Reminders of some of the confrontations regarding Linux cause many years of competition between different types of software. Of course, the classic KDE against GNOME, Firefox and the latest Chrome still confront each other, but these fights are fading compared to the rivalry between VI and Emacs. Which of them can be the winner?
The debate about which Linux text editor is better has pushed more than one thousand users over their foreheads. Both representatives are powerful, modern and strong competitors. In the end, no one won in this argument. In fact, this opposition, for the most part, has calmed down in favor of more modern and advanced Linux solutions. But this does not mean that the differences have disappeared. In fact, each opponent can still be found on the battlefield - along with new offers. And the winners were users who installed significantly improved Linux text editors.
If you don't follow foolish fashion trends, it's pretty easy to find an editor that will suit your needs as best as possible. But, before moving on to discussing the tools themselves, you first need to understand what text editors are and why they are needed.
Many Linux applications process text files in the configuration. Some examples of such files are as follows - samba.conf, apache2.conf, resolve.conf, etc.
These components are often referred to as “text files”. This means that they do not have any formatting, but are plain text and nothing more. Some might suggest that a standard word processor (such as OpenOffice.org) could also be used to edit these files, but this should be avoided, which is understandable.
Generally speaking, word processors are designed to add additional formatting to text. The configuration file for reading is placed in the application. If it is not readable by the application, it will not work. Even more difficult to understand is that additional formatting can occur unnoticed by the user. That way, you won’t even know that you have changed anything in the file. To avoid this, text editors are always used for files of this configuration.
Linux Console Text Editor vs. GUI
What is the difference between console and graphical editors? Console (for example, Nano and VI) do not have a graphic component. These text editors can even be used from the console, which makes them indispensable for some versions of Linux. Without the extra downloads that the GUI requires, console editors are extremely easy to use, making them ideal candidates for users who need speed and an almost instant response.
GUI text editors, on the other hand (for example, Gedit), have one component each, which adds features that make the desktop of oriented users visually more attractive. However, for their use, a graphical desktop must be installed. The benefits of GUI editors are ease of use. These tools work very similar to standard word processors, so any user will be comfortable working with these tools. However, the additional “weight” of the GUI makes remote use more difficult than using console editors. Of course, it is up to you to decide which Linux text editor is best for you.