# atom > A cross-platform pluggable text editor. > Plugins are managed by `apm`. > More information: . - Open a file or directory: `atom {{path/to/file_or_directory}}` - Open a file or directory in a new window: `atom -n {{path/to/file_or_directory}}` - Open a file or directory in an existing window: `atom --add {{path/to/file_or_directory}}` - Open Atom in safe mode (does not load any additional packages): `atom --safe` - Prevent Atom from forking into the background, keeping Atom attached to the terminal: `atom --foreground` - Wait for Atom window to close before returning (useful for Git commit editor): `atom --wait`