\/\">Sublime Text 4 Has Finally Arrived, Here\u2019s How to Install it on Linux<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/ubuntu\/\">Ubuntu<\/a> or any other <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/debian\/\">Debian<\/a>-based system, <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/apt-command-in-linux\/\">use the APT package manager<\/a> for installation:<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><span><code lang=\"bash\" class=\"hljs language-bash\">sudo apt install micro<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/archlinux\/\">Arch Linux<\/a> users can install Micro Text Editor <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/how-to-use-pacman-to-manage-software-on-arch-linux\/\">using Pacman<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><span><code lang=\"bash\" class=\"hljs language-bash\">pacman -S micro<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are using <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/fedora\/\">Fedora<\/a> or other <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/how-to-install-rhel-8\/\">RHEL<\/a>-based OS such as <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/almalinux-vs-rocky-linux\/\">AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux<\/a>, use this command instead:<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><span><code lang=\"bash\" class=\"hljs language-bash\">sudo dnf install micro<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Please keep in mind that for interfacing with the local system clipboard, <code>xclip<\/code> or <code>xsel<\/code> packages also must be installed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Micro Text Editor is a command-line text editor designed to replace Nano as the text editor for the masses. Here&#8217;s how to use it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":35296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[4324,2018],"class_list":["post-35287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-software","category-news","tag-micro","tag-text-editor"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6},"post_title_panel":"","has_hero_section":"default","7e30a029e1da760fec87869e87261ebb":"","hero_section":"type-2","hero_elements":[{"id":"custom_title","enabled":true,"heading_tag":"h1","title":"Home","__id":"xgcyMsO2g6u0-BobUA5KS"},{"id":"custom_description","enabled":false,"description_visibility":{"desktop":true,"tablet":true,"mobile":false},"__id":"4HfYK2ZB3rzToZdSjqOYi"},{"id":"custom_meta","enabled":true,"meta_elements":[{"id":"author","enabled":true,"label":"By","has_author_avatar":"yes","avatar_size":50,"__id":"WOTRiH6Q8W_UWdB-DOuJt"},{"id":"post_date","enabled":false,"label":"On","date_format_source":"default","date_format":"M 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