Basic vi Skills for the Linux LPIC Exams

• By Ross Brunson
• Nov 12, 2004
• Sample Chapter is provided courtesy of Que

This chapter is from the book
LPIC I Exam Cram 2: Linux Professional Institute Certification Exams 101 and 102

Terms you'll need to understand:

• Command mode

• Insert mode

• LastLine mode

• Message line

• Named buffers

• The Unnamed buffer

Techniques you'll need to master:

• Opening a file for editing

• Saving and exiting files

• Searching for text, including ranges and regular expressions

• Navigating within a file, including using the H, J, K, and L keys

• Searching and replacing text using different methods

• Setting, unsetting, and displaying options for vi

• Executing commands within vi

• Performing advanced editing functions

Editors

The LPI exams focus on vi as the default editor for Linux. No matter how much you think emacs rocks, or that pico/nano is much easier to use with the onscreen menus, it's essential that you have basic vi skills.