M7 — Editing text with vim

Prerequisites#

• Comfort with paths, ls, and creating files (touch, mkdir) from earlier modules
• A terminal on any Linux distro (or WSL / cloud VM)
• vim installed (sudo apt install vim or sudo dnf install vim if vim is missing)

Learning objectives#

By the end of this module you will be able to:

1. Open or create a file in vim (and open read-only when you only want to look)
2. Move between normal, insert, and command-line modes without panic
3. Move the cursor, insert and delete text, yank and put (copy/paste)
4. Search, do a simple substitute, save, and quit — including quitting without saving
5. Turn on a few useful session options such as line numbers

Why editors matter on the server#

On a laptop you might prefer a graphical IDE. On a remote server, a broken config, or a recovery shell, you often have only a terminal editor. vim (and its older cousin vi) is available almost everywhere. Learning a small, reliable subset of keys pays off for years.

Many distros make vi open vim. Both names are fine for this course; the muscle memory is the same.

Opening files#

mkdir -p /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
cd /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
vim notes.md          # create or edit
vim -R notes.md       # read-only (also: view notes.md)

If the file does not exist, vim still opens a buffer; writing later creates the file.

Check your vim build (example from a lab session):

VIM - Vi IMproved 9.1 (2024 Jan 02, compiled May 23 2025 00:48:59)

Your patch level may differ. That is normal.

The three modes you actually need#

vim is modal. That is the whole game.

Golden rule: when something feels wrong, press Esc until you are back in normal mode, then think again.

A tiny mental picture:

          Esc
   ┌──────────────────┐
   │     NORMAL       │◄──── Esc from anywhere
   └───┬──────────┬───┘
   i/a/o│          │ : / ?
       ▼          ▼
   INSERT     COMMAND-LINE

Moving around (normal mode)#

Stay in normal mode for movement. Arrow keys often work, but these letter keys are faster and work over slow SSH:

Numbers multiply motions: 3j moves down three lines; 5w jumps five words.

Inserting text#

From normal mode:

Type your text, then Esc to return to normal mode.

Deleting, yanking, and putting#

Still in normal mode:

Deleted text sits in a register, so dd then p is move-line; yy then p is duplicate-line.

Search and substitute#

Search (normal mode):

• /pattern then Enter — search forward
• ?pattern then Enter — search backward
• n / N — next / previous match

Substitute (command-line mode):

:s/old/new/        " first match on this line
:s/old/new/g       " all matches on this line
:%s/old/new/g      " all matches in the file
:%s/old/new/gc     " all matches, confirm each

Batch demo (safe, non-interactive) on our lab file. Starting content:

Hello Linux
This is a notes file
Practice makes progress

Run a whole-file substitute of notes → lab, then save:

cd /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
vim -n -es -c '%s/notes/lab/g' -c 'wq' notes.md
cat -n notes.md

Real output:

     1  Hello Linux
     2  This is a lab file
     3  Practice makes progress

You will usually do this interactively with :%s/.../.../g inside vim; the batch form is just how we captured output for the course page.

Save and quit#

From normal mode, type : then one of:

Read-only tip: if you opened with vim -R and then decide to save, vim may warn you; use :w! only when you are sure you have permission and intent.

A few :set options#

Useful while learning:

:set number          " show line numbers
:set nonumber        " hide them
:set ignorecase      " search ignores case
:set hlsearch        " highlight matches

These last for the current session unless you put them in a vim config later (out of scope here).

A calm first editing session (walkthrough)#

1. cd /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
2. vim draft.conf
3. Press i, type two lines, press Esc
4. Fix a typo with x or cw (change word: c then w, type replacement, Esc)
5. Search with /port then Enter
6. Save and quit with :wq

Example file you might create:

Draft config
port=8080

Common mistakes#

1. Typing in normal mode — letters become commands (dd deletes a line!). Press i before typing prose; Esc when done.
2. Stuck and scared — mash Esc, then :q! if you want out without saving.
3. Forgetting which mode you are in — look at the bottom: -- INSERT -- means insert; empty status usually means normal.
4. Using the mouse only — fine at first, but force yourself onto hjkl for a week.
5. :q when the buffer changed — vim refuses; use :wq or :q! on purpose.

Hands-on lab#

Setup

mkdir -p /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
cd /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab

Tasks

1. Create practice.md in vim with three short lines about what you learned today.
2. Move to the top with gg, to the bottom with G.
3. Yank the first line (yy), put it at the bottom (G then p).
4. Search for a word you typed; jump with n.
5. Replace one word across the file with :%s/old/new/g.
6. Save with :w. Then make a silly change and exit without saving using :q!. Re-open and confirm the silly change is gone.
7. Open the same file read-only: vim -R practice.md, then quit with :q.

Verify: cat practice.md shows your saved content, not the discarded edit.

Practice: check your understanding#

Multiple choice#

1. You open vim and want to type text. Which key starts insert mode before the cursor?

• A. x
• B. i
• C. :w
• D. dd

2. How do you return to normal mode from insert mode?

• A. :q
• B. Ctrl+c only
• C. Esc
• D. ZZ always

3. Which command writes the file and quits?

• A. :q!
• B. :wq
• C. :set number
• D. /wq

4. What does dd do in normal mode?

• A. Open a new line below
• B. Delete the current line
• C. Save the file
• D. Search forward

5. Which substitute changes every foo to bar in the whole file?

• A. :s/foo/bar/
• B. :%s/foo/bar/g
• C. /foo/bar/g
• D. :set foo=bar

6. You want to leave without saving. Which is correct?

• A. :w
• B. :q
• C. :q!
• D. :s/q!/

Flashcards#

Match the columns#

Match each item on the left with the best description on the right.

Order the steps#

Put these in the right order to create a file, edit it, and save:

1. Press Esc
2. Run vim notes.md
3. Type your text
4. Press i
5. Type :wq and press Enter

Mini terminal challenge#

Goal: Build confidence with one complete vim session.

Setup

mkdir -p /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab
cd /tmp/linux-lab-pushpjeet/vim-lab

Tasks

1. Open challenge.md in vim.
2. Insert a title line and two bullet-like lines of text.
3. Duplicate the title line at the bottom using yy / p.
4. Replace the word challenge (if you used it) or another word with practice using :%s/.../.../g.
5. Save and quit.
6. Re-open read-only and quit.

Verify: wc -l challenge.md shows at least 3 lines; grep -n practice challenge.md (or your chosen word) finds the substitute.

Stretch: Use :set number, note the line numbers, then :set nonumber before quitting.

Next up: M8 — Bash expansions and globs — let the shell generate names and expand patterns for you.

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