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Using the vim and vi Commands in the ChromeOS Linux Environment

The vim and vi commands are powerful text editors available in Linux. vi (Visual Editor) is the original Unix text editor, while vim (Vi IMproved) is an enhanced version of vi with additional features like syntax highlighting, undo/redo, and plugin support. Both editors are useful in the ChromeOS Linux (Crostini) environment for coding and system configuration.

Installing vim (If Not Preinstalled)

Most Linux distributions, including ChromeOS's Crostini, come with vi preinstalled. However, vim may need to be installed separately. You can install vim using:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install vim

Launching vim or vi

To open a file in vim or vi, use:

vim filename

or

vi filename

If the file does not exist, it will be created upon saving.

Basic Navigation and Editing

Once inside vim or vi, you are in Normal Mode. To begin editing, switch to Insert Mode by pressing:

  • i – Insert before the cursor
  • a – Append after the cursor
  • o – Open a new line below the current line

To return to Normal Mode, press Esc.

Saving and Exiting

  • :w – Save the file
  • :q – Quit (if no changes were made)
  • :wq or :x – Save and quit
  • :q! – Quit without saving
  • h – Move left
  • l – Move right
  • j – Move down
  • k – Move up
  • G – Go to the last line
  • gg – Go to the first line
  • Ctrl+d – Scroll half a page down
  • Ctrl+u – Scroll half a page up

Searching and Replacing

  • /word – Search for word
  • n – Move to the next search result
  • :s/old/new/g – Replace old with new on the current line
  • :%s/old/new/g – Replace old with new in the entire file

Copy, Paste, and Delete

  • yy – Copy a line
  • p – Paste copied text
  • dd – Delete a line
  • dw – Delete a word
  • x – Delete a single character

Practical Use Cases

  • Editing system configuration files: 
    sudo vim /etc/hosts
  • Writing and modifying scripts: 
    vim script.sh
  • Using vim as an efficient code editor: 
    vim main.py

Conclusion

Both vim and vi are powerful text editors available in the ChromeOS Linux environment. While vi provides a minimal editing experience, vim offers enhanced functionality. Learning their key commands can significantly improve efficiency when working with text files and code.