


The top section is the editing section which is also known as the main buffer. To modify files in Linux with emacs editor, we can do: emacs tempFile
#Emacs vs vim install
Sudo yum install emacs # For CentOS / Fedora To install emacs, we can use the following commands based on our Linux distribution: sudo apt-get install emacs # For Debian based systems / Ubuntu

At the same time, it has easy-to-remember commands resembling Nano. emacs has features and strengths like Vim. Both Gedit and Kate balance that by being speedy and easy to use.Emacs is one of the oldest and most versatile text editors available in Linux and UNIX based systems. They're definitely not bare bones - they pack enough features to do heavy text editing. Gedit and Kate are excellent for anyone whose text editing needs are simple. While it's in the early stages of development, Notepadqq does look promising. It is powerful, and I have to admit its extensions look very useful.īilled as a text editor for developers, Notepadqq is an editor that's reminiscent of Notepad++. While I've never really felt the love, more than a couple of people I know swear by Brackets. It's a lot like Geany in that KDevelop is powerful and flexible without a lot of bulk. But when I worked in that environment, KDevelop was my go-to editor for heavy-duty work. It has solid syntax highlighting, a better-than-average search and replace function, a spelling checker, and a tabbed interface for editing multiple files in a single window. While Xed isn't as rich in features as other editors, it doesn't do too badly. I've found, though, that Xed is a bit faster and a bit more responsive than Pluma - your mileage may vary, though. If Xed looks familiar, it's a fork of the Pluma text editor for the MATE desktop environment. In that case, Xed might be what your looking for. Maybe you want a lighter editor, something that's not bare bones but which doesn't have a whack of features you'll rarely (if ever) use. Maybe Atom is a bit heavy for your tastes. It's a very good text editor for writers, too. They extend the editor in many different ways, enabling you to turn it into the text editing or development environment that's right for you. If you aren't all that technical, Atom has a number of themes you can use to change how the editor looks.Īnd don't discount Atom's thousands of packages. If you're of a more technical bent, you can fiddle with the editor's configuration. What makes Atom attractive is that you can customize it.

In the short time it's been on the scene, though, Atom has gained a dedicated following. AtomĪtom is a new-ish kid in the text editing neighborhood. If you're looking for an alternative to Emacs or vim, keep reading. Or maybe they just want an editor that's less demanding and which has a more modern sheen. It might be that the silliness of the so-called Editor War has turned some people off. That said, I realize that Emacs and vim aren't for everyone. (This post was first published, in a slightly different form, at and appears here via a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.)īefore you start reaching for those implements of mayhem, Emacs and vim fans, understand that this article isn't me putting the boot to your favorite editor.
