The NetBSD Foundation has announced that the -current branch of NetBSD now includes atto(1), a new alternative text editor in its base system. The move is aimed at easing the transition for newcomers who may find the traditional vi(1) and xedit(1) editors difficult to use.
Atto is a modeless, screen-based editor, meaning users can type and edit text directly without switching between command and insert modes. Its design is similar to popular editors such as nano, pico, xedit, and emacs, which are often considered more approachable for beginners.
Despite its functionality, atto is remarkably small at only 48 kilobytes. This compact size makes it well suited for inclusion in the rescue system, where minimal footprint and reliability are important.
The announcement was shared on Mastodon via the SDF server. The post also noted, with some humor, that the news was real but that it could have been posted on April 1 for added effect. The author invited readers to begin the editor wars, a reference to the long-running debate in the Unix community over the merits of vi versus emacs and other editors.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing