hexer is a terminal-based multi-buffer editor for viewing and modifying binary files. Its interface takes many ideas from vi and ex, making its navigation and modal editing model relatively familiar to users of those editors.
Files are loaded into buffers, so hexer is intended for regular files rather than block devices. Multiple buffers can remain open within the same session, with commands for moving between them, writing individual buffers or saving all modified buffers together.
The editor goes well beyond simple byte replacement. It includes visual selections, binary-aware regular expressions, command-line history and completion, and a built-in calculator for low-level numerical work.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Opens and manages multiple binary-file buffers in one editing session.
- Uses a command model inspired by vi and ex.
- Provides insert, replace and visual selection modes.
- Supports multi-level undo and redo.
- Stores editing history in per-buffer swap files when possible.
- Offers command-line editing with history and tab completion.
- Searches forwards and backwards using binary regular expressions.
- Supports hexadecimal, octal and decimal escape sequences in search expressions.
- Performs search-and-replace operations over selected areas or complete buffers.
- Copies selected bytes to a kill buffer for later insertion or overwrite.
- Can read another file into the current buffer at a chosen position.
- Provides commands for switching to the next, previous or alternate buffer.
- Offers a read-only mode for inspecting data without changing it.
- Executes editor commands automatically when a session starts.
- Reads startup commands from a user configuration file.
- Includes an interactive calculator supporting arithmetic, logical and bitwise operations.
- Supports large files on Linux.
- Targets POSIX-compatible environments.
Website: gitlab.com/hexer/hexer
Support:
Developer: Peter Pentchev (original developer was Sascha Demetrio)
License: BSD 2-Clause ‘Simplified’ License and BSD 3-Clause ‘New’ or ‘Revised’ License
hexer is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Console-Based Hex Editors | |
|---|---|
| hexyl | Colored command-line hex viewer |
| hyx | Minimalistic hex editor |
| hexedit | View and edit hexadecimal files |
| hexer | Multi-buffer editor for binary files |
| dz6 | Terminal hex editor with Vim-inspired key bindings |
| hx | Hex editor using plain C and POSIX libs |
| poke | Extensible editor for inspecting and modifying structured binary data |
| Hextazy | Colorful hexadecimal editor |
| HexPatch | Interactive TUI for viewing, editing and patching binary files |
| hexhog | Configurable hex viewer and editor |
| DHEX | ncurses-based hex editor with diff mode |
| fileobj | ncurses based hex editor |
| vbl | Terminal-based hexadecimal viewer and editor for binary files |
| HexMe | Written in C++ that uses the Curses library |
| hexcurse-ng | Written in C |
| ddhx | Simple multi-platform modal text UI hex editor |
| bvi | Based on the vi text editor |
| XVI | Hex editor using ncurses |
| Hexit | Minimalistic hex editor |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Alternatives to hexdump | |
|---|---|
| hexyl | Colored command-line hex viewer |
| DHEX | ncurses-based hex editor with diff mode |
| hexedit | View and edit hexadecimal files |
| hyx | Minimalistic but powerful hex editor |
| hexer | Multi-buffer editor for binary files |
| xxd | Make a hexdump or do the reverse |
| hx | Hex editor using plain C and POSIX libs |
 LinuxLinks helps you discover the best free and open source software for Linux. Explore our extensive collection of recommended applications, including alternatives to popular proprietary software.We also publish software reviews, Linux tutorials, hardware reviews, free programming books and articles covering the wider open source community. Browse our Linux resources to discover more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application we haven't covered? Suggest a program for inclusion. Has your software been featured on LinuxLinks? Display one of our Featured on LinuxLinks badges on your website or GitHub README. |
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.