Linux users will eventually be unable to access the terminal. You’ll need a text editor to highlight your syntax, find typos in your code and make life easier. These are our top Linux scripting editors.
Shawn Powers, SPOTO trainer, explains that Linux prefers to use a text file for all configuration settings and system information. This is in contrast to using specialized binary databases that require special tooling (hello Windows registry). Source code, which includes scripts, can also be saved as text files.
It makes sense that Linux offers many options for editing text files. Many of them can be used when you don’t have a GUI. They can provide advanced capabilities even in a limited environment. This can save you a lot.
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GNU Nano is an easy-to-use editor that’s available in most Linux distros. It’s lightweight and designed for terminal use. Shawn recommends it in his new Everything Linux course.
Nano’s learning curve can be gentle provided you are familiar with your keyboard. You can invoke Nano on a file to see its contents in your terminal. You can also use the arrow keys to move around and insert or modify text as usual.
Nano is completely unmoderated, which means that all keystrokes (except keyboard shortcuts) go directly into the file you are editing. The screen’s bottom lines display the most frequently used keyboard shortcuts. You can also find the key combination to get additional help. You will need to know the location of your control and meta keys (alt and escape) in order to use the shortcuts.
Nano supports syntax highlighting and auto-indentation in code files. This is useful for editing scripts and config files. It can also match brace matches and brace matching. Nano supports many languages and file types. You can also set keyboard shortcuts, customize and extend syntax highlighter, via nanorc text files (text files).
However, beginner friendliness has its downsides. Some tasks cannot be customized and some tasks are difficult in Nano. You might choose a more advanced editor if you are studying for LPIC-2 or have comparable Linux experience. Nano isn’t as powerful or complex as other editors, but it is still a great editor that allows you to dig in.
Vim
Vim is another popular editor. Vim’s predecessor vi is part POSIX and the Single Unix Specification. This means that vi or vi will be available in your Linux distro. Its widespread availability and long-lasting life means that most system administrators, as well as programmers, are familiar with it. It’s also a good editor because the line between these two jobs has blurred.
Vim is known for being very friendly to beginners. A display of the file’s contents or, if you are creating a new one, a blank screen, will greet the first-time user. There is no indication of what to next or how to get help (spoiler: Type “:helpenter >”).). You must first get help and learn the basics before you can do anything.
However, once your fingers are familiar with the commands, you can quickly accomplish magic.
Vim offers several modes: normal (navigation, text manipulation), insert (add new text), command line, and many more. The effects of the same keystrokes can have drastically different results depending on the mode.
Vim supports all aspects of editing source code: syntax highlighting, brace matching and auto-indentation. It also supports code folding, compiler integration and code completion. Your pre-installed Vim might be the vim-tiny packagea