Linux Vim Guide

Linux Vim Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to Vim text editor on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including installation, modes, commands, and configuration.

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Table of Contents

1. Vim Installation
2. Vim Modes
3. Basic Commands
4. Advanced Commands
5. Vim Configuration
6. Troubleshooting

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Vim Installation

Install Vim

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install Vim
sudo pacman -S vim

# Or Neovim
sudo pacman -S neovim

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install vim

Fedora:

sudo dnf install vim

Launch Vim

Start Vim:

# Open file
vim filename.txt

# Or
vi filename.txt

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Vim Modes

Normal Mode

Default mode:

• Navigation: Move cursor
• Commands: Execute commands
• Enter: Press Esc to return

Insert Mode

Edit text:

• Enter: Press i, a, or o
• Type: Edit text normally
• Exit: Press Esc

Visual Mode

Select text:

• Enter: Press v
• Select: Use arrow keys
• Exit: Press Esc

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⌨ Basic Commands

Navigation

Move cursor:

• h, j, k, l: Left, down, up, right
• w: Next word
• b: Previous word
• 0: Beginning of line
• $: End of line

Editing

Edit text:

• i: Insert before cursor
• a: Insert after cursor
• o: New line below
• O: New line above
• x: Delete character
• dd: Delete line

Save and Exit

File operations:

• :w: Save
• :q: Quit
• :wq: Save and quit
• :q!: Quit without saving

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Advanced Commands

Search and Replace

Find text:

• /pattern: Search forward
• ?pattern: Search backward
• n: Next match
• N: Previous match

Replace:

• :%s/old/new/g: Replace all
• :%s/old/new/gc: Replace with confirm

Copy and Paste

Yank and paste:

• yy: Copy line
• yw: Copy word
• p: Paste after
• P: Paste before

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Vim Configuration

Configuration File

Edit config:

# Edit vimrc
vim ~/.vimrc

# Or Neovim
vim ~/.config/nvim/init.vim

Common Settings

Configuration:

" Enable line numbers
set number

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Set tab size
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4

" Enable mouse
set mouse=a

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Troubleshooting

Vim Not Starting

Check installation:

# Check Vim
which vim
vim --version

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S vim

Stuck in Vim

Exit Vim:

# Press Esc
# Then type:
:q!
# Press Enter

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Summary

This guide covered Vim installation, modes, commands, and configuration for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Text Editors - Text editors
• nano Guide - nano editor
• Vim Documentation: man vim

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.