The primary difference between nano and Vim is that the intended audiences are very different. If you want a quick list of things, here are some comparison points based on my usage: VimĮasy to use (frequently usable functions and their key combos are listed at the bottom) The path can be either absolute or a relative path to the file: vim Documents/text.txtīut there’s much more than just accessing or opening a file using the text editor, right? Opening a file in Vim or nano is as easy as typing the name of the editor you want to use, followed by the file’s path. However, both of them offer the essentials for editing system configuration files, programming, and text editing. Note that, Vim, in general, offers more advanced functionalities. Here are the key feature differences between Vim and nano. You do not necessarily need to be a programmer to use nano. The striking highlight of this editor is its ease of use and minimal learning curve. The nano editor was initially known as “tip” and then renamed right before Richard Stallman declared it an official GNU program. So, nano was developed as a free replacement to it. Pico text editor did not feature a GPL (license), which made it tough to include in Linux distros. This Unix-based text editor was a part of Pine email suite developed by The University of Washington in 1989. GNU nano (or we call it “nano” throughout the article) is a simple terminal-based text editor inspired by Pico. While it offers some advanced functionalities, you can also edit plain text files. It is also referred to as a “programmer’s text editor”, considering it features various features that can help edit program files. So, Vim is an enhanced version of it, with modern capabilities. Vi was a terminal-based text editor initially developed for the Unix operating system in 1976. Vim is a bettered version of the “Vi” text editor, developed in 1991. To compare the two, let me give you a brief introduction to both. While nano comes built-in on most Linux distros, you will have to install Vim manually.
Nano and Vim offer most of the essential features. Vim and Nano are some of the most popular CLI text editors.īut, what makes them so popular? What should you pick as your text editor? Let me highlight the differences between Vim and nano to help you decide.
What if you want to access a text editor through the terminal? You should also find it built-in to your Linux distribution. However, these are all GUI-based programs. You will most likely notice some of the best modern text editors like Gedit, Geany, Kate, etc., pre-installed in your Linux distribution. Your Linux distribution already comes pre-installed with text editors, no matter the requirements. We need to utilize the text editor to take notes, write a program, or edit a system configuration file to get something done.
0 kommentar(er)
