UNIX Basic vi Commands

UNIX - COMMAND LINE COMMANDS
Command	Category	Options
cal	calendar, display	cal yyyy cal mm yyyy
calendar	calendar, reminder service
clear		clear screen
date	date, display
cd	directory, change
mkdir filename	directory, create	-p make multiple levels of directories, e.g. mkdir dirname1 dirname2
rm	delete file (current directory)	- i for confirm -r del dir, subs & all files in them * (wildcard) can be used for deleting everything specified
rmdir	directory, remove, empty	to remove directories
cd	directory, to root
cd $HOME or $home	directory, to root
ls ls directoryname	directory listing	-a list all files, including invisible files -C list files in multicolumn, sorted, format across the page -F places / after files that are directories & * after executable files -l lists files in long format - most informative option (File Types: - (ordinary file); d (directory file); b (block-oriented special (device) file, e.g. disk); c (character-oriented special (device) file, e.g. printer) -ls directoryname lists contents in specified directory -m lists files across page, separated by commas -p places / after directory names -r lists files in reverse alpha order -R is recursive listing -s show size of files in blocks -x lists files in sorted multicolumn format, sorted across the line
compress filename	file, compress	-b -i -r
cp	file, copy
find	file, find	-name filename
pwd	path, show working
man subject	help, review manual
^d	logoff vi
^u	kill line	erases commands typed at prompt
: set nu	line numbers	to turn off :nonum
password	password, change	change your password. new password must change at least 3 char from old; must be at least 6 char long; differ from userID
cat filename filename	print, to screen	can be used to create files, display files and join files
cancel printJobName	print, cancel job	if needed, to get the job name, see lpstat. specifying printername only, cancels the current job printing, others remain in que
lp lp filename	print, to printer	a) assuming the keyboard is the standard input device, when no filename is specified, what you type will goto the lp b) each print job is assigned an ID number. You use the ID number to refer to the job when needed, e.g., cancel job c) when specifying more than one file at a time only 1 banner page prints OPTIONS: -d *printername* , print to specific printer -m send mail to user mailbox after lp -nX , print X copies of the file -s suppress feedback messages -w sends end of print notice to user mailbox -w sends a message to the use's terminal when the print job is complete
lpr	print, to printer	-p -# -T -m -T bannertext filename, prints specified banner text on the first page of the print request
lpstat	print, status	used to obtain printer requests and status of printer -d provides the name of the default printer
ps	print process status	-A E F
pwd	print working directory to screen
^s	scroll, stop
^q	scroll, start
[Del] or ^c	terminate, interrupt	stop your process
who		lists current users and relative data
who am i		returns the invoker's real username

Start, Stop & Save in vi
Command	Category	Extended Definition
`vi` `filename`	newfile, vi	`filename` starting at line 1, must start text editor with: i
`vi -r filename`	recover after crash	recover `filename` being edited during crash
<esc>:w	save/stay vi	save contents of the buffer and- stays in the editor
<esc> `:w`	save to originalFile	write current contents to file named in original `vi` call
<esc>`:w newfilename`	save to newfilename	write current contents to newfileName
<esc> `:w! otherfilename`	save overfile	write current contents over existing otherfilename
<shift> ZZ	save/quit vi	save contents of the buffer and quits the editor
<esc>:wq	save/quit vi	save contents of the buffer and quits the editor
<esc> `:x`	save/quit vi	write to file named in original invocation, exit `vi`
<esc>`:xx,xxw smallfile`	save xx to newfile	write content of lines (number) xx through xx to newfilename
<esc> :q	quit vi	quit the editor
<esc>:q!	no save Exit `vi`	exit vi when last changes have not be saved

