Micro: A Modern Terminal Editor

Micro is a modern, intuitive terminal-based text editor that aims to be easy to use and easy to remember. It provides a familiar interface similar to GUI editors while running in the terminal, making it perfect for users transitioning from graphical editors.

What is Micro?

Micro is designed with simplicity and usability in mind: - Intuitive keybindings: Familiar Ctrl+S, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V shortcuts - Mouse support: Click to position cursor, select text, scroll - Syntax highlighting: Built-in support for 100+ languages - Plugin system: Extensible with Lua plugins - Multiple cursors: Edit multiple locations simultaneously - Linux-optimized: Excellent performance on Linux systems - No configuration required: Works great out of the box

Why Choose Micro?

• Easy to learn: Familiar keybindings from GUI editors
• Modern features: Multiple cursors, syntax highlighting, plugins
• Lightweight: Single binary with no dependencies, perfect for Linux servers
• Customizable: Extensive configuration options
• Active development: Regular updates and improvements
• Terminal-based: Works over SSH and in minimal Linux environments
• Unicode support: Full Unicode and emoji support
• System administration: Great for Linux configuration file editing

Installation

Package Managers

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install micro

# Fedora
sudo dnf install micro

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S micro

# SUSE/openSUSE
sudo zypper install micro

# Gentoo
sudo emerge app-editors/micro

# Void Linux
sudo xbps-install micro

# Snap (Universal Linux)
sudo snap install micro --classic

# Flatpak
flatpak install flathub io.github.micro-editor.micro

Direct Download

# Download latest release
curl https://getmic.ro | bash

# Or manually download
wget https://github.com/zyedidia/micro/releases/download/v2.0.11/micro-2.0.11-linux64.tar.gz
tar -xzf micro-2.0.11-linux64.tar.gz
sudo mv micro-2.0.11/micro /usr/local/bin/

# Make executable
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/micro

From Source

# Install Go if not already installed
# Then build micro
git clone https://github.com/zyedidia/micro
cd micro
make build
sudo mv micro /usr/local/bin/

Basic Usage

Starting Micro

# Open new file
micro

# Open existing file
micro filename.txt

# Open multiple files
micro file1.txt file2.txt

# Open directory (file browser)
micro .

# Open with specific settings
micro -colorscheme monokai filename.txt
micro -syntax python script.py

Interface Overview

┌─ filename.txt ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│This is the content of your file.                                            │
│You can type directly here.                                                  │
│Mouse clicks work for positioning cursor.                                    │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
│                                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Ctrl+Q Quit  Ctrl+S Save  Ctrl+O Open  Ctrl+F Find  Ctrl+Z Undo  Ctrl+Y Redo

Essential Keybindings

File Operations

# File management
Ctrl+O          # Open file
Ctrl+S          # Save file
Ctrl+W          # Close current buffer
Ctrl+Q          # Quit micro
Ctrl+E          # Command mode
Ctrl+G          # Open help

# Buffer navigation
Ctrl+Tab        # Next buffer
Ctrl+Shift+Tab  # Previous buffer
Alt+,           # Previous buffer
Alt+.           # Next buffer

Navigation

# Basic movement
Arrow keys      # Move cursor
Ctrl+Left/Right # Move by word
Ctrl+Up/Down    # Move by paragraph
Home/End        # Beginning/end of line
Ctrl+Home/End   # Beginning/end of file
Page Up/Down    # Page navigation

# Advanced navigation
Ctrl+G          # Go to line
Ctrl+F          # Find
Ctrl+N          # Find next
Ctrl+P          # Find previous

Text Editing

# Basic editing
Ctrl+Z          # Undo
Ctrl+Y          # Redo
Ctrl+C          # Copy
Ctrl+X          # Cut
Ctrl+V          # Paste
Ctrl+A          # Select all
Ctrl+D          # Duplicate line
Ctrl+K          # Delete line

# Advanced editing
Ctrl+L          # Select line
Ctrl+Shift+Up   # Move line up
Ctrl+Shift+Down # Move line down
Alt+Shift+Left  # Select word left
Alt+Shift+Right # Select word right

Multiple Cursors

# Multiple cursor operations
Ctrl+MouseClick # Add cursor at click position
Alt+N           # Create cursor at next word occurrence
Alt+P           # Create cursor at previous word occurrence
Alt+C           # Create cursor at all word occurrences
Alt+M           # Remove all cursors except primary
Escape          # Remove all extra cursors

