Re: Gotta Learn Vi . . . . . . (was Re: [tlug] [Newbie] Becoming 'root' in Kubuntu: Use sudo)

[Darren Cook <darren@example.com>]

> Regardless of how you much loath vi, you should learn how to use it, 
> because it is on more *nix systems than any other editor (besides cat). 

Yes. vi is my 3rd most-hated editor (ed and emacs are 1st and 2nd
respectively), but, because I often need to edit something over ssh, my
2nd most used one. (For the curious, SciTE is first.)

> You don't have to learn how to be a wizard, 
> just how to do very very basic stuff: 
> 
>    how to get into insert mode     i
>    how to get out of insert mode   <ESC>
>    how to write file               :w or :w! or :w foo
>    how to quit                     :q or :q!
> 
> That's enough for very basic editing. 

That is about all I know as well. Two more essentials, and one convenience:
   Forward delete:    x
   Delete whole line: dd
   Save and Quit:     ZZ
 (remember to press ESC to exit insert mode first)

(on some servers backspace, delete, home and end work, but sometimes
they do not (e.g. on the cygwin machines I ssh to), and I've never been
motivated enough to discover if that is something I can change or just
have to live with.)

Darren


-- 
Darren Cook
http://dcook.org/mlsn/ (English-Japanese-German-Chinese free dictionary)
http://dcook.org/work/ (About me and my work)
http://dcook.org/work/charts/  (My flash charting demos)