The code editor for your terminal, without modes
Type, click, Ctrl+S. Language servers, git, a real shell and your AI agent, in one small binary that runs anywhere you can SSH.
curl -fsSL https://skink.cc/install.sh | shNo sudo needed. Then run skink . · Other ways to install · v1.1.3, free and open source
Recorded from the real Skink 0.8 binary in a terminal.
Keys you already know
There is no insert mode to enter and no command to remember to leave. Copy, paste, undo and save work the way they do everywhere else.
Quick startEverything is a tab
Files, shells, diffs, your AI agent and the help sit in one tab bar. F12 flips between the file and the shell.
Terminal tabsThe same editor over SSH
Copy a single binary, no sudo, no GUI. What you copy on the server lands on your own clipboard.
Editing over SSHBring your own AI agent
Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, opencode and Goose run in a tab or drive the editor directly. Their edits arrive as a diff you keep or drop.
Set up an agentSmall and quick
- Binary size
- ~23 MB
- Memory when idle
- ~10 MB
- To the first frame
- 2–4 ms
An IDE’s worth, in the terminal
Language servers
Completion, hover, go to definition, rename and code actions, started for the language you open.
Git
Gutter marks, stage a hunk from a peek, inline blame, a code review with comments and side-by-side diffs.
Project search
Ripgrep-fast search and replace across files, plus structural search.
Multiple cursors
Ctrl+D adds the next match, Alt+click adds anywhere. One undo for all of them.
Debugger
Breakpoints, stepping and variables over the Debug Adapter Protocol.
Your $EDITOR
git commit, crontab -e and your AI CLI open a lean Skink in about 2 ms.
Packages
More languages, language servers, themes and fonts with one command: skink --install kotlin.
skink ssh
Runs the editor on the server over your own ssh and forwards the ports it opens.
How it compares
Skink is young. Neovim and nano have decades on it, and Zed is a polished GUI.
| Skink | Neovim | nano | Zed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type right away, no modes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mouse by default | Yes | Yes | Opt-in | Yes |
| Runs over plain SSH | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Language servers built in | Yes | With config | No | Yes |
| AI agents in the editor | Yes | Plugins | No | Yes |
| Plugins and extensions | Lua and packages | Huge | No | Yes |
| Maturity | New | Decades | Decades | Stable |
Questions
How do I exit Skink?
Press Ctrl+Q. It closes the tab, and quits on the last one. If something is unsaved, Skink asks first.
Does Skink have modes like Vim?
No. You type to insert, select with Shift or the mouse, and save with Ctrl+S. F10 opens a menu bar that shows the common actions with their keys.
Can I use Skink over SSH?
Yes. Run it on the server, or run skink ssh host:path and it copies itself over and forwards the ports your dev servers open. Copy reaches your local clipboard with OSC 52.
Does the mouse work?
Yes, out of the box: click to place the cursor, drag to select, click tabs, scroll sideways on a trackpad, Alt+click for more cursors.
Which AI agents work with Skink?
Any agent CLI runs in a terminal tab. Over the Agent Client Protocol, Skink also drives Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, opencode, Goose and Antigravity from its prompt box and agent panel.
Is it free?
Yes. Skink is open source under MIT OR Apache-2.0. Version 1.1.3 is out. It is a young project, so expect rough edges.
Try it in thirty seconds
Install, open a folder, and press Ctrl+Q when you are done.