Using Microsoft's New CLI Text Editor on Ubuntu

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reactions to Microsoft Edit on Linux/Ubuntu

  • Many find the reimplementation of MS-DOS EDIT nostalgic and pleasant, praising its simplicity, intuitiveness, and familiar blue UI.
  • Some say it “feels like a DOS program” and a bit alien on Unix, but still useful for light editing.
  • Others question the target audience: on Windows, most terminal‑savvy users already have Neovim/VS Code; on Linux, there are many small editors already.

Article Accuracy & Terminology (CLI vs TUI)

  • Multiple commenters criticize the linked article for conflating CLI and TUI and for weak historical claims (e.g., “avoiding VIM memes,” “Windows devs forced to use Notepad”).
  • Several posts try to clarify:
    • CLI: line‑oriented, works on teletypes.
    • TUI/CUI: screen‑oriented text UI (vi, Emacs, DOS IDEs, Norton/Midnight Commander).
  • Others argue that, in practice, “CLI” has broadened to mean “anything non‑GUI in a terminal,” so nitpicking the label isn’t that helpful.

Features, UX, and Alternatives

  • Edit is described as neat but barebones: missing syntax highlighting and advanced programming features for now.
  • The editor’s design is praised as more intuitive for newcomers than nano; some wish Linux had adopted similar UX earlier.
  • Alternatives repeatedly mentioned: micro, dte, ne, mcedit, microemacs, nano, ed/edlin, WordStar‑style and Turbo‑Pascal‑like editors, Norton/Midnight/FAR managers’ editors.

Implementation & Portability

  • The Rust codebase is notable for minimal dependencies (only libc), reimplementing things like terminal handling and base64 in‑tree.
  • Reasons suggested: easier security/legal review, ability to ship everywhere (including constrained or embedded systems).
  • Maintainers indicate a plan for extensibility with a lean core and optional LSP as an extension.

Keyboard Shortcuts, Copy/Paste, and Terminals

  • Large subthread on Ctrl‑C/Ctrl‑V, IBM CUA, and historical control codes (SIGINT vs copy).
  • Mixed views on terminals overloading Ctrl‑C: some praise Windows Terminal‑style context‑sensitive behavior; others prefer strict SIGINT.
  • Several people share remapping tricks (e.g., making Ctrl‑X SIGINT, Ctrl‑C copy) but warn about muscle‑memory problems on remote/other systems.
  • macOS’s separation of Cmd‑C (clipboard) and Ctrl‑C (SIGINT) is widely praised as a clean model.

Touch Typing & Developer Skills

  • Long debate on whether touch typing and mastering shortcuts are essential for developers.
  • One camp sees it as basic craftsmanship and ergonomics that frees cognitive load; the other calls it overemphasized “signaling,” noting that some excellent devs type unconventionally or have physical constraints.