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Why We Should Learn vi
In this modern age of graphical editors and easy-to-use text-based editors such as nano, why should we learn vi? There are three good reasons:
● vi is always available. This can be a lifesaver if we have a system with no graph- ical interface, such as a remote server or a local system with a broken X configu- ration. nano, while increasingly popular, is still not universal. POSIX, a standard for program compatibility on Unix systems, requires that vi be present.
● vi is lightweight and fast. For many tasks, it's easier to bring up vi than it is to find the graphical text editor in the menus and wait for its multiple megabytes to load. In addition, vi is designed for typing speed. As we shall see, a skilled vi user never has to lift his or her fingers from the keyboard while editing.
● We don't want other Linux and Unix users to think we are sissies. Okay, maybe two good reasons.
A Little Background