Skip to main content

TextMate 2.0 goes open source

TextMate 2.0 goes open source

/

The alpha version of the popular Mac text editor, TextMate 2.0, has been open sourced. Developer Allan Odgaard made the decision based in part on what he calls Apple's "steps to limit our freedom."

Share this story

TextMate HW
TextMate HW

The alpha version of the popular Mac text editor, TextMate 2.0, has been open sourced. As noted by ArsTechnica, developer Allan Odgaard made the decision based in part on what he calls Apple's "steps to limit our freedom." The restrictive measures taken to secure the Mountain Lion operating system have irked a number of developers, but the sudden release of TextMate's source code offers some cause for concern. Development on TextMate 2.0 has been slow — the app has been in the works since 2009, with only an alpha version released in December as evidence of forward progress. The move to open source could mean that future development might be slower still. Some —including Instapaper's Marco Arment — have begun to wonder if this move signals the end of a once popular text editor.