Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
I've been programming for about 5 years now and only now taking my first steps into the linux world. I've had a poke around Vim and Emacs and they both seem to have quite the learning curve; so I only wanna learn one and be done with it :P
I do most of my work in c++, which one is the fastest to use once you get your head around them ? Or would I be better to just ignore Vim and Emacs and find a good IDE and use something simple like nano to modify configuration files ?
This is a very delicate subject likely to start a civil war on these forums. Both editors have fanatical devotees. My rational unbiassed(???) opinion? Emacs, definitely.
Sorry, there's no answer for the "Vi or emacs" question other than "Try both and see which one you decide you like" - there really is no convincing reason for using one over the other.
I use vim and swear by it. Why? Because it's the first one I used so it's the one I learned commands for. I'm sure emacs is great, I just don't know how to use it. That's all it comes down to.
I tried emacs once, but preferred to stay with vi. The only thing I don't like about vi is when I need to do a bunch of block moves. For that I prefer a graphical editor like gedit. But, like the others have hinted, vi/vim vs emacs is more or less a religious issue. My religion tends more toward vi and Debian.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.