LiteEditor
AI-native spatial code editor with canvas and zen modes — free and open source
Overview
Free and open source. Source code: github.com/ahostbr/LiteEditor
LiteEditor is a fast, focused code editor built on Monaco — the same editing engine that powers VS Code. It's designed for quick edits, single-project sessions, and situations where you want a capable editor without the full weight of a modern IDE. An integrated terminal and Git support cover the most common development workflows without requiring additional tools.
Features
- Monaco editor with syntax highlighting for 50+ languages
- Integrated terminal (runs in a panel below the editor)
- Git integration: stage, unstage, commit, and view diffs
- File explorer sidebar for navigating project directories
Installation
Select LiteEditor during the LiteAISuite install process. No additional runtime dependencies are required.
Usage
Opening a project: Use File > Open Folder to open a directory. The file explorer sidebar on the left shows the directory tree. Click any file to open it in the editor.
Editing: LiteEditor supports standard Monaco keyboard shortcuts. Key bindings follow VS Code conventions:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Command palette | Ctrl+Shift+P |
| Quick file open | Ctrl+P |
| Find in file | Ctrl+F |
| Find across files | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Toggle terminal | Ctrl+`` |
| Save | Ctrl+S |
Terminal: Press `Ctrl+`` to open the integrated terminal panel. The terminal opens in the current project directory.
Git: Open the Source Control panel from the sidebar icon (or Ctrl+Shift+G). Staged and unstaged changes are listed separately. Click a file to view its diff. Enter a commit message and click Commit to commit staged changes.
Configuration
Settings are accessible via File > Settings or Ctrl+,. Options include:
- Font family and size
- Tab size and indent style (spaces/tabs)
- Word wrap
- Theme (light/dark/system)
- Terminal shell (inherits from system default; configurable per-platform)
Settings are stored in the app's user data directory and persist across restarts.
Requirements
No additional requirements beyond the base Lite Suite install.
Troubleshooting
Syntax highlighting is not working for a specific file type. Check that the file has the correct extension. You can also manually set the language mode using the language selector in the bottom-right status bar.
The integrated terminal opens in the wrong directory. The terminal inherits the working directory of the currently open folder. If no folder is open, it defaults to the user's home directory. Open a folder first via File > Open Folder.
Git panel shows no changes even though files are modified. Confirm the open folder is inside a Git repository (contains a .git directory). LiteEditor's Git integration only activates when a valid Git repo is detected at the root of the open folder.