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

[steven smith <sjs@example.com>]

Curt Sampson wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007, steven smith wrote:
>
> > Curt Sampson wrote:
> >
> > > I don't think this is exactly the point. First of all, the original
> > > vi was developed on and for 9600 bps text terminals, and second, even
> > > modern vi works on a 300 bps link.
> > It sounds like it was a pretty big deal at the time:
>
> Ah, that's the optimizing screen updating code, what became curses, as
...

Curt -- did you read the article on the link i posted with 
the above comment?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/11/bill_joys_greatest_gift/
Bill Joy said QUOTE
So I had a terminal at home and a 300 baud modem so the 
cursor could move around and I just stayed up all night for 
a few months and wrote vi.
...
No. It took a long time. It was really hard to do because 
you've got to remember that I was trying to make it usable 
over a 300 baud modem. That's also the reason you have all 
these funny commands. It just barely worked to use a screen 
editor over a modem. It was just barely fast enough. A 1200 
baud modem was an upgrade. 1200 baud now is pretty slow.
END QUOTE

It sounds sorta-kinda like development for vi was done over 
a 300 baud modem.

He also talks about emacs development in the same article 
going on at the same time with a high speed connection.

There is no mention of curses in here.

Also, Re: vi/vim/nvi on Solaris, I'm sure things have 
changed since Solaris 8 /SunOS 2.8 which was the newest 
version I've used, but vi (not vim, not nvi) came installed 
on the system.  I don't know about Solaris 10, but I would 
be surprised if it didn't also have vi on the default path 
possibly with vim and maybe also nvi installed somewhere. 
If you type 'vi' you were probably executing 'vi.'

Steve S.

Steve S.