Practical Linux

Selecting an Editor

Many Linux distributions come with more than 20 text editors, if you count all the variations. Some editors can emulate others, and many also come with special versions for the X Window System. This section covers some basic information about the more common text editors.

Text editors are sometimes thought of as word processors, or interactive, screen- oriented programs used to open or create text files; to enter or change text; and then to print or save text files. Text editors used for word processing usually support cursor movement through a file and are screen-oriented. Some editors, such as those for X11, also have pull-down menus and other convenient user interfaces.

You can also perform text editing with non-interactive ...