Re: VI reasons (was Re: Base Set: Suggested additions & removals.)

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On Wed, 10 Jun 1998, Marcus Brinkmann wrote:

> On Wed, Jun 10, 1998 at 04:30:42PM +0100, Jules Bean wrote:
> > On Tue, 9 Jun 1998, Jim wrote:
> > 
> > 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.
> 
> When it comes to a situation, where we would have to decide between an ae
> like editor and vi, I would vote for ae all the time for the following
> reason:
> 
> * A system administrator should be able to recover his system with an ae
> editor in the same way as with vi. If just don't believe that he can figure
> out how vi works, buit not how ae works.
> 
> * A newbie will never be able to use vi right from the beginning. Maybe he
> doesn't even know how to EXIT vi.
> 
> So: Vi is for less people useful than ae, although it may be more powerful.
> 
> I'm only talking about rescue disks and base system here.
> 
> Marcus
> PS: If you say that a sysadmin expects "vi" to be there, link vi to ae on a
> rescue disk. He *will* have an editor, this should be sufficient.

ae already does this, and provides a reasonably vi ish interface, just to
satisfy those whose fingers are only programmed for vi.

The "normal" ae interface is explicit and clear (and it even all works
correctly now on almost any terminal device)

Until a comperable editor with a smaller footprint is available, I see no
alternative to using ae on the rescue disk.

What gets "delivered" to the final installed system, should, as always, be
up to the end user.

Luck,

Dwarf
--
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