How to run vim, and other programs in Linux

Hi! Excuse me, but I'm a totally noob in Linux and those terminal commands etc. etc.
I would like to use vim text editor for some html writing.
As far as I recon, the vim-common (+ some other vim packages) is installed on my AAO, but how do I run it? And how can I get a shortcut to my installed program on the Linpus screenboard?

 

I'm not sure if the default installs vim or vi.

To run it, you would just type, in an xterm (open one by going alt+F2, then typing xterm)
vim

If you get command not found then type
vi

 

Just a thought --

vim can be hard to use. I recommend using add/remove to install nano or (my favorite) gedit.

Any program (e.g. vim) that uses commands like <esc>:wq to save and exit is "too hard" for me!

 

At my last job, I was just learning to use Unix and Unix like systems. (I'd been hired as the MS guy, oddly enough.)
I thought I was pretty geeky, I used pine and pico. (Pico is a nano like editor, probably its forerunner, but was only included with pine.)
My boss told me to do something on the AIX (IBM Unix) machine.
I logged in and called him..."Errm, there's no pico on it."
Boss: "Can't you use vi"
Me: "Errm..."
Boss: "Never mind, I'll do it."

I quickly learned vi afterwards. Yes, it is intimidating at first--I remember seeing something called typical first vi session which was quite funny, full of ^] ^C ^C, but when you get used to it, which can be in a surprisingly short time, you'll never want to give it up.

Also, it's included on every type of Unix shipped, so it's handy--see story above.

Sigh, we old folks drone on, so I might as well--when Gentoo first came out, and only had a stage one tarball, the install tarball didn't have vi, only nano. Many of us wound up going through 4 hour installations only to have it die at the end--why? Because, out of habit we would type :x or :wq at the end of make.conf, which ruined the entire installation.

Anyway, while I do understand why Ace_Rimmer suggests nano, I'm going to respectfully disagree and say try vi (or vim). There's plenty of beginner howtos on the net, get used to the very basics and you'll love it.

On the other hand, if it does frustrate you to no end, then take Acer_Rim's advice and try nano. I feel that either one is going to be better, in many, many circumstances, than the graphic editors.

 

scottro -- I enjoyed your story and your writing style! You have given very good advice.

I do keep a copy of the basic vim commands on hand so I can refer to them if needed. A page or two "printed" to pdf is very handy and always available (no paper to lose). I have vim on my Nokia N800 and have to resort to it occasionally. Sometimes just knowing <esc>:wq is enough to get a simple job done!

Don't think I will ever get to love vim, though (although I have been using and enjoying mutt for E-mail on my One, and that program must have more weird keystroke commands than anything).

 

Well, as for mutt---I haven't put it on my One yet. The original idea was that it was going to be used by my wife while she travels. I just ssh to my mail server with it.

I have a page on mutt, that might explain some of those weird keystrokes. (Though I use it with vi, not nano).
http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/mutt.html