Set default Editor in Ubuntu and FileZilla

This tutorial explains how to change the default editor on Ubuntu Linux for PHP files and the FileZilla client program. Updating the default editor allows you to use your preferred editor as the default for specific file types. The gnome text editor is the default editor. By default, Ubuntu opens all text files with this editor. This editor provides basic features and functions for creating, editing, and updating text files.

These features and functions are sufficient if you only work with regular text files such as log files. But if you mainly create and update a particular type of files, such as programming language files, you should use an editor specifically designed for those types of files. For example, you can use Komodo Edit to edit programming files. Komodo Edit is a free and open-source editor. It provides several advanced features and functions such as syntax highlighting, regex search and replace, error detecting, indenting, etc. The following tutorial explains how to install Komodo Edit on Ubuntu.

How to Install Komodo Edit on Ubuntu Linux

Installing a new editor does not change the default editor. Even if you have installed your favorite editor to edit and create specific types of files, Ubuntu will keep opening those files with the default editor. To open a specific file type with a particular editor, you must change the default editor for that file type.

Setting default editor for PHP files

The steps for updating the default text editor are the same for all file types. To explain the steps, I will set Komodo Edit as the default editor for PHP files. Following the same method, you can set up the default editor for any file type.

To change the default editor for PHP files, select any PHP file and right-click. From the right-click context menu, click the Open With option.

It displays the currently set default editor and other available editors for PHP files. You can select any editor from the list as the default editor. Select Komodo Edit from the list.

If you click the Open button, the file opens with Komodo Edit. However, it happens only once. The next time, Ubuntu again uses the default text editor to open the file.

To make this change permanent, turn on the option Always use for this file type.

It changes the default editor to Komodo Edit for PHP files.

After this update, Ubuntu opens all PHP files with Komodo Edit instead of the default gnome text editor.

Setting default editor in FileZilla FTP client program

FileZilla is one of the most popular file transfer programs. It transfers files from the local computer to the remote server. It also allows us to edit and update files stored on the remote server. By default, it uses the system's default editor to open files. In the above section, we changed the default editor for PHP files. Changing the default editor for a specific file type does not change the system's default editor. FileZilla will continue to use the default editor to open the remote files.

To change the default editor in FileZilla, click the Edit menu item. From the opened sub-menu, click the Settings option.

It opens the Settings screen. The Settings screen has two panes. The left pane lists all options. The right pane displays the detailed description of the selected option from the left pane. Select the File Editing option from the left pane. In the right pane, select the Use custom editor option.

Use the Browser button to navigate the file system. Select the executable file of Komodo Edit and click the OK button to save and close the setting screen.

After this change, FileZilla will use Komodo Edit to open the files.

Conclusion

Changing the default file editor allows you to use your preferred text editor. This tutorial explains how to customize the default file editor for PHP files and FileZilla on Ubuntu.