Search and Replace

# Search operations
Ctrl+F          # Find
Ctrl+N          # Find next
Ctrl+P          # Find previous
Ctrl+R          # Find and replace

# In find/replace dialog
Tab             # Switch between find and replace fields
Enter           # Execute search/replace
Escape          # Cancel dialog

Configuration

Settings File

Micro stores settings in ~/.config/micro/settings.json:

{
    "autoclose": true,
    "autoindent": true,
    "autosave": 0,
    "autosu": false,
    "backup": true,
    "backupdir": "",
    "basename": false,
    "colorcolumn": 0,
    "colorscheme": "default",
    "cursorline": true,
    "diffgutter": false,
    "divchars": "|-",
    "divreverse": true,
    "encoding": "utf-8",
    "eofnewline": true,
    "fastdirty": false,
    "fileformat": "unix",
    "filetype": "unknown",
    "hlsearch": false,
    "ignorecase": false,
    "indentchar": " ",
    "infobar": true,
    "keepautoindent": false,
    "keymenu": false,
    "matchbrace": true,
    "matchbraceleft": false,
    "mouse": true,
    "parsecursor": false,
    "paste": false,
    "pluginchannels": [
        "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/micro-editor/plugin-channel/master/channel.json"
    ],
    "pluginrepos": [],
    "readonly": false,
    "rmtrailingws": false,
    "ruler": true,
    "savecursor": false,
    "savehistory": true,
    "saveundo": false,
    "scrollbar": false,
    "scrollmargin": 3,
    "scrollspeed": 2,
    "smartpaste": true,
    "softwrap": false,
    "splitbottom": true,
    "splitright": true,
    "statusformatl": "$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(status.paste)| ft:$(opt:filetype) | $(opt:fileformat) | $(opt:encoding)",
    "statusformatr": "$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp): help",
    "statusline": true,
    "sucmd": "sudo",
    "syntax": true,
    "tabmovement": false,
    "tabsize": 4,
    "tabstospaces": false,
    "termtitle": false,
    "useprimary": true,
    "wordwrap": false,
    "xterm": false
}

Common Configuration Changes

# Set tab size to 2
micro -option tabsize 2

# Enable line numbers
micro -option ruler true

# Set color scheme
micro -option colorscheme monokai

# Enable soft wrapping
micro -option softwrap true

# Auto-save every 10 seconds
micro -option autosave 10

# Remove trailing whitespace on save
micro -option rmtrailingws true

# Make changes permanent
# These settings are automatically saved to settings.json

Keybinding Customization

Create ~/.config/micro/bindings.json:

{
    "Alt+/": "lua:comment.comment",
    "Ctrl+/": "lua:comment.comment",
    "Ctrl+Shift+D": "DuplicateLine",
    "Ctrl+Shift+K": "DeleteLine",
    "Ctrl+Shift+Up": "MoveLinesUp",
    "Ctrl+Shift+Down": "MoveLinesDown",
    "Ctrl+J": "JumpLine",
    "Ctrl+B": "ToggleBookmark",
    "F3": "FindNext",
    "Shift+F3": "FindPrevious",
    "F4": "Quit",
    "Ctrl+T": "NewTab",
    "Ctrl+Shift+T": "ReopenLastClosedTab"
}

Color Schemes

Micro comes with many built-in color schemes:

# List available color schemes
micro -option colorscheme help

# Popular color schemes
micro -option colorscheme monokai
micro -option colorscheme solarized
micro -option colorscheme dracula
micro -option colorscheme gruvbox
micro -option colorscheme atom-dark
micro -option colorscheme github
micro -option colorscheme zenburn

Custom Color Scheme

Create ~/.config/micro/colorschemes/mytheme.micro:

color-link default "#d4d4d4,#1e1e1e"
color-link comment "#6a9955"
color-link identifier "#9cdcfe"
color-link constant "#4fc1ff"
color-link statement "#569cd6"
color-link symbol "#d4d4d4"
color-link preproc "#c586c0"
color-link type "#4ec9b0"
color-link special "#dcdcaa"
color-link underlined "#d4d4d4"
color-link error "#f44747"
color-link todo "#ffcc00"
color-link hlsearch "#264f78"
color-link statusline "#d4d4d4,#007acc"
color-link tabbar "#d4d4d4,#2d2d30"
color-link indent-char "#3c3c3c"
color-link line-number "#858585"
color-link current-line-number "#c6c6c6"
color-link diff-added "#28a745"
color-link diff-modified "#ffd33d"
color-link diff-deleted "#d73a49"
color-link gutter-error "#f44747"
color-link gutter-warning "#ff8c00"
color-link cursor-line "#2a2d2e"
color-link color-column "#3c3c3c"

