kwrite

Open a text file

$ kwrite [path/to/file]

$ kwrite [file1 file2 ...]

$ kwrite --encoding [UTF-8] [path/to/file]

$ kwrite --line [line_number] --column [column_number] [path/to/file]

kwrite [options] [files...]
(Invokes the KDE text editor, optionally with Qt/KDE generic options)

-b, --block
    Open files in block (column) selection mode

-l, --line=<number>
    Navigate to the specified line number

-c, --column=<number>
    Navigate to the specified column number

--stdin
    Read input from standard input

--encoding=<codec>
    Set document encoding (e.g., UTF-8)

--session=<name>
    Restore a named session

-h, --help
    Show help message

--help-qt
    Show Qt-specific options

--help-kde
    Show KDE-specific options

--help-all
    Show all options

KWrite is a versatile, user-friendly text editor designed for the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It provides essential features for editing plain text files, configuration files, and source code with syntax highlighting support for numerous programming languages. As a standalone application derived from the Kate editor's core, KWrite focuses on simplicity, opening primarily a single document per instance without the multi-tab interface of its sibling.

Key capabilities include powerful search and replace (with regex support), automatic indentation, code folding, spell checking, and configurable encoding handling (UTF-8, ISO, etc.). It integrates seamlessly with KDE workflows, offering session management, customizable toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts. Users can embed it in other KDE apps via the KParts framework.

Ideal for quick edits, scripting, or lightweight coding, KWrite runs on modern Linux distributions with Qt5/6 and KDE Frameworks. It supports command-line invocation for automation, making it suitable for both GUI and scripted tasks. While not a full IDE, its speed and low resource usage make it a favorite among KDE users preferring minimalism over feature bloat.

GUI application requiring X11/Wayland and KDE/Qt libraries; not for headless servers. Single-document focus limits multi-file workflows compared to Kate.

Syntax highlighting (200+ langs), regex search/replace, code folding, spellcheck, DBus scripting.
Configurable via Settings > Configure KWrite.

Full details in man kwrite or online KDE docs; shares options with kate(1).

Introduced in KDE 1.1 (1999) as a simple editor; evolved with KDE 2/3 for syntax highlighting. Merged into Kate backend in KDE 4 (2008), now maintained in KDE Gear releases with Qt6 support since 2021.

kate(1), gedit(1), mousepad(1), nano(1), vim(1)