Basics

Mitos is a modal editor: the same keys navigate, select, and edit depending on the current mode. This short walkthrough covers enough to edit a file without trying to memorize the entire keymap.

For a guided lesson inside the editor, run ms --tutor or enter :tutor from Mitos.

Open a file

After installing Mitos, open a file or directory from your shell:

ms README.md
ms .

Mitos starts in normal mode. Press Esc whenever you want to return to it.

Move around

Use the arrow keys or the home-row movement keys:

You can prefix many movements with a count. For example, 5j moves down five visual lines.

Insert text

From normal mode, press i to insert before the selection or a to append after it. Type normally, then press Esc to finish the insertion.

Other useful entry points are I and A for the start and end of the line, and o / O for a new line below or above.

Select, then act

Mitos uses a selection → action editing model. A cursor is a one-character selection; movement changes that selection. Press v to enter select mode, where movement extends it, then apply an action:

Press x to select the current line. Syntax-aware textobjects, such as miw for the word around the cursor, are described in Textobjects.

Edit several matches at once

Multiple selections are a normal part of editing, not a separate mode. One simple workflow is:

1. Press x to select a line.
2. Press s, enter a regular expression, and press Enter.
3. Mitos creates one selection for every match in the line.
4. Press c and type once to replace every selection.

Use , to keep only the primary selection. The Usage and Registers pages cover more ways to compose edits.

Search, save, and quit

Press / to search forward, then use n and N to move between matches. Press : to enter command mode:

Where to go next

• Read Usage for modes, buffers, selections, and motions.
• Keep the Keymap open as a reference while learning.
• Set up language servers for completion, diagnostics, and code actions.
• Adjust editor behavior in Configuration.