zile

Start a buffer for temporary notes, which won't be saved

$ zile

$ zile [path/to/file]

$ <Ctrl x><Ctrl s>

$ <Ctrl x><Ctrl c>

$ zile +[line_number] [path/to/file]

$ <Ctrl x><u>

zile [file...]

file...
    The file(s) to open for editing.

Zile is a lightweight text editor that aims to be a small, easily embeddable clone of Emacs. It's designed for environments where a full-fledged Emacs is too resource-intensive.

Zile's features are a subset of Emacs, focusing on core text editing functionality. It typically offers basic features like text insertion, deletion, searching, and some buffer management. It can be useful in systems where emacs is unavailable or too large.

Zile is often embedded in other programs requiring text-editing capabilities. Because of it's small size, is ideal for rescue disks, embedded systems, or minimalist Linux distributions. Zile lacks the extensive customization and features of Emacs, making it faster and more compact.

Zile uses a subset of Emacs key bindings. Common commands like Ctrl-X Ctrl-S (save), Ctrl-X Ctrl-C (exit), Ctrl-G (abort) are generally supported, but variations may exist depending on the specific Zile version. Some features and keybinds could be missing.

Customization options in Zile are significantly limited compared to Emacs. There is usually no Emacs Lisp support, so extensions or extensive customizations are not possible. Basic configuration might be available through command-line options or configuration files, but their extent is usually minimal.

Zile was developed as a smaller alternative to Emacs. It aimed to provide a core set of Emacs-like features in a compact package, suitable for resource-constrained environments. While never reaching the feature richness or popularity of GNU Emacs, Zile has found a niche in embedded systems, rescue environments, and minimalist distributions where a small footprint is paramount.

emacs(1), nano(1), vi(1)