How To Use Pico

Last Updated: November 30, 1999

What is PICO?

PICO is a very simple and easy-to-use text editor offering paragraph justification, cut/paste, and a spelling checker. (Pico is an acronym for PIne COmposer)

Commands:
The editing commands are displayed at the bottom of the screen and are envoked using CTRL-KEY combinations. (Key is the key letter such as CTRL-W) The ^ character is representing the CTRL and the letter that follows represents the KEY. For example ^W will be CTRL-W on your keyboard. You press the CTRL key hold it and then press the W key. Some commands will require input such as searching. The prompts will be at the bottom of the screen, above the command labels.

Start Pico:
Type: pico
This will tell PICO to open a file. If you do not specific a file you can start editing a blank file, and then save it as whatever you wish when you quit.

Save Your Changes:
Press: CTRL-O
You will be displayed / asked what file PICO should save the document as.
Press: Enter (Or rename file to your linking and then press enter)
PICO has now saved your document.

Exiting Pico:
Press: CTRL-X
You will be prompted "Save modified buffer" this means do you want to save your modified file.

PICO Commands:
CTRL-K will delete the entire line that the cursor is currently on (Cut Text)
CTRL-U will insert the previously deleted line of text at the current position (Un-Cut Text)
CTRL-W will bring up a box at the bottom of the document for you to search.
CTRL-C will cancel anything.
CTRL-T will bring up the spell checker.