Remember Atom, the popular code editor favored by many developers? After Microsoft discontinued it, some of its original creators launched a new project called Zed, which they designed to be even better. Although the editor was released for macOS, it wasnโt available on Linux. Well, that’s no longer the case.
In an exciting development for software developers using Linux, the highly anticipated open-source code editor Zed has officially launched for Linux platforms.
Built from scratch in Rust programming language by the team behind the Atom editor and the Tree-sitter parsing framework, it sets itself apart with a GPU-accelerated renderer, promising an unprecedented editing experience that maximizes efficiency and speed.
Benefits of Zed Code Editor for Linux Users
The introduction of Zed to the Linux community brings several benefits with the main ones being:
- High Performance: Thanks to its GPU-accelerated renderer, Zed delivers superior performance compared to traditional editors that rely solely on the CPU. This means faster rendering of visuals and smoother transitions, even with extensive codebases.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Another standout feature of Zed is its multiplayer functionality, which allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously.
- Advanced Code Editing Features: The editor maintains a full syntax tree for each file, which supports advanced code editing features like precise syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, structural selection, and a searchable outline view.
- IDE Features: Zed is more than a traditional code editor. It includes an integrated terminal, language server protocol support for code completion and diagnostics, and a command palette with Vim-style modal editing.
- AI-Driven Code Generation: Zed integrates with AI technologies like GPT-4, enabling developers to generate and refactor code via simple natural language prompts. This AI integration can significantly speed up coding tasks and reduce developers’ cognitive load.
- Customizability and Extensibility: With support for custom themes and extensive configurability through extensions, Zed allows developers to tailor the editor to their specific needs and preferences
- Open Source and Community-Driven: Last but not least, Zed is open-source, allowing users to modify, enhance, and distribute their versions.
How to Install Zed on Linux
The process is extremely simplified. To install Zed, Linux users can execute the following command in their terminal:
curl https://zed.dev/install.sh | shCode language: Bash (bash)Once the installation is complete, run the following two commands:
echo 'export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrcCode language: Bash (bash)Then, just find the app in the list of apps in your application launcher, open it, and enjoy the exceptional speed, comfort, and features the editor offers.
Check out the official announcement or visit documentation for more information about the Zed code editor.
