VI / VIM Editor • Linux Tutorial - Pranab Das

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VI / VIM is a simple and powerful editor. If you are accessing a remote workstation or cluster where you don't have the option to launch graphical programs, VIM is a great option. Almost any Linux or UNIX system has VI editor preinstalled. Recent OS will likely have VIM (Vi IMproved) instead of classic VI editor. You can check the version of VI by:

vi--version

In case it is not installed in your system, you can install using a package manager:

# ubuntu / debianaptinstallvim

• Open / create a file_name to read and/or write:

vi file_name

• Go into INSERT mode by (check in the bottom of the window for --INSERT--) by pressing [shift]+[I] or simply [I].

• Go into REPLACE mode (check in the bottom for --REPLACE--) by pressing [shift] + [R].

• Go into readonly / normal mode by pressing [esc].

• To save file, first go into readonly mode ([esc]) and then type:

:w

• To exit vim, first go into readonly mode ([esc]) and then:

:q

• You can combine both to save and exit (keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[Z Z]):

:wq

• Exit without saving (keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[Z Q]):

:q!

• Search in the file: Type / followed by the phrase you are looking for. Press N go to next match. You can search backwards using ?

• See line numbers: :set nu

• Hide line numbers: :set nonu

• Spellcheck: :set spell

• Turn off spellcheck: :set nospell

• Set user spell file: :set spellfile=~/.vim/en.utf-8.add

• Browse files and folders using file explorer: :E

Keyboard shortcuts​

Key bindings	Description
G	Go to the end of the file
5G	Go to specific line of the file (here line 5)
5H	Move relative to the top line on the screen
3L	Move relative to the bottom line on the screen
gg	Go to the beginning of file
control + F	Scroll forward one page
control + B	Scroll backward one page
$	Go to the end of line
0	Go to the beginning of line
dd	Delete a whole line
u	Undo (or type :u; :2u (undo twice) or :U (undo all))
control + R	Redo
control + L	Redraw / reload
z=	Spelling suggestions
zg	Add new word to the user dictionary
zug	Remove word from the dictionary
.	Repeat last command
db	Delete one word backwards
dw	Delete one word forwards
d$ / D	Delete to the end of line
d0	Delete to the beginning of line

• Compare two files:

vi-d file.txt file_edit.txt

• Move a line up / down: this can be achieved by few key combinations. To move one line above its current position: ddkP.
  • dd to delete current line and put it in default register
  • k or j to move up or down
  • P to paste above current line.

visual mode​

Enter Visual mode by pressing v, V or [control] + v for visual character, line or block modes, respectively. Select text using the arrow keys on the key board. You can:

• Press c it will clear the selected part and enter into insert mode.

• Press y to copy (yanked).

• You can paste in another location in VIM by pressing p.

• Press "+y to copy to system clipboard, you can paste in another program using your system shortcut like [command] + v or [control] + v.

• Comment multiple lines:

  • Enter block visual mode: [control] + v
  • Select the lines (first col) using up / down arrow keys
  • Enter insert mode: [shift] + i
  • Type commenting character e.g., #
  • Press [esc].

• Un-comment multiple lines:

  • Enter block visual mode: [control] + v
  • Select the lines (one or multiple columns) using arrow keys
  • Press x followed by [esc].

vimrc​

You can customize your vi editor by creating a ~/.vimrc file and saving your settings there. Like:

syntaxonsettabstop=4setrulercolorscheme darkbluesettextwidth=80setcc=81setautoindentsetspellhi SpellBad ctermbg=Yellowhi SpellBad ctermfg=DarkRedsetspellfile=~/.vim/en.utf-8.add" Syntax highlight for custom filetypesau BufRead,BufNewFile *.insetfiletype=fortranau BufRead,BufNewFile *.out setfiletype=fortranau BufRead,BufNewFile matplotlibrc setfiletype=pythonsethlsearchhi Search ctermbg=LightBluehi Search ctermfg=black

• Convert tabs to spaces. Add the following to your .vimrc:

settabstop=4shiftwidth=4expandtab

Convert existing tabs to spaces by :retab (once the above settings are added).

Plugins​

• Installing vimplug:

curl-fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

• Installing plugins using vimplug: add this to your .vimrc

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')Plug 'junegunn/goyo.vim'call plug#end()

Save the file :w. Then install plugins by issuing :PlugInstall.

You can modify or add your own settings to a plugin. For example, if you want to call Limelight along with Goyo. Go to

~/.vim/plugged/goyo.vim/autoload/goyo.vim

and add a line Limelight. You may add other settings, say, set spell etc.PreviousCommandlineNextGit

• Keyboard shortcuts
• visual mode
• vimrc
• Plugins