Linux - Vi Editor

calendarSep 5, 2024 · 3 min read · Linux Commands

Vi is a text editor originally created for Unix-based systems and is widely used in Linux environments. It is a powerful, lightweight, and versatile editor that operates directly within a terminal window. Vi is known for its efficiency and keyboard-based editing commands, making it popular among system administrators, developers, and power users.

Here are some key commands of VI

Basic Navigation

  • h : Move left
  • j : Move down
  • k : Move up
  • l : Move right
  • 0 : Move to the beginning of the line
  • $ : Move to the end of the line
  • w : Move to the next word
  • b : Move to the previous word
  • G : Go to the last line of the file
  • gg : Go to the first line of the file
  • :n : Go to line n

Modes

  • i : Insert mode (enter text)
  • Esc : Exit insert mode (return to normal mode)
  • v : Visual mode (select text)
  • V : Visual line mode (select whole lines)
  • Ctrl + v : Visual block mode (select a block of text)

Editing

  • x : Delete character under cursor
  • dd : Delete the current line
  • dw : Delete the word
  • d$ : Delete from cursor to the end of the line
  • d0 : Delete from cursor to the beginning of the line
  • yy : Copy (yank) the current line
  • p : Paste after cursor
  • P : Paste before cursor
  • u : Undo last change
  • Ctrl + r : Redo last undone change
  • cw : Change (replace) word
  • r : Replace a single character
  • /text : Search for text
  • n : Jump to the next occurrence of the search term
  • N : Jump to the previous occurrence of the search term
  • ?text : Search backward for text

Saving and Exiting

  • :w : Save the file
  • :q : Quit
  • :wq : Save and quit
  • :q! : Quit without saving
  • ZZ : Save and quit (shortcut)

Working with Multiple Files

  • :e filename : Open a new file in the same window
  • :bnext or :bn : Go to the next buffer
  • :bprev or :bp : Go to the previous buffer
  • :sp filename : Open a file in a new horizontal split
  • :vs filename : Open a file in a new vertical split
  • Ctrl + w + w : Switch between split windows
  • :close : Close the current split window

Other Useful Commands

  • :set number : Show line numbers
  • :set nonumber : Hide line numbers
  • :%s/old/new/g : Replace all occurrences of old with new in the file
  • :s/old/new/g : Replace all occurrences of old with new on the current line
  • :noh : Turn off highlighting for search results
  • Ctrl + g : Show the file name and cursor position in the file