what text editor can be used on linux to view and edit the contents of a configuration file

Text editors can exist used for writing lawmaking, editing text files such as configuration files, creating user education files, and many more. In Linux, text editors are of ii kinds that is the graphical user interface (GUI) and control-line text editors (console or concluding).

In this article, I am taking a expect at some of the best 21 open-source commonly used text editors in Linux on both servers and desktops.

one. Vi/Vim Editor

Vim is a powerful command-line based text editor that has enhanced the functionalities of the old Unix Six text editor. It is i the most pop and widely used text editors among Organization Administrators and programmers that is why many users frequently refer to it as a programmer'south editor. It enables syntax highlighting when writing code or editing configuration files.

You tin install Vim editor in Linux systems using your default package manager as shown.

$ sudo apt install vim     [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint] $ sudo dnf install vim     [On RHEL, CentOS and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S vim       [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install vim  [On OpenSuse]

If you want to see our consummate series on vi(thou), please refer to the links beneath:

Larn and Use Six/Vim as a Full-Text Editor in Linux
Learn 'Six/Vim' Editor Tips and Tricks to Heighten Your Skills
eight Interesting 'Vi/Vim' Editor Tips and Tricks

Vi/Vim Linux Editor — Six/Vim Linux Editor

two. Gedit

Gedit is a general-purpose GUI based text editor and is installed by default text editor on Gnome desktop surroundings. Information technology is simple to use, highly pluggable and a powerful editor with the following features:

Support for UTF-viii
Use of configurable font size and colors
Highly customizable syntax highlighting
Undo and redo functionalities
Reverting of files
Remote editing of files
Search and replace text
Clipboard support functionalities and many more

You can install Gedit editor in Linux systems using your default package manager equally shown.

$ sudo apt install gedit     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install gedit     [On RHEL, CentOS and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -Due south gedit       [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install gedit  [On OpenSuse]

iii. Nano Editor

Nano is an easy to utilise text editor, specially for both new and advanced Linux users. It enhances usability by providing customizable key binding.

Nano has the following features:

Highly customizable key bindings
Syntax highlighting
Undo and redo options
Full line display on the standard output
Pager support to read from standard input

Y'all can install Nano editor in Linux systems using your default package director as shown.

$ sudo apt install nano     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install nano     [On RHEL, CentOS and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -Due south nano       [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install nano  [On OpenSuse]

You tin check our consummate guide for editing files with Nano editor at:

How to Apply Nano Editor in Linux

4. GNU Emacs

Emacs is a highly extensible and customizable text editor that also offers an interpretation of the Lisp programming language at its core. Different extensions can exist added to support text editing functionalities.

Emacs has the following features:

User documentation and tutorials
Syntax highlighting using colors fifty-fifty for plainly text.
Unicode supports many natural languages.
Various extension including mail and news, debugger interface, calendar, and many more than

You can install Emacs editor in Linux systems using your default package manager as shown.

$ sudo apt install emacs     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install emacs     [On RHEL, CentOS and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S emacs       [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install emacs  [On OpenSuse]

5. Kate/Kwrite

Kate is a feature-rich and highly pluggable text editor that comes with KDesktop Environment (KDE). The Kate projection aims at the evolution of two main products that are: KatePart and Kate.

KatePart is an advanced text editor component included in many KDE applications that may crave users to edit text whereas Kate is a multiple certificate interface (MDI) text, editor.

The following are some of its general features:

Extensible through scripting
Encoding support such as Unicode mode
Text rendering in bi-directional manner
Line ending support with car-detection functionalities

Also remote file editing and many other features including advanced editor features, applications features, programming features, text highlighting features, fill-in features, and search and supersede features.

You tin install Kate editor in Linux systems using your default package manager as shown.

$ sudo apt install kate     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install kate     [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -South kate       [On Curvation Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install kate  [On OpenSuse]

vi. Sublime Text Editor

Sublime Text is a powerful cross-platform source code editor with a Python programming interface. It supports many programming languages and markup languages, and features tin can be added by users with plugins, mostly customs-built and supported under costless-software licenses.

Yous can install Sublime Text editor in Linux systems using your default package manager equally shown.

