[arch-general] reconfiguring vi to work like it did before the last update?

[David C. Rankin]

On Monday 13 July 2009 03:49:49 am solsTiCe d'Hiver wrote:
> i think you're using [testing] and then use vi-1.79 which is nvi.
> and not the vi you know which was a stripped down version of vim
> 
> nvi behave like the original vi and not like vim. i think there's
> nothing you can do about this
> 
> to the dev:
> why not rename vi package to nvi ?
> 
> 

I'm using what ever gets started with "vi"; looks like:

00:24 supersff:~> which vi
/usr/bin/vi
00:24 supersff:~> l /usr/bin/vi
-rwxr-xr-x 3 root root 24684 2009-06-25 01:38 /usr/bin/vi


	This is weird as hell. Used to be when I typed vi with no arguments, I would get a screen telling me about the version, etc. Now all I get is a blank document. Also, the help in vi (or whatever this is) doesn't even look like the same help I was used to seeing. Now I type :help and get:

~
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
To see the list of vi commands, enter ":viusage<CR>"
To see the list of ex commands, enter ":exusage<CR>"
For an ex command usage statement enter ":exusage [cmd]<CR>"
For a vi key usage statement enter ":viusage [key]<CR>"
To exit, enter ":q!"
Press any key to continue [: to enter more ex commands]:

:visuage

^A search forward for cursor word
^B scroll up by screens
^C interrupt an operation (e.g. read, write, search)
^D scroll down by half screens (setting count)
^E scroll down by lines
^F scroll down by screens
^G file status
^H move left by characters
^J move down by lines
^L redraw screen
^M move down by lines (to first non-blank)
<snip>

	What?? Alright, let's try:

00:30 supersff:~> pmq | grep vi
<snip>
vi 1.81.6-2
<snip>


	So you are saying, that I used to use VIM and now I am using something call "nvi" that is invoked by typing "vi"? The reason I sound so dense on this is I have always just typed "vi" and gotten the same editor since Mandrake 7.0 (Air). That was what -- in 2000. I am quite fluent in using that editor, just not configuring it. I will search and try and load vim to get the editor back.

	If the devs really did make the change to vi that gives nvi instead of vim, then it might be worth letting people who want nvi, type "nvi" and letting the rest of us just have "vi" keep working like "vi" has worked for the past ten years. That's not a slap, just seems like if there is the new vi, then it should be invoked with a new command and that the old vi (at least whatever you got when typing vi) should continue to appear after you type vi.

	I'll go load vim and report back. Thanks!

-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: (936) 715-9333
Facsimile: (936) 715-9339
www.rankinlawfirm.com