kak
Edit text files interactively
TLDR
Open a file and enter normal mode, to execute commands
Enter insert mode from normal mode, to write text into the file
Escape insert mode, to go back to normal mode
Replace all instances of "foo" in the current file with "bar"
Unselect all secondary selections, and keep only the main one
Search for numbers and select the first two
Insert the contents of a file
Save the current file
SYNOPSIS
kak [options] [files] ...
PARAMETERS
-c commands
Execute commands on startup after loading configuration
-d
Diff mode: read files from stdin and display differences
-f regex
List sessions whose name matches regex
-l
List existing sessions
-n
Do not source configuration files; read-only session
-p pid
Send keys to client with given process ID
-s session
Connect to given session
-S
Present a list of existing sessions to select from
-u rcfile
Use specified configuration file instead of default
-v
Print version information
-h
Display help
DESCRIPTION
Kakoune is a fast, modal text editor designed with a selection-first paradigm, where selections are made before actions are applied. Unlike Vim's action-then-motion model, Kakoune inverts this: you select text first, then apply commands to all selections simultaneously. This enables powerful multiple-selection editing, high performance via zero-copy selections, and a composable interface.
Key features include client-server architecture for multiple views of the same session, syntax highlighting via regex or tree-sitter, integrated LSP support, and a tiling interface. It's highly extensible with a powerful scripting language called Kakscript. Kakoune emphasizes discoverability with intuitive key bindings and on-screen documentation.
Ideal for programmers seeking efficiency beyond traditional editors, it runs on Unix-like systems and supports large files efficiently. The editor shines in editing structured text like code, where multi-cursor operations reduce keystrokes dramatically.
CAVEATS
Steep learning curve due to inverted selection model; requires unlearning Vim habits. Client-server model can confuse beginners. No native Windows support.
INVOCATION EXAMPLES
kak file.txt: open file
kak -s mysession: attach to session
kak -c 'edit file.txt': execute command
PARADIGM SHIFT
Use %s/old/new/g to substitute on all selections; motions like w (word), /regex extend selections efficiently.
HISTORY
Developed by Maxime Coste (mawww) starting in 2013 as a modern Vim alternative. First release in 2015; version 1.0 in 2022. Focuses on performance and multiple selections. Actively maintained with tree-sitter integration in recent versions.
