Debian provides several text editors with different learning curves and capabilities.
Beginner-friendly, simple modal editor. Starts in edit mode:
nano file.txt
Common commands (Ctrl prefix):
- Ctrl+X — exit
- Ctrl+O — save
- Ctrl+W — search
- Ctrl+U — undo
- Ctrl+V — next page
Quick, non-destructive, forgiving. Good for quick edits and scripts.
Powerful but steep learning curve. Three modes:
- Normal (default) — navigation and commands
- Insert (press i) — edit text
- Command (:) — file/search commands
Basic workflow:
vim file.txt i # enter insert mode [edit text] Esc # back to normal :wq # save and quit :q! # quit without saving
Useful normal mode commands:
- dd — delete line
- yy — copy line
- p — paste
- /pattern — search
- :%s/old/new/g — replace all
Vim has syntax highlighting, text objects, macros, and extensive customization.
Extensible, powerful, but also steep. Heavy Ctrl usage. Start:
emacs file.txt
Commands:
- Ctrl+X Ctrl+C — exit
- Ctrl+X Ctrl+S — save
- Ctrl+S — search
- Ctrl+_ — undo
Less common on systems without X11; vim is usually available everywhere.
Minimal line editor, rarely needed:
ed file.txt
Useful only when nothing else available (embedded systems, minimal recovery).
Set default editor:
export EDITOR=vim export EDITOR=nano
Used by crontab -e, visudo, and many tools. Pick one and learn it:
- Quick edits → nano
- Programming → vim
- Extensive config → emacs
For shell scripts: vim with syntax highlighting makes debugging easier. For one-liners: nano is faster.