Pico is an easy-to-use text editor on the CNS Logon Server that is designed to work in tandem with Pine e-mail. It can also be used with the Tin news reader and can be set as the default text editor for your Logon Server account.
You can start Pico two ways:

  • by activating the Pico hypertext link, under the Lynx menu called “Basic Services”
  • by typing in pico filename at the UNIX system prompt. Unlike many UNIX file editors, which require memorizing and typing a lot of commands on a command line, Pico works with key combinations based on the Control key (Ctrl).

Pico commands are usually given using the control <CTRL> keys. The most common commands appear in a menu at the bottom of the screen during a pico session. The menus are context sensitive and will vary depending on what you are doing within pico.

Pico Commands:

  • Ctrl-G  Get Help
  • Ctrl-X   Exit Pico saving buffer to specified filename
  • Ctrl-O  Write Out buffer into a file saving it and remaining in Pico

Moving around Pico:

  • Ctrl-F  Move forward one character
  • Ctrl-A  Move to beginning of the line
  • Ctrl-B  Move to backward one character
  • Ctrl-E  Move to end of the line
  • Ctrl-N  Down one line
  • Ctrl-V  Next page
  • Ctrl-P  Up one line
  • Ctrl-Y  Previous page
  • Ctrl-C  Cursor Position – report cursor location

Files and Buffers:

  • Ctrl-R  Read File – insert external file at current cursor position
  • Ctrl-O  Write Out buffer into a file saving it and remaining in Pico

Miscellaneous commands:

  • Ctrl-W  Where Is – search for text neglecting case
  • Ctrl-T  To Spell – invoke spell checker
  • Ctrl-Q   Unfreeze Screen

Pico delete commands:

  • Ctrl-D  Delete Character at the cursor position
  • Ctrl-K  Cut Selected Text – delete line(s)

Positioning Text:

  • Ctrl- ^ Mark Cursor Position as beginning of selected text -

_Note:  setting mark when already set unselects text.

  • Ctrl-K  Cut Selected Text – delete line(s)
  • Ctrl-U  Uncut (paste) Text – insert text at the cursor position
  • Ctrl-I    Insert Tab at current cursor position
  • Ctrl-J   Justify (format) current paragraph – from cursor position
  • Ctrl-L   Refresh Screen

Enjoy.