Micro: A Modern and Intuitive Terminal-Based Text Editor

Introduction

Micro is a powerful yet simple terminal-based text editor that combines ease of use with the advanced features expected from modern editors. Written in Go, Micro is distributed as a single, self-contained binary, ensuring a straightforward installation process without external dependencies. It's designed to be a highly intuitive and enjoyable full-time editor for developers and users who frequently work within the command line environment.

Installation

Getting started with Micro is remarkably simple, thanks to its self-contained nature.

You can download a pre-built binary from the releases page.

Alternatively, a convenient third-party script can quickly install Micro:

curl https://getmic.ro | bash

After downloading, you might want to move the micro binary to a directory in your system's PATH, for example: sudo mv micro /usr/bin.

Micro is also available via various package managers:

• macOS: brew install micro (Homebrew) or sudo port install micro (MacPorts)
• Linux: snap install micro --classic (Snap), dnf install micro (Fedora), apt install micro (Ubuntu/Debian), pacman -S micro (Arch Linux)
• Windows: choco install micro (Chocolatey), scoop install micro (Scoop), winget install zyedidia.micro (WinGet)

For those who prefer to build from source, ensure you have Go version 1.19 or greater:

git clone https://github.com/micro-editor/micro
cd micro
make build
sudo mv micro /usr/local/bin # optional

Examples

Using Micro is straightforward. To open a file, simply type:

micro path/to/file.txt

To open an empty buffer:

micro

Micro also supports piping input directly into a new buffer:

ip a | micro

Once inside the editor, you can navigate with arrow keys or the mouse, which supports dragging for selection, double-clicking for word selection, and triple-clicking for line selection.

Why Use Micro?

Micro stands out with a rich set of features that enhance the terminal editing experience:

• Ease of Use: Intuitive interface with common keybindings (Ctrl-S, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Z).
• No Dependencies: A single binary makes installation and portability effortless.
• Modern Features: Includes multiple cursors, splits and tabs, a plugin system (Lua), built-in diff gutter, simple autocompletion, and persistent undo.
• Excellent Mouse Support: Dragging, double-click for word, triple-click for line selection.
• Cross-Platform: Works on all platforms Go supports, including robust support for macOS and Windows (with recommended terminal emulators).
• Extensive Customization: Keybindings are rebindable, sane defaults, and easy configuration.
• Syntax Highlighting: Supports over 130 languages with true color and color scheme options.
• System Clipboard Integration: Seamless copy and paste with the system clipboard.

Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/micro-editor/micro
• Official Website: https://micro-editor.github.io
• Documentation: https://github.com/micro-editor/micro/tree/master/runtime/help/help.md
• Community Discord: https://discord.gg/nhWR6armnR
• Gitter Chat: https://gitter.im/zyedidia/micro