Command	Short Description	I	C	Description
[up arrow]	command history		X	at command line, the up arrow scrolls previous commands
`<Backspace>`	cursor, left 1	X	X	move cursor left one character
<esc> h	cursor, left 1		X	move cursor left one character
[left-arrow]	cursor, left 1	X	X	move cursor left one character
`<Spacebar>`	cursor, right 1	X		move cursor right one character
`0 (zero)`	cursor, to start current line		X	move cursor to start of current line
$	cursor, end current line		X	move cursor to end of current line
<esc> : <ret>	cursor, to bottom		X	move cursor to bottom of screen to invoke command mode
<esc>`j`	cursor, down 1 line		X	move cursor down one line
`[down-arrow]`	cursor, down 1 line	X	X	move cursor down one line
<esc> `k`	cursor, up 1 line		X	move cursor up one line
`[up-arrow]`	cursor, up 1 line	X	X	move cursor up one line
<esc>`l`	cursor, right 1 car		X	move cursor right one character
`[right-arrow]`	cursor, right 1 car	X	X	move cursor right one character
`w`	cursor, begin next word		X	move cursor to beginning of next word
`b`	cursor, back 1 word		X	move cursor back one word
e	cursor, end of word		X	move cursor to end of word
<esc>`:0<Return> or 1G`	cursor, first line in file		X	move cursor to first line in file
<esc>`:n or nG`	cursor, to line n		X	move cursor to line *n (n = number)*
<esc>`:$ or` `G`	cursor, to last row of file		X	move cursor to last row of file

<esc>`:$ or` `G`	cursor, to last row of file		X	move cursor to last row of file
yy	copy, current line into buffer		X	copy /cut the current line into the buffer
Nyy or yNy	copy, N into buffer		X	copy/cut the next n lines, including the current line, into the buffer

[backspace]	erase, back	X		erase characters backwards, return when finished
^h	erase	X		erase characters, return when finished
`:r filename`	insert from other file		X	read file named `filename` and insert after current line (the line with cursor)
`i`	insert, invoke text edit		X	from vi, inserts the text you enter before the character that the cursor is on
`I`	insert, invoke text editing		X	from vi, places your text at the beginning of the current line
`o`	insert, add below <Esc> to vi		X	from vi, opens a blank line below the current line with cursor at beginning of new line (<Esc> backto command mode)
`O`	insert, add above <Esc> to vi		X	from vi, put text in a new line above current line, then <Esc> backto command mode
`a`	insert text, append		X	from vi, append text after cursor, then <Esc> backto command mode
`A`	insert text, append /<Esc> to vi		X	from vi, append text to end of current line, then <Esc> backto command mode
:.=	line, display current #		X	return line number of current line at bottom of screen
:=	lines, display #		X	return the total number of lines at bottom of screen
^g	lines, display location		X	display current line number, and total number of lines in file, at bottom of screen
p	paste, lines in buffer			put (paste) the line(s) in the buffer into the text after the current line
`^f`	screen, move forward 1		X	move forward one screen
`^b`	screen, move back 1		X	move backward one screen
`^d`	screen, move down 1/2		X	move down (forward) one half screen
`^u`	screen, move up 1/2		X	move up (back) one half screen
`^l`	screen, redraw		X	redraw screen
`^r`	screen, redraw, purge		X	redraw screen, removing deleted lines
/string	string, search forward	X	X	search forward for occurrence of `string`
? string n N	string, search back n for next occurrence forward N for next occurrence back	X	X	search backward for occurrence of `string n for next occurrence forward N for next occurrence back`
`cw`	text, change word			start with the character under cursor, change the current word with new text<Esc>
`cnw`	text, change words			change n words beginning with character under cursor, until <Esc> ; (e.g., c3w changes 3 words)
`C`	text, change text			replace the characters in the current line, until `<Esc>`
x	text, delete at cursor		X	delete text at cursor position
dd	text line, delete at cursor		X	delete line specified by the cursor position
. (dot)	text, REPEAT text change		X	repeat the last text changes
r	text, replace		X	replace single character at cursor location (no <Esc> needed)
`R`	text, replace and remain in edit	Y	X	replace characters, starting with current cursor position then remain in text edit mode
`cc`	text, replace entire line			replace the entire current line (stop `<Esc>)`
`Ncc` or `cNc`	text, replace n			replace the next n lines, starting with the current line, (stop `<Esc>)`
u	text, undo, back 1 step		X	undo last change only - back only one step
U	text, undo all in line		X	undo all changes on the current line
vi TEXT FORMATTER
Command	Short Description			Description
nroff
troff