Plugin System

Plugin Management

# List installed plugins
micro -plugin list

# Install plugin
micro -plugin install pluginname

# Remove plugin
micro -plugin remove pluginname

# Update plugins
micro -plugin update

# Search for plugins
micro -plugin search keyword

# Plugin information
micro -plugin info pluginname

Popular Plugins

# Essential plugins
micro -plugin install filemanager    # File browser
micro -plugin install linter         # Code linting
micro -plugin install comment        # Toggle comments
micro -plugin install jump           # Quick navigation
micro -plugin install manipulator    # Text manipulation
micro -plugin install quoter         # Quote manipulation
micro -plugin install snippets       # Code snippets
micro -plugin install autoclose      # Auto-close brackets
micro -plugin install bookmark       # Bookmarks
micro -plugin install diff           # Diff viewer

# Language-specific plugins
micro -plugin install go             # Go language support
micro -plugin install python         # Python support
micro -plugin install html           # HTML support
micro -plugin install css            # CSS support
micro -plugin install javascript     # JavaScript support

Plugin Configuration

Plugins can be configured in ~/.config/micro/settings.json:

{
    "linter": true,
    "linter.ignoredMessages": [],
    "comment.leader": "# ",
    "filemanager.showdotfiles": true,
    "filemanager.showignored": false,
    "snippets.enabled": true,
    "autoclose.enabled": true
}

Real-World Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Linux System Configuration

# Edit SSH daemon configuration
sudo micro /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Navigate to specific setting
Ctrl+F
# Type "PasswordAuthentication"
Enter

# Change the value
# Use mouse to click and position cursor
# Change "yes" to "no"

# Save and restart SSH service
Ctrl+S
Ctrl+Q
sudo systemctl restart sshd

# Alternative: Edit systemd service file
sudo micro /etc/systemd/system/myapp.service

# Add service configuration
[Unit]
Description=My Application
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=myapp
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/myapp
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# Save and enable service
Ctrl+S
Ctrl+Q
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable myapp
sudo systemctl start myapp

Scenario 2: Python Development

# Open Python file
micro script.py

# Enable Python-specific settings
# (Automatically detected by file extension)

# Multiple cursor editing for variable renaming
# Double-click on variable name
Alt+C  # Select all occurrences
# Type new variable name

# Comment/uncomment code blocks
# Select lines with mouse or Shift+arrows
Ctrl+/  # Toggle comments

# Duplicate lines for testing
Ctrl+D  # Duplicate current line

# Save file
Ctrl+S

Scenario 3: Log File Analysis

# Open log file
micro /var/log/application.log

# Search for errors
Ctrl+F
# Type "ERROR"
Enter

# Navigate through errors
Ctrl+N  # Next occurrence
Ctrl+P  # Previous occurrence

# Select error lines for copying
# Click and drag to select
Ctrl+C  # Copy

# Open new buffer for analysis
Ctrl+E
# Type "tab new"
Enter

# Paste errors
Ctrl+V

# Save analysis
Ctrl+S
# Type filename
Enter

Scenario 4: Web Development

# Open HTML file
micro index.html

# Use multiple cursors for tag editing
# Select opening tag
Alt+C  # Select all similar tags
# Edit all tags simultaneously

# Navigate between files
Ctrl+O
# Type filename or use arrow keys
Enter

# Split view for CSS editing
Ctrl+E
# Type "hsplit styles.css"
Enter

# Switch between splits
Ctrl+W  # Cycle through splits

# Format code (if formatter plugin installed)
Ctrl+E
# Type "format"
Enter

Advanced Features

Command Mode

Access command mode with Ctrl+E:

# File operations
open filename.txt       # Open file
save                   # Save current file
save filename.txt      # Save as
quit                   # Quit current buffer
exit                   # Exit micro

# Buffer operations
tab new                # New tab
tab close              # Close current tab
tab switch N           # Switch to tab N
buffer N               # Switch to buffer N

# View operations
hsplit filename.txt    # Horizontal split
vsplit filename.txt    # Vertical split
unsplit               # Close current split

# Search and replace
find pattern          # Find pattern
replace old new       # Replace old with new
replaceall old new    # Replace all occurrences

# Settings
set option value      # Set option
show option          # Show option value
reset option         # Reset option to default

# Plugin operations
plugin install name   # Install plugin
plugin remove name    # Remove plugin
plugin list          # List plugins
plugin update        # Update plugins

