1. Linux Operations and Administration
Professor Sabol

2. Objectives
Describe key features of GUI and command-line text editors available in Linux
Use the vim editor to create and edit text files

3. Text Editors in Linux Text editor Shell script
Program used to create and edit plain text files
Not same as word processor
Main purpose: to create a file to be used by another program, for example:
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) for a Web browser
Source code that a compiler can process
Shell script
Text file containing a sequence of commands

4. Text Editors in Linux (cont’d.)
Two types of text editors:
Command-line editors
GUI editors

5. GUI Text Editors in Linux
Linux GUI text editors
Similar to Notepad in Windows
Advantage:
Select and edit text quickly with the mouse
Widely used GUI text editors:
KWrite
Gedit

6. KWrite: A GUI Text Editor for KDE
Also called programmer’s editor for the K Desktop Environment
To start:
Type kwrite at a command prompt
Opens a new empty file in Kwrite
Use Kickoff Application Launcher button
Advanced features:
Syntax highlighting to display text in different colors and fonts for programming languages
Bookmarks are markers placed on certain lines to help navigate through a text file

7. KWrite: A GUI Text Editor for KDE (cont’d.)
Figure 4-1 KDE’s KWrite text editor

8. KWrite: A GUI Text Editor for KDE (cont’d.)
Activity 4-1: Exploring the KWrite Text Editor
Explore features of the KWrite text editor

9. Gedit: A GUI Text Editor for GNOME
GUI text editor included with GNOME
To start
Open a terminal window, type gedit, and press Enter
Syntax highlighting options
Plain text
Sources
Scripts
Others
Markup
Scientific

10. Gedit: A GUI Text Editor for GNOME (cont’d.)
Figure 4-2 GNOME’s gedit text editor

11. Gedit: A GUI Text Editor for GNOME (cont’d.)
Activity 4-2: Exploring the Gedit Text Editor
Learn features of the Gedit text editor

12. Getting Started with the Vim Editor
vi command-line text editor
Included with most versions of UNIX and Linux
Learning curve
Knowing how to use it is crucial
vi has evolved into many different forms
vim
Stands for “vi improved”
vi command is now linked to the vim command

13. Getting Started with the Vim Editor (cont’d.)
Modular editor
Runs in different operational modes
Command mode
Use key combinations as commands instead of typing text
Insert mode
Typed text is displayed onscreen
Extend mode
Used for more advanced commands, such as saving files, exiting vim, or searching and replacing text

14. Starting Vim Type vim and press Enter
Type vim filename and press Enter
If the file doesn’t exist, vim creates an empty file with this filename
Figure 4-3
Window displayed after you start vim
Tilde (~)
Represents blank or empty lines in the file

15. Starting Vim (cont’d.)
The vim text editor

16. Command Mode Command mode Table 4-1
Chosen automatically when starting vim
Table 4-1
Advanced navigational commands in vim

17. Table 4-1 Advanced vim navigational commands
Linux Operations and Administration

18. Table 4-1 Advanced vim navigational commands (continued )
Linux Operations and Administration 18

19. Command Mode (cont’d.) Activity 4-3: Using Vim in Command Mode
Use navigational commands in vim

20. Insert Mode Must be in insert mode to type text
Change to insert mode with one of the commands in Table 4-2
vim editor displays -- INSERT -- at the lower left
To indicate insert mode
Press the Esc key to change back to command mode

21. Insert Mode (cont’d.)
Table 4-2 Commands for entering insert mode

22. Insert Mode (cont’d.)
Figure 4-4 The vim editor in insert mode

23. Modifying Text Modify text using the keyboard instead of the mouse
Table 4-3
Commands for modifying text in vim
Must be in command mode
Activity 4-4: Using Vim in Insert Mode
Change to insert mode and modify text in vim

24. Modifying Text (cont’d.)
Table 4-3 Commands for modifying text

25. Deleting Text
Table 4-4
Lists commands for deleting text in vim

26. Deleting Text (cont’d.)
Table 4-4 Commands for deleting text

27. Cut, Yank, and Paste Cut text Paste text Yank (copy) text Table 4-5
Store text in a buffer
Paste text
Move from buffer to cursor location
Yank (copy) text
Keep in current location and copy to buffer
Table 4-5
Commands used to yank and paste text in vim

28. Cut, Yank, and Paste (cont’d.)
Table 4-5 Commands for yanking and pasting text

29. Undo Commands Undo changes Activity 4-5: Modifying Text in Vim Type u
Keep typing u until you have reached your oldest change
Activity 4-5: Modifying Text in Vim
Delete, cut, copy, and paste text in vim

30. Extended Mode Offers advanced features Enter extended mode Table 4-6
Save and quit
Search and replace
Customization options
Enter extended mode
Type the : symbol
Table 4-6
Describes commands for saving files and exiting vim

31. Extended Mode (cont’d.)
Table 4-6 Extended mode commands for saving and exiting

32. Extended Mode (cont’d.)
Table 4-7 Extended mode commands to search for and replace text

33. Useful Commands Table 4-8 Activity 4-6: Using Vim in Extended Mode
Commands for extended mode
Activity 4-6: Using Vim in Extended Mode
Use vim commands in extended mode

34. Useful Commands (cont’d.)
Table 4-8 Additional extended mode commands

35. Summary Linux GUI text editors vim text editor Easy to use
Comparable with Windows Notepad
vim text editor
Available with every major distribution of UNIX and Linux
Operates in several different modes
Insert mode
Command mode
Extended mode

36. Summary (cont’d.) Command-line text editor
Use a variety of keys and key combinations in vim to perform operations