This means you can apply the information in this guide to whatever version of the editor available on your system.

This guide focuses on operations available in both Vi and Vim. However, the fundamental experience remains largely the same between Vi and Vim. Among those features are mouse support, a visual selection mode, and support for graphical versions.įor many Linux systems, Vim is actually the version of Vi that is pre-installed. Vim is short for “ Vi improved.” It takes Vi as its base and adds numerous features to update the experience. You may also have heard of Vim and wonder what are the differences between Vi and Vim. The name “Vi” comes from the Ex command, visual, that is used to enter visual mode. Historically, Vi was designed as a visual mode for the Ex-line editor. From editors like Emacs to Atom, you can find popular extensions dedicated to replicating the Vi command system. Other editors include Vi’s key bindings, which attests to its respect within the Linux community. However, Vi’s ability to improve their text-editing efficiency makes the learning well worth the effort. Switching modes and finding the right commands for your needs takes practice. Keyboard-based editing requires a high learning curve. With a dedicated command mode, Vi utilizes the full keyboard for tasks like navigating a file, manipulating text, searching, and replacing phrases. As an editor, Vi has the goal of giving users a robust editing experience without ever having to leave the keyboard’s home row. Vi’s popularity can be attributed to its highly-efficient command system. You do not need to have a desktop environment to use it, and it is typically already installed on your system.

One of Vi’s major draws is its ubiquity and accessibility. It is a character-based screen editor without a GUI.

Vi is a visual text editor included by default on Unix operating systems. You can also find some help getting started using Vi. But what is Vi, and why do many users on Unix systems continue to use it? Keep reading to learn more about Vi and what sets this text editor apart. You may have heard of the text editor Vi, and probably also its relative Vim.

Vi page down shortcut key