nano is very simple, so it wasn’t efficient for projects with lots of files. I used vim for a short time, but then I gave micro a try and I was faster at it, so I stuck with it.

I use micro. Customizable and lightweight.

I try to keep everything minimalistic, so I don’t have to customize it too much. For example, this is my terminal:

The most important thing for me is the font, since I also use a terminal-based editor for programming. The color palette is also minimal (I made it), I don’t like things that are too colorful. I use bash as my shell, and st as my terminal.

All proprietary software.
And, in case you install open source software, look at who is behind the project. I wouldn’t want to install open source software sponsored by Microsoft, for example.