Command

Short Description

Description

[up arrow]

command history

at command line, the up arrow scrolls previous commands

<Backspace>

cursor, left 1

move cursor left one character

<esc> h

cursor, left 1

move cursor left one character

[left-arrow]

cursor, left 1

move cursor left one character

<Spacebar>

cursor, right 1

move cursor right one character

0 (zero)

cursor, to start current line

move cursor to start of current line

cursor, end current line

move cursor to end of current line

cursor, to bottom

move cursor to bottom of screen to invoke command mode

<esc>j

cursor, down 1 line

move cursor down one line

[down-arrow]

cursor, down 1 line

move cursor down one line

<esc> k

cursor, up 1 line

move cursor up one line

[up-arrow]

cursor, up 1 line

move cursor up one line

<esc>l

cursor, right 1 car

move cursor right one character

[right-arrow]

cursor, right 1 car

move cursor right one character

w

cursor, begin next word

move cursor to beginning of next word

b

cursor, back 1 word

move cursor back one word

cursor, end of word

move cursor to end of word

<esc>:0<Return> or 1G

cursor, first line in file

move cursor to first line in file

<esc>:n or nG

cursor, to line n

move cursor to line n (n = number)

<esc>:$ or G

cursor, to last row of file

move cursor to last row of file

<esc>:$ or G

cursor, to last row of file

move cursor to last row of file

copy, current line into buffer

copy /cut the current line into the buffer

Nyy or yNy

copy, N into buffer

copy/cut the next n lines, including the current line, into the buffer

[backspace]

erase, back

erase characters backwards, return when finished

erase

erase characters, return when finished

:r filename

insert from other file

read file named filename and insert after current line (the line with cursor)

i

insert, invoke text edit

from vi, inserts the text you enter before the character that the cursor is on

I

insert, invoke text editing

from vi, places your text at the beginning of the current line

o

insert, add below <Esc> to vi

from vi, opens a blank line below the current line with cursor at beginning of new line
(<Esc> backto command mode)

O

insert, add above <Esc> to vi

from vi, put text in a new line above current line, then <Esc> backto command mode

a

insert text, append

from vi, append text after cursor, then <Esc> backto command mode

A

insert text, append /<Esc> to vi

from vi, append text to end of current line, then <Esc> backto command mode

:.=

line, display current #

return line number of current line at bottom of screen

lines, display #

return the total number of lines at bottom of screen

lines, display location

display current line number, and total number of lines in file, at bottom of screen

paste, lines in buffer

put (paste) the line(s) in the buffer into the text after the current line

^f

screen, move forward 1

move forward one screen

^b

screen, move back 1

move backward one screen

^d

screen, move down 1/2

move down (forward) one half screen

^u

screen, move up 1/2

move up (back) one half screen

^l

screen, redraw

redraw screen

^r

screen, redraw, purge

redraw screen, removing deleted lines

/string

string, search forward

search forward for occurrence of string

? string
n
N

string, search back
n for next occurrence forward
N for next occurrence back

search backward for occurrence of string n for next occurrence forward N for next occurrence back

cw

text, change word

start with the character under cursor, change the current word with new text<Esc>

cnw

text, change words

change n words beginning with character under cursor, until <Esc> ; (e.g., c3w changes 3 words)

C

text, change text

replace the characters in the current line, until <Esc>

text, delete at cursor

delete text at cursor position

text line, delete at cursor

delete line specified by the cursor position

. (dot)

text, REPEAT text change

repeat the last text changes

text, replace

replace single character at cursor location (no <Esc> needed)

R

text, replace and remain in edit

replace characters, starting with current cursor position then remain in text edit mode

cc

text, replace entire line

replace the entire current line (stop <Esc>)

Ncc or cNc

text, replace n

replace the next n lines, starting with the current line, (stop <Esc>)

text, undo, back 1 step

undo last change only - back only one step

text, undo all in line

undo all changes on the current line

vi TEXT FORMATTER

Command

Short Description

Description

nroff

troff