12 Editors

Purpose

Text editors are essential in Linux because many systems don’t have a GUI. In CTFs, you may need to open and edit files directly from the terminal. In the real world, sysadmins and penetration testers often edit configuration files, scripts, or logs using terminal-based editors.

Core Commands

$ nano test.txt
#Opens "test.txt" in the Nano Text Editor | Ctrl+O to Save, Ctrl+X to Exit

$ vim test.txt
#Opens "test.txt" in Vim Editor | Press "i" to Insert, "Esc" to Exit Insert, ":wq" to Save & Quit

$ gedit test.txt
#Opens "test.txt" in Gedit GUI Text Editor (if installed)

Editors Basics

• nano is beginner-friendly, perfect for quick edits.
• vim is more powerful but has a steep learning curve.
• gedit is GUI-based, better when working in desktop environments.

Editors Commands