micro
A modern, intuitive terminal-based text editor distributed as a single static binary with no dependencies.
What is micro?
Micro is a modern terminal-based text editor designed to be intuitive and easy to use, while offering advanced features like multiple cursors, splits, tabs, and a plugin system. It solves the problem of complex, dependency-heavy terminal editors by providing a single static binary that works out of the box.
Developers and system administrators who prefer working in the terminal, need a lightweight editor for remote SSH sessions, or want a more feature-rich alternative to nano.
Developers choose Micro for its combination of modern editor capabilities, zero-dependency installation, and user-friendly design. Its single binary distribution, familiar keybindings, and extensive plugin system make it a powerful yet accessible choice for terminal-based editing.
Overview
A modern and intuitive terminal-based text editor
Use Cases
Best For
- Editing configuration files over SSH on remote servers
- Users transitioning from nano to a more feature-rich terminal editor
- Developers who need a lightweight, dependency-free editor for quick edits
- Working in terminal environments where GUI editors are unavailable
- Scripting and coding in the terminal with syntax highlighting and plugins
- System administrators managing multiple files with splits and tabs
Not Ideal For
- Power users deeply invested in Vim's modal editing or Emacs' extensibility
- Environments relying on Cygwin or Mingw, which are not officially supported
- Projects requiring advanced IDE features like integrated debugging or language servers
- Teams needing real-time collaboration or cloud-based editing capabilities
Pros & Cons
Pros
Micro is distributed as a single static binary with no external dependencies, making it trivial to download and run on any platform supported by Go.
It uses familiar desktop shortcuts like Ctrl-s for save and Ctrl-c for copy, with full rebinding support, reducing the learning curve for new users.
Includes multiple cursors, split windows, and tab management, bringing GUI-like functionality such as simultaneous editing to the terminal.
Micro supports Lua plugins with a built-in plugin manager, allowing for easy customization and feature expansion without complex setup.
Cons
Micro does not officially support Cygwin, Mingw, or Plan9, restricting its use in specific terminal environments, as noted in the README.
On Linux, system clipboard access requires external tools like xclip or wl-clipboard, adding an extra step for full functionality.
Compared to established editors like Vim, the Lua-based plugin system has a smaller community and fewer available plugins, limiting extensibility.
Open Source Alternative To
micro is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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VimThe official Vim repository
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TextMateTextMate is a graphical text editor for macOS 10.12 or later
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