vi

Contents

• Introduction
• Opening a File in vi
• Insert Mode
• Command Mode
  • Commands
    • Save Your File (Write)
    • Exit vi (Quit)
    • Save and Exit (Write and Quit)
• Resources and References

Introduction

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 guide is not an exhaustive list of vi commands and features.

All vi commands will be executed using a command line interface (CLI) application running a Unix shell instance, such as bash or zsh.

Opening a File in vi

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.

vi FILEPATH_HERE

The provided file path can be an absolute path or a relative path. Additional information about file paths can be found in the Unix 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)

The :w command saves the changes you have made to the file without exiting vi.

:w

To execute this command, type :w while in command mode, then press ENTER.

Exit vi (Quit)

The :q command exits vi without saving any changes you have made to the file.

:q

To execute this command, type :q while in command mode, then press ENTER.

Save and Exit (Write and Quit)

The :wq command saves the changes you have made to the file and then exits vi.

:wq

To execute this command, type :wq while in command mode, then press ENTER.

Resources and References

For additional information about vi, the following resources may be helpful:

Wikipedia - vi (text editor)

Red Hat - An introduction to the vi editor

GeeksforGeeks - vi Editor in Linux

Tutorials Point - Unix/Linux - The vi Editor Tutorial

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