this isn't mac or windows, bro.
"man up" and use vi.
then after a year we might let you use gnu emacs.
after another year - mayyybe you can start thinking about the frilly bits.

I am beginning to realize that Linux isn't very nice as a development platform. Is it more like jumping into a cold pool, or wearing burlap underwear? I can get used to a cold pool.

All my favourite tools don't work here.

Before I go running back to Windows defeated, I really want to make a go of this & find the groove.

On a positive note, installing PHP & Apache was super easy

BTW, I already hate typing "sudo" before everything

Welcome to Ubuntu. :)

Its worth noting my week with Linux thread was ages ago, and I'm still using Ubuntu. Haven't even touched Windows since then.

I think the difficult part is getting everything set up just the way you want it. Once you have this you will hare a great system for your needs.

I like the sproingy windows that wobble when I move them.

Yea that is actually quite a nice effect, have you tried the desktop cube yet? (Compiz fusion)

Mack.

I am beginning to realize that Linux isn't very nice as a development platform.

I suspect you'll find you are simply overwhelmed with the power.

Don't use vi. Power, but stripped down to the core.

If you want straight command line text editor, try nano. that's the one I use. Not sure if it does formatting. Not sure if it does ftp either, but I wouldn't do it that way. Now that you have a 'webserver', copy the file once to your desktop, work on it and *test it right on your own machine*. Then upload the final copy. Because your deskto is now the test server. Trust me, this is more awesome than working on files remotely. (there's probalby better code editors than nano).

Not sure why you have to type sudo before everything. I never do. If I need to do something as root, I type 'su' and change to root as a user, do what I need to do, then 'exit' to go back to my regular user. Most 'work' type stuff you should be able to do as your regular user. You need root to admin your desktop, but that's not a daily type of thing.

I asked on my local lug and got the following:
Kdevelop for c/c++/php
quanta plus (html stuff)
Komodo edit for scripting languages
also look at eclipse for some tasks.

And many others. All of the above are either free, or have free variants, and I bet you can install them right from your software repository. (which is something you don't get in windows!).

Nice selection wheel! and as you say, all of those options are in the Ubuntu software center.

For web stuff I would recommend Bluefish as well.

Mack.

features I need:
- open & save remote files, via FTP
- tabbed
- code colorization
- easy tabbing
- nice code formatting

gedit. It should already be installed on Ubuntu.

Gedit is installed under Ubuntu, just run it from console. gedit file.ext

Mack.

I'll second Eclipse when it comes to a graphical editor. It is much more than an editor though. It is a very robust IDE. Take in a few of the online tutorials and you'll be up and running in no time. Or just start in and learn as you go :)

I used Quanta for a while for editing ASP web scripts. Also Bluefish. Now, thanks to listening to advice in this forum, I use Kate. I had occasion to use Quanta again yesterday and did not like it. It's close to Kate but not close enough. :)

For plain text, depending on what I am doing, I use (now) either Kate or Gedit.

One thing that drives me nuts on ALL of the linux editors I've used: When you hit the Find box and try to scroll down to a previous search string using the Down key it don't go! You ALWAYS have to use the mouse. Very annoying.

Otherwise, as a very-long-time Windows user (and still having to use it for some things) I very much like linux (my flavour is Ubuntu).

BTW, I already hate typing "sudo" before everything

Almost the first thing I do when installing Ubuntu is to fire up a command prompt and write:

sudo passwd root

You can then add a password for the root account and use

su

instead of

sudo

. The "Ubuntu Way" on this issue annoys me too!

As for text editors, Linux has a zillion of them, all of which suck in subtly different ways ;) I tend to favor Bluefish when using Linux.

I've been using gedit tonight. If this is as good as it gets, I can cope. I'd really like to have my "e" editor back though

I use Kate. It has the first three of your requirements, but I am not sure what you mean by the last two.

It will install some KDE libraries (on Ubuntu), which will make the install bigger, but you will probably need them at some point anyway.

I am using VIM and never want to go back, but it is not an editor for everyone. The two main reasons I use it is that there are fully compatible versions for both Linux and Windows, and that you don't need a mouse to switch between general editing and editor control functions. But it needs some time before you are adapted to it.

I tried Cream, a Vim GUI, which had its good points, but I never really felt comfortable with it.

Geany is my choice, as it seems to behave most like Notepad++. No ftp though, unless you mount up something remotely. Check out the question about editing files remotely through FTP or SSH on this page:
[geany.org...]

There is a GUI app for mounting remote file systems using FUSE/GVFS.

Its called Gigolo. Now there is a product I would be hesitant to roll out in a corporate environment.