NetBSD adds a new text editor called atto

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

NetBSD has added a tiny Emacs-style text editor called atto to its base system, aiming to give users who dislike vi a small, modeless alternative that can also run in rescue and single-user environments. Commenters debate whether atto is truly beginner-friendly, noting its Emacs keybindings and contrasting it with editors like nano or micro, while others emphasize that its real goal is minimal size, permissive licensing, and compatibility with NetBSD’s existing build tools. The change also prompts broader reflections on Unix editing traditions, licensing politics around GNU tools, and what “beginner friendly” means for an OS like NetBSD.

Role and Goals of atto in NetBSD

  • Described as a very small, Emacs-like, modeless screen editor added to NetBSD base.
  • Main design goal: “smallest functional Emacs in <2000 lines of C,” around 48 KB.
  • Intended to complement vi/xedit and be small enough for the rescue/single-user environment, where previously only ed or a limited vi were reliably available.

Beginner-Friendliness and Target Users

  • Announcement text about “easing transition for new users” and non-modal editing led some to label it “beginner-friendly.”
  • Several commenters argue that’s misleading: it is primarily a tiny Emacs clone, not a nano/pico-style “first editor.”
  • Others counter that “new users” in the NetBSD context are already relatively technical; compared to vi/ed, a modeless editor with clear man page can indeed ease their transition.

Keybindings and UX Debate

  • Uses Emacs-style keybindings (e.g., C-x C-s/C-x C-c), seen by some as unfriendly to modern GUI-trained users who expect Ctrl+S/C/V behavior.
  • Others argue Emacs/readline-style bindings are a long-standing Unix “standard” and match existing shell habits.
  • Disagreement over whether the age of a convention should dictate current defaults; some want remappable bindings and more “intuitive” behavior, others value consistency with Unix history.

Licensing, Implementation, and Size Constraints

  • NetBSD prefers permissive (BSD/MIT-style) licenses; GNU nano’s GPLv3 is seen as incompatible with project ethos.
  • Base system only guarantees a C toolchain; Go-based editors like micro are therefore unsuitable.
  • Binary size matters for rescue environments: nano (320 KB) and micro (11 MB) far exceed atto’s ~48 KB.

Comparisons to Other Editors

  • Compared to nano/pico, micro, mg (OpenBSD’s small Emacs-like), mcedit, joe, fresh, and even Microsoft Edit.
  • Some praise atto as a nicer alternative to ed/vi when stuck in single-user mode; others would still prefer nano-like editors for true beginners.

Broader NetBSD Context

  • Some see NetBSD as particularly beginner-friendly among Unix-like OSes due to its coherence and documentation.
  • Mention of new interest in NetBSD tied to 32-bit support and perceived anti-AI stance, implying more “new but technical” users who may benefit from atto.