$ sudo apt install sublime-text     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install sublime-text     [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S sublime-text       [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install sublime-text  [On OpenSuse]

7. Jed Editor

Jed is also another command-line editor with support for GUI like features such as dropdown menus. It is adult purposely for software development and i of its important features is the back up of Unicode style.

You lot can install Jed editor in Linux systems using your default packet director as shown.

$ sudo apt install jed     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install jed     [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -Southward jed       [On Curvation Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install jed  [On OpenSuse]

viii. gVim Editor

Information technology is a GUI version of the popular Vim editor and it has similar functionalities as the control line Vim.

You lot can install gVim editor in Linux systems using your default package manager every bit shown.

$ sudo apt install vim-gtk3     [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install gvim         [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S gvim           [On Curvation Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install gvim       [On OpenSuse]

9. Geany Editor

Geany is a tiny and lightweight integrated development surround that offers basic IDE-like features with a focus on software development using the GTK+ toolkit.

Information technology has some bones features every bit listed below:

Syntax highlighting
Pluggable interface
Supports many file types
Enables code folding and code navigation
Symbol name and construct motorcar-completion
Supports automobile-closing of HTML and XML tags
Elementary project direction functionality plus many more than

You can install Geany editor in Linux systems using your default package manager as shown.

$ sudo apt install geany        [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install geany        [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S geany          [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install geany     [On OpenSuse]

10. Leaf Pad

Leaf Pad is a GTK+ based, lightweight GUI based text editor which is as well pop amongst Linux users today. Information technology is piece of cake to use by new Linux users.

Information technology has the following features:

Codeset selection
Allows auto-detection of codeset
Options of undo and redo
Display file line numbers
Supports Elevate and Drop options
Printing support

Y'all tin can install Leaf Pad editor in Linux systems using snap parcel manager equally shown.

$ sudo snap install leafpad

11. Bluefish

Bluefish is an easy-to-install and advanced text editor targeting Linux programmers and web developers. Information technology offers a wide set of features equally listed beneath:

Lightweight and fast
Integrates external Linux programs such equally lint, weblint, brand, and many others and filters, pipage such as sed, sort, awk, and many more
Spelling bank check feature
Supports working on multiple projects
Remote file editing
Search and supplant support
Undo and redo option
Automobile-recovery of modified files

You lot tin install Bluefish editor in Linux systems using your default package managing director as shown.

$ sudo apt install bluefish        [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install bluefish        [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -Southward bluefish          [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install bluefish     [On OpenSuse]

12. Atom

Atom is a free and open-source cross-platform lawmaking editor developed by GitHub. It was congenital to be completely customizable using spider web technologies such as HTML and JavaScript and it has back up for Node.js-based plugins and native Git control.

Cantlet's feature highlights include:

100% open source
Modern, customizable layout
Themes
Embedded Git back up
Real-time collaboration with Telesync
Smart auto-complete and IntelliSense
Born package director

You can install Atom editor in Linux systems using the following commands.

          ---------- On Debian, Ubuntu & Mint ----------          $ wget -c https://atom.io/download/deb -O atom.deb $ sudo dpkg -i cantlet.deb          ---------- On RHEL, CentOS & Fedora ----------          $ wget -c https://cantlet.io/download/rpm -O atom.rpm $ sudo rpm -i atom.rpm

13. VSCode

VSCode is a robust free and open-source mod text editor built by Microsoft for Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.

It offers tons of powerful features including:

Full debugging capability with an interactive console, breakpoints, call stacks, etc.
Built-in Git support with Git commands
IntelliSense
100% customizability
Back up for tons of languages straight out of the box
Toggable layouts
Born terminal

You can install VSCode for your Linux distribution past downloading the .deb or .rpm package from the VSCode download page.

14. Calorie-free Table

Light Table is a powerful, clutter-gratuitous cantankerous-platform text editor congenital to be customizable enough to be used in whatever that its user chooses.

Light Table'south features include:

Inline evaluation
Real-fourth dimension watches
Costless and open up source
Plugin manager
Powerful editing

Light Table Code Editor — Calorie-free Table Code Editor

You lot can install Light Table on Ubuntu and its derivatives using the post-obit PPA.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dr-akulavich/lighttable $ sudo apt-become update $ sudo apt-get install lighttable-installer

15. Medit Text Editor

medit is a lightweight open-source text editor for Mac, Linux, and Windows. It originally started every bit a simple built-in component of the GGAP editor and is at present its ain stand-alone text editor.

medit's features include:

Customizable syntax highlighting
Support for plugins written in Python, C, or Lua
Back up for regular expressions
Configurable keyboard accelerators

You can download and install medit from the mooedit.sourceforge.net page.

