xed

Start the editor

$ xed

$ xed [path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...]

$ xed --encoding [WINDOWS-1252] [path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...]

$ xed --list-encodings

$ xed +[10] [path/to/file]

xed [OPTIONS...] [FILES...]

--new-window
    Opens a new, empty xed window, independent of existing ones.

--new-document
    Creates a new, empty document in the current or a new window.

--display=DISPLAY
    Specifies the X display to use for launching the application (e.g., :0.0).

--print
    Prints the specified files. This option typically invokes a graphical print dialog.

--encoding=ENCODING
    Sets the character encoding to be used when opening files listed on the command line (e.g., UTF-8, ISO-8859-1). If not specified, xed attempts to auto-detect.

--preserve-encoding
    Instructs xed to attempt to preserve the document's original encoding when saving, if possible.

--list-encodings
    Prints a list of all character encodings supported by xed to the standard output and then exits.

--disable-plugins
    Launches xed without loading any of its configured plugins, which can be useful for troubleshooting or for a minimalist editing experience.

--version
    Displays the version information for xed and then exits.

--help
    Shows a brief help message detailing common command-line options for xed and exits.

The xed command launches the official text editor for the Cinnamon desktop environment. It's a user-friendly and lightweight graphical text editor, designed for general-purpose text editing tasks. Originating as a fork of Pluma (MATE's text editor), which itself is a fork of Gedit (GNOME's text editor), xed inherits a familiar interface and many essential features. These include syntax highlighting for a wide array of programming languages and markup formats, a tabbed document interface for managing multiple files, and robust search and replace functionalities. xed also supports spell checking, unlimited undo/redo, and a plugin system for extending its capabilities. It aims to provide a stable and well-integrated editing experience within the Cinnamon ecosystem.

xed is a graphical user interface (GUI) application designed to run within an X server environment (e.g., a desktop session). It cannot be run directly from a pure text-mode terminal without an active display server. While it supports opening multiple files and tabs, for very large files or complex programming projects requiring advanced debugging or code completion, users might find more specialized Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) or feature-rich text editors more suitable.

xed features a robust plugin system that allows users to extend its core functionality without modifying the main application. Popular plugins include those for snippets management, integration with external tools, a file browser pane for easy navigation, and document statistics. Plugins can be enabled or disabled via the editor's graphical preferences dialog, enhancing its versatility.

Beyond its accessible graphical preferences, xed's behavior and appearance can be extensively configured through dconf settings. This allows advanced users to fine-tune various aspects, such as default encoding for new files, tab and indentation behavior, interface elements, and even custom syntax highlighting profiles, often manageable via tools like dconf-editor.

xed serves as the default text editor for the Cinnamon desktop environment, playing a crucial role in its user experience. Its lineage traces back through Pluma, the MATE desktop's text editor, which itself is a direct fork of Gedit, the default editor for the GNOME desktop. This heritage means xed benefits from years of development in its upstream projects, inheriting a stable codebase and a feature set familiar to users of Gedit and Pluma. The project was specifically forked and adapted to ensure seamless integration and consistent development with Cinnamon's release cycles, providing a native and cohesive text editing solution for the environment.

gedit(1), pluma(1), nano(1), vim(1), emacs(1)