Terminal GuideTerminal Guide
micro icon

micro

Text Editors
macOSLinuxWindows
Go

Modern and intuitive terminal editor (nano alternative).

Official Website

Features

Modern KeybindingsMouse SupportPlugin SystemSplit Panes

Installation

Homebrew
brew install micro
APT (Debian/Ubuntu)
apt install micro
Pacman (Arch)
pacman -S micro

Why Use Micro?

Micro is a terminal editor designed as "Modern Nano". It uses the same keybindings as typical GUI editors (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V), so you can start using it with zero learning curve.

Intuitive Keybindings

Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+Q to quit, Ctrl+C to copy. Works like any standard editor.

Full Mouse Support

Click to move cursor, drag to select, scrolling supported. Comfortable for mouse users too.

Syntax Highlighting

Supports 130+ languages. Proper highlighting is automatically applied when you open a file.

Plugin System

Extensible with Lua. Add features like file tree, Git integration, and LSP support.

Installation

Installation
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install micro

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install micro

# Or use official script (latest version)
curl https://getmic.ro | bash
sudo mv micro /usr/local/bin/

# Fedora
sudo dnf install micro

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S micro

# Windows (Chocolatey)
choco install micro

# Windows (Scoop)
scoop install micro

# Install via Go
go install github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/cmd/micro@latest

# Check version
micro --version

Basic Operations

Basic Operations
# Open a file
micro filename.txt

# Create a new file
micro newfile.txt

# Open multiple files (tabs)
micro file1.txt file2.txt

# Open in read-only mode
micro -readonly true filename.txt

# Open and jump to specific line:column
micro +10:5 filename.txt

# Check config directory location
micro -config-dir

Frequently Used Commands

Micro uses the same keybindings as typical GUI editors.

File Operations

KeyDescription
Ctrl+SSave
Ctrl+QQuit (prompts if unsaved)
Ctrl+OOpen file
Ctrl+EOpen command bar

Editing

KeyDescription
Ctrl+CCopy
Ctrl+XCut
Ctrl+VPaste
Ctrl+ZUndo
Ctrl+YRedo
Ctrl+DDuplicate line
Ctrl+KDelete line
Tab / Shift+TabIndent / Unindent

Navigation and Selection

KeyDescription
Ctrl+ASelect all
Shift+Arrow keysExpand selection
Ctrl+Shift+ArrowSelect word by word
Home / EndMove to start / end of line
Ctrl+Home / EndMove to start / end of file
Ctrl+GJump to line
Ctrl+LSelect line

Find and Replace

KeyDescription
Ctrl+FFind
Ctrl+NFind next
Ctrl+PFind previous
Ctrl+HFind and replace

Tabs and Splits

KeyDescription
Ctrl+TOpen new tab
Alt+, / Alt+.Move to previous / next tab
Ctrl+WMove to next split pane

Command Bar

Press Ctrl+E to open the command bar and execute various commands.

Command Examples
# File operations
save                  # Save
save filename.txt     # Save as
open filename.txt     # Open file
quit                  # Exit
quit!                 # Exit without saving

# Splits
hsplit                # Horizontal split
vsplit                # Vertical split
hsplit filename.txt   # Open file and split horizontally

# Settings
set tabsize 4         # Set tab size to 4
set colorscheme monokai  # Change color scheme

# Plugins
plugin install filemanager  # Install plugin
plugin remove pluginname    # Remove plugin
plugin list                 # List plugins

# Other
help                  # Display help
help keybindings      # Keybinding help
term                  # Open terminal
run command           # Execute shell command

Configuration

Configuration is stored in ~/.config/micro/settings.json.

~/.config/micro/settings.json
{
    "autoindent": true,
    "autosave": 0,
    "colorscheme": "monokai",
    "cursorline": true,
    "eofnewline": true,
    "ignorecase": true,
    "indentchar": " ",
    "infobar": true,
    "keepautoindent": false,
    "mouse": true,
    "rmtrailingws": false,
    "ruler": true,
    "savecursor": true,
    "saveundo": true,
    "scrollbar": false,
    "scrollmargin": 3,
    "scrollspeed": 2,
    "smartpaste": true,
    "softwrap": false,
    "statusformatl": "$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(status.paste)| ft:$(opt:filetype) | $(opt:fileformat) | $(opt:encoding)",
    "statusformatr": "$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp): help",
    "statusline": true,
    "syntax": true,
    "tabmovement": false,
    "tabsize": 4,
    "tabstospaces": true,
    "useprimary": true
}

Customize Keybindings

Customize keybindings in ~/.config/micro/bindings.json.

~/.config/micro/bindings.json
{
    "Alt-/": "lua:comment.comment",
    "Ctrl-b": "ToggleSideBar",
    "Ctrl-Shift-k": "DeleteLine",
    "F2": "Save",
    "F3": "Find",
    "F5": "term"
}

Plugins

Micro supports plugins written in Lua.

Recommended Plugins

Plugin Installation
# File Manager (Sidebar)
micro -plugin install filemanager

# Fuzzy Finder
micro -plugin install fzf

# Git Integration
micro -plugin install microlf

# Bracket Auto-completion
micro -plugin install quoter

# Comment Toggle (enabled by default)
# comment plugin is built-in

# LSP Support
micro -plugin install lsp

# Display plugin list
micro -plugin list

# Update plugins
micro -plugin update

Using the Filemanager Plugin

filemanager
# Open file manager (from command bar)
> tree

# Or press Ctrl+E and type tree

# To add keybinding:
# Add to bindings.json:
# "Ctrl-b": "lua:filemanager.toggle_tree"

Color Schemes

Micro comes with multiple built-in color schemes.

Color Schemes
# Available Color Schemes
# - default
# - atom-dark
# - bubblegum
# - cmc-16
# - cmc-tc
# - dracula
# - gruvbox
# - material-tc
# - monokai
# - nord-tc
# - solarized
# - twilight

# Change from command bar
> set colorscheme monokai

# Or set in settings.json
# "colorscheme": "dracula"

Tips

  • Press Ctrl+E to open command bar and type help to view help documentation.
  • If you prefer not to use the mouse, disable it with set mouse false.
  • Press Ctrl+E and type term to open a terminal within the editor.
  • Alt+G selects all occurrences in the selection (multi-cursor).
  • Settings changes are applied immediately. No restart required.
  • Run micro --clean to start with default settings. Useful for troubleshooting.
  • When migrating from Nano, most operations become more intuitive. Especially Undo/Redo use standard keybindings.
Written by Dai AokiPublished: 2026-01-20

Related Articles

Explore More