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Micro

What is micro?

  • Terminal-Based Editor: Runs inside the terminal, similar to nano or vim.

  • Modern Features:

  • Syntax highlighting for many programming languages.

  • Mouse support in the terminal.
  • Undo/redo system.
  • Plugin support for extending functionality.
  • True Unicode support.
  • Multiple cursors and selection.
  • No Configuration Required: Works out-of-the-box with sensible defaults, unlike vim which requires configuration.
  • Cross-Platform: Linux, macOS, Windows.

How Micro Differs from Nano

Feature micro nano
User Interface Modern, clean, supports mouse Simple, minimal, keyboard only
Syntax Highlighting Yes, supports many languages Limited or none by default
Plugins Yes, supports extensions No
Undo/Redo Multiple undo/redo Basic, limited undo only
Unicode Support Full Limited
Multiple Cursors Yes No
Mouse Support Yes Limited
Configuration Optional JSON config file Minimal, through .nanorc
Installation Size Slightly larger than nano Very lightweight

In short:

  • nano is extremely lightweight, very simple, and ideal for quick edits.
  • micro adds modern conveniences (syntax highlighting, plugins, better undo/redo, mouse support) while keeping the simplicity of nano. It’s a good choice for users who want a “nano but smarter” editor without jumping to vim or emacs.

Installation

=== "Ubuntu / Debian"

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install micro

sudo pacman -S micro

sudo dnf install micro

sudo zypper install micro

---

## Basic Usage

- Open a file:

```bash
micro filename.txt

  • Common shortcuts (displayed at the bottom of the screen):

  • Ctrl+S → Save

  • Ctrl+Q → Quit
  • Ctrl+C → Copy
  • Ctrl+V → Paste
  • Ctrl+Z → Undo
  • Ctrl+Shift+Z → Redo
  • Alt+Arrow → Move cursor by words
  • Plugins and configurations are stored in:
~/.config/micro
  • Install plugins via:
micro -plugin install <plugin-name>