editing files in vi
vi is a screen-oriented text editor originally created for the Unix operating system. In this guide, we will cover the basics of using vi to edit files in a Unix shell. This is not an exhaustive guide.
All vi commands will be executed using a command line interface (CLI) application running a Unix shell instance, such as bash or zsh.
Additional information about command line interface applications can be found in the
software for unix guide.
Additional information about executing Unix shell commands can be found in the
useful unix commands guide.
table of contents
opening a file in vi
vi FILEPATH_HERE
The vi command opens the specified file in the vi text editor. If the file does not exist, it will be created when you save your changes.
The provided file path can be an absolute path or a relative path. Additional information about file paths can be found in the absolute and relative paths guide.
insert mode
When you open a file in vi, the file opens in command mode by default. To edit the file, you will need to switch to insert mode.
To switch to insert mode from command mode, press the i key on your keyboard. You can now type and edit the file as needed.
To return to command mode from insert mode, press the ESCAPE key on your keyboard. You will need to return to command mode to save your changes or exit vi.
command mode
In command mode, you cannot type or edit the file directly.
Instead, you will use various commands and keystrokes to manipulate the file.
In command mode, you can perform actions such as saving the file, exiting vi, deleting lines, copying lines, and more.
commands
save your file (write)
:w
The :w command saves the changes you have made to the file without exiting vi.
To execute this command, type :w while in command mode, then press ENTER.
exit vi (quit)
:q
The :q command exits vi without saving any changes you have made to the file.
To execute this command, type :q while in command mode, then press ENTER.
save and exit (write and quit)
:wq
The :wq command saves the changes you have made to the file and then exits vi.
To execute this command, type :wq while in command mode, then press ENTER.