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# micro

From ArchWiki

micro is a terminal-based text editor that aims to be easy to use and intuitive, while taking advantage of the full capabilities of modern terminals. It is shipped as a single, static binary with no dependencies.

As the name suggests, micro aims to be a successor to the nano editor, as it is easy to install and use, but micro also strives to be pleasant to use on a daily basis.

## Installation

Install the micro package.

## Configuration

Micro uses `$MICRO_CONFIG_HOME` or `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/micro` as its configuration directory. If these variables are not set, it defaults to `~/.config/micro`. The main settings are defined in the `settings.json` file. You can find all available options here.

Tip To display the main help file, press `Ctrl+g`.

### Syntax highlighting

The colorscheme can be changed via the configuration file or from the micro command line. To do this, press `Ctrl+e` and type the command

    set colorscheme [name]

### Plugins

To install a plugin, use the command

    plugin install [name]

inside micro. To remove one, use `plugin remove [name]`. The plugin help guide is available by running the command `help plugins`.

Tip If you want to create a plugin, follow the instructions in the official documentation.

## Tips and tricks

### Replace vi with micro

To replace `vi` with `micro` as the default text editor for commands such as visudo, set the `VISUAL` and `EDITOR` environment variables:

    export VISUAL=micro
    export EDITOR=micro

## See also

- micro homepage

Categories:

- Text editors
- Console applications
- GNU

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