# Geany — Lightweight Cross-Platform IDE and Text Editor

> A fast, small IDE built on GTK and Scintilla that provides syntax highlighting, code folding, autocompletion, and build system integration without the overhead of heavier development environments.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Geany — Lightweight Cross-Platform IDE and Text Editor

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install via package manager
sudo apt install geany          # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install geany          # Fedora
brew install --cask geany       # macOS
# Or download from https://geany.org/download/releases/
geany myfile.py                 # Open a file
```

## Introduction
Geany is a lightweight IDE and text editor that uses the GTK toolkit. It provides essential IDE features like syntax highlighting, code navigation, and build integration while starting in under a second and consuming minimal RAM. It supports over 50 programming languages out of the box.

## What Geany Does
- Provides syntax highlighting and code folding for 50+ languages
- Offers symbol navigation via a sidebar showing functions, classes, and variables
- Integrates with compilers and build systems through configurable build commands
- Supports autocompletion based on open document symbols and ctags
- Includes a built-in terminal emulator, file manager sidebar, and project management

## Architecture Overview
Geany is written in C using GTK for the UI and Scintilla as the editing component. It uses ctags for symbol parsing, providing fast code navigation without a full language server. The plugin system (libgeany) exposes a C API for extending functionality. Configuration is stored in plain-text files under ~/.config/geany/.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install from your Linux distribution's package manager, Homebrew on macOS, or the Windows installer
- Configuration files are in ~/.config/geany/ (filetype definitions, keybindings, templates)
- Custom build commands can be set per-project or per-filetype in Build > Set Build Commands
- Install plugins via the Plugin Manager (Tools > Plugin Manager)
- Custom color schemes go in ~/.config/geany/colorschemes/

## Key Features
- Starts in under one second with minimal memory footprint
- Built-in terminal emulator for running commands without leaving the editor
- Project management with per-project build commands and settings
- Plugin ecosystem including Git integration, spell check, and macro recording
- Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **VS Code** — Far more powerful with extensions, but 10x heavier; Geany suits resource-constrained environments
- **Sublime Text** — Faster and more polished, but proprietary; Geany is fully free and open
- **Kate** — KDE-native with similar capabilities; Geany uses GTK and is lighter
- **Notepad++** — Windows-only; Geany is cross-platform with better IDE features
- **Vim/Neovim** — More powerful for expert users; Geany offers a traditional GUI with no learning curve

## FAQ
**Q: Can Geany replace a full IDE like IntelliJ or VS Code?**
A: For lightweight scripting and smaller projects, yes. For large Java/TypeScript projects needing LSP, debugging, and refactoring tools, a full IDE is better.

**Q: Does Geany support LSP (Language Server Protocol)?**
A: Not natively, but a community plugin (geany-lsp) provides basic LSP support.

**Q: How do I add support for a new programming language?**
A: Add a filetype definition in ~/.config/geany/filedefs/ using the existing ones as templates.

**Q: Is Geany suitable for remote development over SSH?**
A: You can use Geany with SSHFS-mounted directories, or use its built-in terminal for SSH sessions.

## Sources
- https://github.com/geany/geany
- https://geany.org

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-ac215228
Author: Script Depot