VI reasons (was Re: Base Set: Suggested additions & removals.)
On Tue, 9 Jun 1998, Jim wrote:
> What is it people see in vi in terms of _using_ it? My opinion FWIW is that vi's presentation rivals that of dselect in general, with vi inching dselect out for not forcing one to follow a set path without saying what that set path should be. So, why do the vi users like _using_ vi? (Someone already said "it's standard"... can I get real reasons now? :)
>
> -Jim
We all agree that this isn't release critical, and we all agree that
elvis-tiny is not going anywhere right now.
I will now, however, try to justify vi's continued existence:
Vi is a standard. Everyone who considers themselves a 'systems
administrator' should learn how to use vi. This is because even on very
old systems, you will find vi on the base system.
At a client's place with a broken SunOS 4 box? Need to fix the /usr
partition and password file. Chances are are you'll have to use vi.
Similarly, BSD, SCO, etc, etc...
Then, by the same token, every debian system should have a vi-compatible
editor so that you know if you go around to a client's place with a broken
machine, down to the root partition and you have to save the database,
that vi is around.
Now, I don't actually like 'vi'. Personally, I almost invariably use
emacs for my unix-side editing. But I do know how to use vi, well enough
to fix broken hosts and passwd files..
So on any future base system there should exist a '/bin/vi' (possibly a
symlink) which invokes some binary (I don't mind which) in some kind of
mode which emulates vi.
Jules
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| Jules aka | | Richmond, Surrey |
| Julian Bean | jmlb2@hermes.cam.ac.uk | TW9 2TF *UK* |
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