Editing Midnight Commander

{{Short description|Orthodox file manager}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox software
| logo                   =
| caption                = Midnight Commander running in a terminal window on [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] Linux
| screenshot             = Midnight Commander 4.7.0.9 on Ubuntu 11.04.png
| developer              = [[Miguel de Icaza]], community
| released               = {{Start date and age|1994}}<ref name="historymc">{{cite web|url=http://www.softpanorama.org/OFM/Paradigm/Ch04/mc.shtml |title= History of development of Midnight Commander |accessdate=2014-09-20 |date=2011-12-16 |first=Nikolai |last=Bezroukov |publisher=softpanorama.org}}</ref>
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1340000|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date    = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1340000|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1340000|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date    = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1340000|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| operating_system       = [[Unix-like]] including [[macOS]]; [[Windows]] <small>(unofficial)</small>
| programming language   = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| language count         = 51
| language footnote      = <ref>{{cite web|title=LINGUAS|url=https://github.com/MidnightCommander/mc/blob/master/po/LINGUAS|date=March 2022|work=Midnight Commander|accessdate=25 March 2025}}</ref>
| genre                  = [[File manager]]
| license                = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
| website                = {{URL|//midnight-commander.org}}
}}

'''GNU Midnight Commander''' (also known as '''<code>mc</code>''', the command used to start it, and as mouseless commander in older versions<ref>{{cite tweet|user=migueldeicaza|author=Miguel de Icaza|number=674691910053855232|date=9 December 2015|title=Midnight Commander was originally "Mouseless Commander", then "MouseLess commander with Mouse Support" then "Midnight Commander" via a vote.}}</ref>) is a [[free software|free]] [[cross-platform]] [[orthodox file manager]].<ref name=linuxworld>{{cite web|last1=Petreley|first1=Nicholas|title=Favorite minimalist file managers|url=http://www.linuxworld.com/site-stories/2002/0814.fm-p2.html |website=[[LinuxWorld.com]]|accessdate=3 May 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021028071832/http://www.linuxworld.com/site-stories/2002/0814.fm-p2.html|archivedate=28 October 2002|date=20 August 2002}}</ref> It was started by [[Miguel de Icaza]] in 1994<ref name=historymc /> as a [[clone (computer science)|clone]] of the then-popular [[Norton Commander]].

GNU Midnight Commander is part of the [[GNU project]] and is licensed under the terms of the [[GNU General Public License]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/mc|title = Midnight Commander}}</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Midnight Commander screenshot.png|thumb|left|Classic old appearance]]
Midnight Commander is a [[console application]] with a [[Text-based user interface|text user interface]]. The main interface consists of two panels which display the [[file system]]. File selection is done using [[arrow key]]s, the insert key is used to select files and the [[function key]]s perform operations such as renaming, editing and copying files. Later versions of the Midnight Commander additionally have [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]] support.  Such versions are aware of [[GPM (software)|GPM]] and [[X Window System|X]] [[terminal emulator]]s (such as [[GNOME Terminal]] or [[xterm]]) which support mouse reporting. When running inside an X terminal, these versions can update the name of the window in which Midnight Commander runs (if allowed by the terminal emulator).

Midnight Commander's features include the ability to view the contents of [[RPM Package Manager|RPM]] package files, to work with common [[archive format]]s as if they were simply another directory, and to function as an [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] or [[FISH protocol|FISH]] client.  Midnight Commander also includes an editor called <code>mcedit</code>, which can be executed as a standalone program or from Midnight Commander using the {{keypress|F4}} key. mcedit's features include [[syntax highlighting]] for many languages, macros, code snippets, simple integration with external tools, automatic indentation, mouse support, a [[Clipboard (computing)|clipboard]] and the ability to work in both [[ASCII]] and [[Hex editor|hex]] modes.  Users also have the option to replace mcedit with the editor of their choice <code>Options</code> > <code>Menu</code> > <code>Configuration</code> > <code>[Don't] Use Internal Edit</code>.

Midnight Commander can also rename groups of files, unlike a number of other [[file manager]]s that can only rename one file at a time. This is convenient for manipulating large collections of files, e.g. to make them conform to a new [[naming convention]]. Midnight Commander can also move files to a different [[directory (computing)|directory]] at the same time as it renames them. It lets the user specify the original and resulting file names using [[wildcard character]]s. This makes the power of [[regular expression]]s available for renaming files, with a convenient user interface. In addition, the user can select whether or not to use "[[Shell (computing)|shell]] patterns" or "[[glob (programming)|globs]]" (automatic grouping of wildcards). All of these features are available by using the <code>File</code> > <code>Rename/Move</code> menu selection. (Pressing {{keypress|F1}} would then produce a brief explanation of the options, including examples of how to use wildcards.)

Midnight Commander is based on versatile text interfaces, such as [[Ncurses]] or [[S-Lang]], which allow it to work on a regular console, inside an X terminal, over [[secure shell|SSH]] connections, over an [[RS-232]] interface (for embedded devices) and all kinds of remote shells.

==Unicode support==
Native support for [[UTF-8]] locales for [[Unicode]] was added in 2009 to development versions of Midnight Commander. As of version 4.7.0, mc has had Unicode support.<ref>[http://www.linux-magazin.de/NEWS/Wiederbelebt-Midnight-Commander-4.7 Wiederbelebt: Midnight Commander 4.7], By Marcel Hilzinger, 29.12.2009, Linux-Magazin</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[far2l]], Far Manager port for [[*nix]] systems
* [[Ranger (file manager)|ranger]], a file manager based on [[ncurses]] and python
* [[Norton Commander#Norton Commander-inspired software|''Norton Commander''-inspired software]]
* [[Comparison of file managers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}
*{{SourceForge|mcwin32|Midnight Commander for Windows}}
<!--*[http://franco-bez.4lima.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56%3A-gnu-midnight-commander&catid=40%3Alegacy&Itemid=64&lang=en The Midnight Commander for win32] – Legacy distribution for Microsoft Windows
*[http://louise.hu/poet/?tag=mc The Midnight Commander for Mac OS X] – Universal Binaries from the official sources-->

{{File managers}}
{{GNU}}

[[Category:Free file managers]]
[[Category:Free FTP clients]]
[[Category:Files transferred over shell clients]]
[[Category:GNU Project software]]
[[Category:Orthodox file managers]]
[[Category:Software that uses S-Lang]]
[[Category:Free software that uses ncurses]]
[[Category:Linux file system-related software]]
[[Category:Unix file system-related software]]
[[Category:File managers for Microsoft Windows]]
[[Category:Console applications]]