TED - Advanced Text Editor for UNIX
This page is devoted to the free version of TED for Linux. See history for details.
Beta version of TED for Windows NT is available here.

What's New

The current version number of TED for Linux is 2.1.2 (formerly 2.1b).
The list of changes from previous version(s) is available here.

Download Ted for Linux on Intel platform:
Version without X Window system support (868632 bytes).
Version with X Window system support (905515 bytes).

Download Ted for RedHat 7.0:
Version without X Window system support (891499 bytes).
Version with X Window system support (933585 bytes).

General description

TED is a multi-purpose text editor with IDE (integrated development environment) features for UNIX-like operating systems. It is not a word processor although it does provide some word processing facilities. TED has no internal restrictions on file length or line length.

TED works:


TED for Linux is available on Intel platform in two versions: TED requires approximately 2.5 Mb of disk space and runs on any IBM PC-compatible computer with 386 processor or higher under Linux operating system (tested on kernels greater than 1.3.70).

Features

TED provides the following features and capabilities:

Installation

In order to start installation you have to download one of the available variants (which are ZIP-ped self-extracting archives), unzip the downloaded file into a temporary directory, make the unzipped file executable (chmod +x ted.exe) and run it as superuser (root).

The installation program will:

  1. Create the directories /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/lib/ted, if necessary.
  2. Put all TED auxiliary files (startup, menu, help, readme, etc) into /usr/local/lib/ted.
  3. Put TED executable file (ted or tedx11, depending on selected variant) into /usr/local/bin.
  4. Create symbolic link to TED executable in /usr/bin.
  5. Set "set user ID" bit in file mode of an executable file.
    In order to access video memory and IO ports of IBM PC video adapter TED must internally switch between priviledged and non-priviledged mode. It doesn't create any security problems. TED can work without superuser privileges but all IBM PC-related features will be disabled.
  6. Run "setup" program. You will be able to choose your language (for now, only English and Russian languages are available) and character set, mouse and print settings through simple menu system.

Use may also want to install TED into another directory. To do that you have to set the environment variable TEDLIB to the name of destination directory before you run the installation program:

         export TEDLIB=<your_directory_here>
for CSH, TCSH users:
         setenv TEDLIB <your_directory_here>


If the installation ends with the message "Invalid activation key or violation of the installation procedure", it means that you've got a partially downloaded file. Please repeat the download.

De-installation

  1. Delete TEDLIB directory:
        rm -rf /usr/local/lib/ted
    
  2. Delete the executables:
        rm -f /usr/local/bin/ted /usr/local/bin/tedx11
    
  3. Delete symbolic or hard links to the executables (if any):
        rm -f /usr/bin/ted /usr/bin/tedx11
    
  4. Delete the personal startup files:
        rm -f ~/.ted*
    

FAQ

For the full list of Q&A please read file /usr/local/lib/ted/FAQ.english. The following list contains Linux-specific Q&A only.

Q: If I hold ALT and sequentally press F1, F2, etc. I can switch between virtual consoles, but when I come to TED screen it behaves as if ALT is not pressed. Why?

A: Because (at least for current version of Linux) there is no way to find out the current set of pressed modifier keys (SHIFT, ALT, CTRL) when program's virtual console is being activated. Workaround: You have to release ALT and press it again.

Q: Why does my mouse behave erratically or doesn't work at all?

A: Either you selected an incorrect mouse type (say, Microsoft instead of Mouse Systems) or TED cannot open the mouse device (usually /dev/mouse) because you do not have an access to it or another program like "gpm" runs. Workaround: You may disable mouse support in TED if you run it with option "-mouse".
Additionally, if you're running "gpm" you may use the following shell script in order to start TED:

         gpm -k
         ted $*
         gpm
Unfortunately, it requires "root" privileges.

Q: How to "compile" perl scripts and parse error messages ?

A:

     set-variable compile-command perl -cw !f
     set-variable error-format  at \([^ ]+\) line \([^ ]+\)\|had compilation errors


Screen Shots

Click here to view a couple of TED screenshots taken from IBM PC screen.

History

TED has been developed in 1993-1994 while I was working in the Russian software company Eagle Dynamics Ltd. The editor has a status of commercial product available for various UNIX platforms. In 1996 I've got a permission from the company to maintain a free version of TED for Linux operating system. This fully functional version is distributed in binary-only form and without printed documentation.

E-mail

If you have any questions or comments regarding TED for Linux, please send e-mail to kpdus@yahoo.com.

Disclaimer

Copyright Eagle Dynamics Ltd. 1995, P. Kouznetsov 1997. All rights reserved.

This program is free for commercial and non-commercial use.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY EAGLE DYNAMICS LTD AND PAVEL KOUZNETSOV ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.


This page has been visited many times since July, 1997