16. Neovim – Vim-based Text Editor

Neovim is a hyperextensible vim-based text editor with a focus on usability and function extensibility. It was forked from the popular Vim editor in order to aggressively refactor its functionality and usability with mod GUIs, asynchronous job command, etc.

Neovim'due south feature highlights include:

Free and open up-source license
Support for XDG base directories
Compatibility with most Vim plugins
An embedded, configurable last emulator

Neovim - Vim-based Text Editor — Neovim – Vim-based Text Editor

You lot can install Neovim editor in Linux systems using your default package manager every bit shown.

$ sudo apt install neovim        [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install neovim        [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S neovim          [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install neovim     [On OpenSuse]

17. Notepad++

Notepad++ is a customizable text editor built with a focus on speed and minimal program size for Windows platforms. It is developed based on Scintilla text editor and tin can have its functionality extended with tons of plugins.

Its features include:

Tabbed editing
Code folding
Bookmark support
Document map
Perl Compatible Regular Expression

Y'all can install Notepad++ editor in Linux systems using snap package manage every bit shown.

$ sudo snap install notepad-plus-plus

18. Kakoune Code Editor

Kakoune is a free and open up-source Vim-based modal text editor with an editing model that implements Vi's keystrokes as a text editing linguistic communication.

It has several features amongst which are:

Auto-indentation
Case manipulation
Piping each pick to an external filter
Hooks
Syntax highlighting
Customization
Multiple selections

You can install the Kakoune editor in Linux systems using your default package director equally shown.

$ sudo apt install kakoune        [On Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint] $ sudo dnf install kakoune        [On RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora] $ sudo pacman -S kakoune          [On Arch Linux and Manjaro] $ sudo zypper install kakoune     [On OpenSuse]

19. Micro – Terminal-based Text Editor

Micro is a control line-based text editor built to exist easy and intuitive enough for users to take reward of the features in other terminal-based text editors without the steep learning curve.

Micro's feature highlights include:

Mouse support
Multiple cursors
Last emulation
Loftier customizability
Plugin organization
Static library with no dependencies

Micro Terminal Text Editor — Micro Final Text Editor

You tin can hands install micro in your Linux distribution by running the following installation script.

$ ringlet https://getmic.ro | fustigate

20. Brackets Text Editor

Brackets is a mod gratuitous and open up-source lawmaking editor created by Adobe with a focus on web development. It is written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to offer web developers a rich lawmaking editing feel with the ability to extend its native features using several costless extensions.

Brackets features include:

A beautiful User Interface
Preprocessor support for SCSS and LESS
Inline editors
Alive preview
Multiple tabbed editing
PHP back up
Supports Language Server Protocol
Support for plugin extensions

You tin install Brackets editor in Linux systems using snap package manager as shown.

$ sudo snap install brackets

21. Lite Editor

Calorie-free is a new text editor mostly developed in the Lua language, that aims to offer something applied, pleasing, tiny and fast, created equally simply every bit possible; piece of cake to change and expand, or to employ without doing either.

22. Ash Editor

ash is a patently and clean command line-based text editor, that designed to be easy to use with modern central-bindings and it is efficient enough to manage a large number of files simultaneously and has a broad array of modernistic features.

Ash - Modern Terminal Text Editor — Ash – Modern Terminal Text Editor

23. CudaText

CudaText is a new clean open up-source and cross-platform text editor that comes with tons of features which include:

Syntax highlight for a lot of languages.
Find/Supersede with regular expressions.
Command palette, with fuzzy matching.
Binary/Hex viewer for files of unlimited size.
Support for many encodings.

CudaText - cross-platform text editor — CudaText – cantankerous-platform text editor

Terminal

I believe the list is more than what nosotros accept looked at, therefore if you have used other free and open-source text editors, let us know past posting a comment. Thanks for reading and always stay connected to Tecmint.

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Source: https://www.tecmint.com/best-open-source-linux-text-editors/