Sunsetting Atom - The GitHub Blog

We are archiving Atom and all projects under the Atom organization for an official sunset on December 15, 2022.

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Sunsetting Atom - The GitHub Blog

Introduction

What is Atom?

Atom was an open-source text editor developed by GitHub. It was designed to be highly customizable yet easy to use, with the goal of making software development more accessible to a wider audience.

Key Features of Atom

  • Open-source and free to use
  • Built on Electron framework, enabling cross-platform compatibility
  • Highly customizable through packages and themes
  • Integrated package manager for easy extension
  • Built-in Git and GitHub integration
  • Smart autocompletion

Why is Atom Being Sunset?

GitHub announced the sunsetting of Atom for several reasons:

  1. Lack of significant feature development in recent years
  2. Declining community involvement
  3. Emergence of new cloud-based development tools
  4. GitHub's focus shift to cloud-based development with Visual Studio Code and GitHub Codespaces

Timeline for Atom Sunsetting

  • June 8, 2022: Announcement of Atom's sunset
  • December 15, 2022: Official sunset date
  • Atom repositories archived on GitHub

What Happens After the Sunset?

  • Pre-built Atom binaries will still be available for download
  • Atom package management will cease to function
  • No further security updates will be provided
  • Teletype feature will no longer work
  • Certain deprecated redirects will stop functioning

Price

Atom was always free to use and will remain so even after the sunset. However, users are encouraged to migrate to alternative solutions.

Helpful Tips for Atom Users

  1. Begin exploring alternative text editors like Visual Studio Code
  2. Back up any custom configurations or packages you've created
  3. Familiarize yourself with GitHub Codespaces for cloud-based development
  4. Consider contributing to or using other Electron-based applications

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I still use Atom after December 15, 2022? Yes, but with limited functionality and no further updates or support.

  2. Will my existing Atom installations stop working? Existing installations should continue to work, but without package management or updates.

  3. What alternatives does GitHub recommend? GitHub suggests Visual Studio Code and GitHub Codespaces as alternatives.

  4. Can I still access my Atom projects? Yes, your local projects will remain accessible. Only the Atom editor and its ecosystem are affected.

  5. Is there a way to migrate my Atom settings to another editor? While there's no official migration tool, many popular editors have similar features and may offer ways to import or recreate your Atom setup.