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Vim

A reference page for the text editor vim

Vim is a terminal-based text editor commonly available on Linux systems.

Installation

On Raspberry Pi OS, install Vim using apt:

sudo apt install vim

Usage

Once installed, open a file with:

vim filename

Modes

Vim uses different modes for editing and entering commands.

Mode	What it does	How to enter
Normal	Navigate and run commands	`Esc`
Insert	Type and edit text	`i`
Command	Save, quit, and other file operations	`:` from Normal mode

If you aren’t sure what mode you’re in, press Esc to return to Normal mode.

Editing Text

From Normal mode:

Key	Action
`i`	Insert text before the cursor
`u`	Undo
`Ctrl+r`	Redo

Press Esc when you’re finished editing.

Moving Around

To navigate around, use the arrow keys. Vim also provides a few useful shortcuts:

Key	Action
`gg`	Go to the beginning of the file
`G`	Go to the end of the file
`0`	Go to the beginning of the line
`$`	Go to the end of the line

Saving and Quitting

Press Esc first, then type:

Command	Action
`:w`	Save
`:q`	Quit
`:wq`	Save and quit
`:q!`	Quit without saving

Press Enter after entering the command.

Copy (Yank), Cut, and Paste

In Vim, copying text is called yanking, and deleting text can function like cutting, since deleted text can be pasted elsewhere.

Key	Action
`yy`	Yank (copy) the current line
`dd`	Delete (cut) the current line
`p`	Paste after the cursor

You can also combine a number with yy or dd to affect multiple lines. For example, 3yy yanks the current line and the next two lines (3 lines total), while 3dd deletes/cuts them.

Searching

From Normal mode, type / followed by the text you want to find:

/search term

Press Enter to search.

Then use:

Key	Action
`n`	Go to the next match
`N`	Go to the previous match

TL;DR: The Bare Minimum

If you only remember a few things:

Key / Command	Action
`i`	Start editing
`Esc`	Return to Normal mode
`:wq`	Save and quit
`:q!`	Quit without saving