Macros

# Record macro
Ctrl+U  # Start recording
# Perform actions
Ctrl+U  # Stop recording

# Play macro
Ctrl+J  # Execute recorded macro

Bookmarks

# Set bookmark
Ctrl+B  # Toggle bookmark on current line

# Navigate bookmarks
Alt+Up    # Previous bookmark
Alt+Down  # Next bookmark

# List bookmarks
Ctrl+E
# Type "bookmark list"
Enter

Splits and Tabs

# Split operations
Ctrl+E hsplit filename  # Horizontal split
Ctrl+E vsplit filename  # Vertical split
Ctrl+W                  # Cycle through splits
Ctrl+Q                  # Close current split

# Tab operations
Ctrl+T                  # New tab
Ctrl+W                  # Close tab
Ctrl+Tab                # Next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab          # Previous tab

Integration with Development Tools

Git Integration

# View git diff
micro -option diffgutter true filename.txt

# Git commands through shell
Ctrl+E
# Type "term git status"
Enter

# Or use external git tools
# Configure git to use micro as editor
git config --global core.editor micro

Language Server Integration

While micro doesn’t have built-in LSP support, you can use external tools:

# Install language servers
npm install -g typescript-language-server
pip install python-lsp-server

# Use with external LSP client
# Or use plugins that provide LSP integration
micro -plugin install lsp

Build System Integration

# Run build commands
Ctrl+E
# Type "term make"
Enter

# Or create custom commands
# In settings.json, add:
{
    "build": "make",
    "test": "npm test",
    "run": "python main.py"
}

# Then use:
Ctrl+E
# Type "build" or "test" or "run"
Enter

Customization Examples

Custom Status Line

{
    "statusformatl": "$(filename) [$(opt:filetype)] $(modified) | Line $(line)/$(lines) Col $(col)",
    "statusformatr": "$(opt:encoding) | $(opt:fileformat) | Micro v$(version)"
}

Custom Key Bindings for Productivity

{
    "Ctrl+Shift+P": "lua:comment.comment",
    "Ctrl+D": "DuplicateLine",
    "Ctrl+Shift+K": "DeleteLine",
    "Ctrl+L": "SelectLine",
    "Ctrl+Shift+L": "SelectToEndOfLine",
    "F2": "Rename",
    "F5": "Reload",
    "F12": "ToggleHelp",
    "Ctrl+`": "ToggleTerminal"
}

File Type Specific Settings

Create ~/.config/micro/settings.json:

{
    "*.py": {
        "tabsize": 4,
        "tabstospaces": true,
        "rmtrailingws": true
    },
    "*.js": {
        "tabsize": 2,
        "tabstospaces": true
    },
    "*.go": {
        "tabsize": 4,
        "tabstospaces": false
    },
    "*.md": {
        "softwrap": true,
        "wordwrap": true
    }
}

Performance and Optimization

Large File Handling

# Open large files efficiently
micro -option syntax false largefile.txt

# Disable features for better performance
micro -option hlsearch false
micro -option matchbrace false
micro -option autoindent false

Memory Usage

# Check memory usage
ps aux | grep micro

# Optimize for low memory
micro -option backup false
micro -option savehistory false
micro -option saveundo false

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

# Terminal compatibility issues
export TERM=xterm-256color
micro filename.txt

# Mouse not working
micro -option mouse true filename.txt

# Colors not displaying correctly
micro -option colorscheme default filename.txt

# Plugin issues
micro -plugin remove problematic-plugin
micro -plugin update

Debug Mode

# Enable debug logging
micro -debug filename.txt

# Check log file
tail -f ~/.config/micro/log.txt

Reset Configuration

# Backup current config
mv ~/.config/micro ~/.config/micro.backup

# Start fresh (micro will create new config)
micro

Migration from Other Editors

From Nano

Micro provides similar simplicity with more features: - Familiar Ctrl+S, Ctrl+O shortcuts - Mouse support - Better syntax highlighting - Plugin system

From GUI Editors

Micro bridges the gap between terminal and GUI editors: - Familiar keybindings (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, etc.) - Mouse support - Multiple cursors - Modern interface

From Vim

For Vim users wanting something simpler: - No modal editing - Intuitive keybindings - Built-in help system - Less configuration required

Micro excels as a user-friendly terminal editor that doesn’t sacrifice power for simplicity. Its familiar interface, modern features, and extensibility make it an excellent choice for developers who want a capable editor without a steep learning curve.