# Why on Earth does anyone use vi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752 "2012-01-17T01:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/21 "2012-01-18T14:47:39Z")
… I use nano. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/22 "2012-01-18T15:00:24Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > ETA: This is the 21st century, everybody. We have Linux. We have GUI’s. We have **gedit**. For you Winders prisoners, you can have Notepad++ Someone clearly doesn’t do sysadmin work over slow international ssh connections. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/23 "2012-01-18T15:36:40Z")
I use vi because all I ever have to do in a Linux environment is edit conf files, and vi works great for that. It’s the same in Fedora, CentOS, and Unbuntu, always there and always working the exact same way. Hell, I use Notepad in Windows. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/24 "2012-01-18T22:55:00Z")
Nothing wrong with notepad. It has the same basic command structure as thousands of other programs. You don’t have to use the ESC or : keys ---
**Author:** ![BowlOfDucks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BowlOfDucks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BowlOfDucks)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/25 "2012-01-19T02:06:40Z")
I’ve used vi in the past, because it was the only editor available. I know how to get into insert mode, I know how to save, and I know how to quit. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/26 "2012-01-19T02:23:24Z")
Vi has ex commands that also work with sed. Thus the knowledge you gain in vi helps with shell scripts as does the reverse. a) emacs is not in the standard packages on many Unix and Linux installs b) emacs commands are unique to emacs c) I make too many typos to use cat - \> file Plus, I’ve been using vi for over a quarter of a century and now I no longer think of the commands, they just happen. I have to stop and think how I do them when a co-worker asks. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/27 "2012-01-19T02:51:12Z")
emacs commands are very similar to Windows apps. You use control and alt keys. And even the arrow keys. Are there any modern popular apps on a Mac or Windows that use the arcane vi command structure? I mean things like Excel, Word, Photoshop, UltraEdit, etc. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/28 "2012-01-19T10:57:45Z")
There’s the Vimperator/Pentadactyl Firefox add-on. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/29 "2012-01-19T11:10:01Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > a) emacs is not in the standard packages on many Unix and Linux installs This. Hardcore emacs user here. I’ve moved to a new system in the last few months and getting additional software is like pulling teeth (It’s air-gapped and bringing in your own copy of anything is a termination offense). Emacs is missing, so I dusted off my limited vi skills because vi is always there. I found vim on the system and it’s kinda grown on me. Changing modes is somehow clearer than spreading my fingers all over like a guitar player. I guess I’m a heretic now. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/30 "2012-01-19T21:59:32Z")
I use [butterflies](http://xkcd.com/378/). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/31 "2012-01-19T22:15:12Z")
If ever aliens come upon the charred ashes of the Earth, and take it upon themselves to explore the radioactive carrion-piles that once were Mankind’s pride and joy, perhaps they shall find some last remaining office, or notebook, or memorandum belonging to those in power who brough annihilation upon us all. And if those aliens do find such a remnant, I can’t even imagine what they might find within. What ideologies, what madness, what horrors could drive Men to such an absolute end? Or rather, I cannot imagine _most_ of the contents of that office, or notebook, or memo. But I’m quite certain that two words will have pride of place, bolded and underlined: “EMACS RAWKS!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/32 "2012-01-20T02:50:48Z")
I got a good laugh tonight, some guy was using vi on Windows. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/33 "2012-01-20T02:57:44Z")
I just had to check my continuity filter because I think I just encountered a discussion between ‘vi’ and ‘emacs’ proponents. Holy crap, y’all! Please tell me it is still 2012, because otherwise I need to see what the rest of my family is doing. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/34 "2012-01-20T04:35:15Z")
Maybe to post on the [SDMB](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=624739). ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/35 "2012-01-20T05:20:06Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > As a certified Emacs nut, I will tell you this: > > vi is great. > > …for editing small things like config files, composing a quick email, or tweaking a crontab. I would never do any actual _programming_ in it (heaven forbid!), but the dual-mode nature is great when you need to quickly load something up, navigate to a specific part, bash a couple keys, and save. It’s fast, too. For everything that Emacs gets us, we can’t claim speed as an advantage. All of that, plus vi doesn’t mess with your file in ways you don’t expect. No adding a .txt to the end of it, silently changing tabs to spaces or spaces to tabs, writing a bunch of config files into your home directory, saving it in a non-text format, or anything else you really don’t want to happen to a system level config file. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752/36 "2012-01-20T08:20:39Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I got a good laugh tonight, some guy was using vi on Windows. I used to routinely use [Lemmy](http://www.softwareonline.org/lemmy45.html). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-does-anyone-use-vi/609752.md?page=1)