linux_wiki:create_and_edit_text_files

Create And Edit Text Files

General Information

Configuration files are everywhere and need a text editor.


Linux Text Editors

  • emacs ⇒ older text editor, not always on a system
  • nano ⇒ very simple edtior, not always on a system
  • vi/vim ⇒ vi always on the system, vim sometimes on a system
    • For this reason, learn vi/vim.

vi or vim will almost always be installed on a Linux distro, so it is the best to learn.

Create new file “file1”

vi file1
  • Command Mode ⇒ Cannot type into the file, used for movement/editing
  • Insert Mode ⇒ Type in this mode
  • Ex Mode ⇒ Searching, Saving, Quiting, and Changing Vi's options

Movement

  • i ⇒ enter Insert Mode
  • h ⇒ move left
  • j ⇒ move down
  • k ⇒ move up
  • l ⇒ move right
  • G ⇒ goto last line in file
  • 1G ⇒ goto first line in file

Editing

  • yy ⇒ yank line (copy)
  • p ⇒ paste before current line
  • P ⇒ paste after current line
  • u ⇒ undo last change
  • dd ⇒ delete line
  • 5dd ⇒ delete 5 lines
  • dw ⇒ delete current word
  • cw ⇒ delete current word and enter insert mode (change word)
  • cc ⇒ delete current line and enter insert mode

  • Esc ⇒ leave Insert mode, enter Command Mode

  • :q ⇒ quit
  • :w ⇒ write changes (save)
  • :wq ⇒ write (save) and quit
  • :q! ⇒ quit without saving changes
  • :%s/dog/cat ⇒ replace first occurance of “dog” on each line with “cat”
  • :%s/dog/cat/g ⇒ replace all occurances of “dog” with “cat” (g = global)
  • :! ⇒ run shell commands from vi
  • :r oldfile ⇒ copy contents of oldfile into current file being edited
  • :e file1.txt ⇒ load file1.txt into the editor (only if current file being edited has been saved)

  • linux_wiki/create_and_edit_text_files.txt
  • Last modified: 2019/05/25 23:50
  • (external edit)