Microsoft has released a modern, open-source version of its classic MS-DOS Editor, now known as ‘Edit’. The tool is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, and was developed to address the absence of a default CLI text editor in 64-bit versions of Windows. According to Christopher Nguyen, a product manager on Microsoft’s Windows Terminal team, the initiative stemmed from the need for a default command-line interface (CLI) text editor in modern 64-bit Windows systems, which currently lack such a tool. 32-bit Windows versions already include the MS-DOS editor, but 6,4-bit versions do not have a CLI editor installed by default.
Linux users can download the ‘Edit’ tool from the project’s GitHub releases page or install it through an unofficial snap package. For those who prefer the vintage editor and seek a 16-bit text-mode experience for their retro machines that actually run MS-DOS, the original editor remains available on the Internet Archive. At 250KB, the new ‘Edit’ maintains the lightweight philosophy of its predecessor while adding features that the original could not achieve, such as Unicode support, regular expressions, and the ability to handle gigabyte-sized files. The original MS-DOS editor was limited to files smaller than 300KB, depending on available conventional memory, a constraint that seems quaint in the era of terabyte storage. However, a recent review by OMG! Ubuntu found that the modern ‘Edit’ not only ‘works great on Ubuntu’ but also demonstrated impressive speed when handling large files.
The release of ‘Edit’ is part of Microsoft’s broader effort to provide developers with robust tooling across multiple platforms. The tool is available for download or installation through standard means, making it accessible to a wide audience. Microsoft’s decision to open-source the ‘Edit’ tool reflects its growing commitment to cross-platform development and community collaboration. The tool serves as a reminder of the enduring utility of classic software in the modern computing landscape, while also showcasing how legacy tools can be enhanced to meet contemporary needs and standards.