Linux Text Editors: Vi, Nano, Emacs and Gedit

• Linux applications utilize text editors for script writing.
• Linux programs often use text-based data files for input.
• Linux operating system services rely on text-based configuration files.

Common Linux Text Editors

• Emacs is customizable and extendable, functioning as an IDE for languages like Java or C, but it requires installation.
• Nano is a beginner-friendly text editor.
• Gedit is part of the Gnome desktop environment and operates in a GUI.
• Vi is a native editor present in Linux and Unix systems, often replaced by the enhanced version, Vim.

Vi Editor Modes

• Command mode interprets keystrokes as commands, not as characters for the document.
• Insert mode places entered characters at the current cursor position.
• Replace mode overwrites the character at the current cursor position with any entered character.
• To start vi type "vi" in the command line.
• To create a new file, type "vi filename.txt".
• A confirmation message will appear with the file name and "[New File]".
• To add text, press the "i" key to enter insert mode.
• Press Esc to exit insert mode and return to command mode.
• To save changes, enter the ":w" command.
• A confirmation message will appear with the file name, the word "New", the number of lines, and the number of characters written.

Cursor Movement Commands

• l or Right arrow: Moves one character to the right
• h or Left arrow: Moves one character to the left
• j or Down arrow: Moves one line down
• k or Up arrow: Moves one line up
• 0: Moves to the beginning of the current line
• ^: Moves to the first non-whitespace character on the current line
• $: Moves to the end of the current line
• w: Moves to the beginning of the next word or punctuation character
• W: Moves to the beginning of the next word, ignoring punctuation characters
• Ctrl+f or Page Down: Moves one page down
• Ctrl+b or Page Up: Moves one page up
• numberG: Moves to a specific line number; for example, 1G moves to the first line
• G: Moves to the last line of the file

Appending and Inserting Lines in Vi editor

• Use the A command to append text to an existing file, which moves the cursor to the end of the line and initiates insert mode.
• Insert a blank line below the current line using the o command.
• Insert a line above the current line using the O command.

Text Deletion Commands

• x: Deletes the current character
• 3x: Deletes the current character and the next two characters
• dd: Deletes the current line
• 5dd: Deletes the current line and the next four lines
• dw: Deletes from the current cursor position to the beginning of the next word
• d$: Deletes from the current cursor location to the end of the current line
• d0: Deletes from the current cursor location to the beginning of the line
• d^: Deletes from the current cursor location to the first non-whitespace character in the line
• dG: Deletes from the current line to the end of the file
• d20G: Deletes from the current line to the twentieth line of the file

Text Yanking/Pasting Commands

• yy: Copies the current line
• 5yy: Copies the current line and the next four lines
• yW: Copies from the current cursor position to the beginning of the next word
• y$: Copies from the current cursor location to the end of the current line
• y0: Copies from the current cursor location to the beginning of the line
• y^: Copies from the current cursor location to the first non-whitespace character in the line
• yG: Copies from the current line to the end of the file
• y20G: Copies from the current line to the twentieth line of the file

Productivity Software

• Enables users to work with word-processed documents, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, databases, and graphic images.

LibreOffice Suite

• LibreOffice can be used on Linux
• Writer: A word processor with AutoComplete that suggests words and phrases based on a built-in dictionary and scanned documents.
• Calc: A spreadsheet application with Advanced DataPilot technology to pull in, cross-tabulate, summarize, and convert data and integrate real-time data streams.
• Impress: Presentation software with Fontworks for 2D and 3D text images, multiple monitor support, and Presenter Console extensions for slide control.
• Draw: A tool for vector graphics and flowcharts that allows users to manipulate, group, and crop graphical objects, and use objects in 3D.
• Base: A database with native-support drivers for engines like MySQL/MariaDB, Adabas D, MS Access, and PostgreSQL.
• Math: Formula editing, enables insertion of mathematical and scientific formulas in documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings.

GIMP

• GIMP is the recommended image editor for Linux, featuring a customizable interface, photo enhancement, digital retouching, and extensive hardware support.