Mastering Vim Essentials: A Quick Start for Linux Devs

5 Commands Every Dev Needs
5 Commands Every Dev Needs

Live stream set for 2025-01-18 at 14:00:00 Eastern

Ask questions in the live chat about any programming or lifestyle topic.

This livestream will be on YouTube or you can watch below.

Introduction

Vim is a legendary text editor for Fedora Linux. It began in 1988 as a clone of Vi.

Bram Moolenaar created it for the Amiga computer system. The name originally meant Vi IMitation during early development.

It changed to Vi IMproved after many new features. Moolenaar released the first public version in late 1991.

Why Vim is Popular for Developers

Vim is popular because it is fast and lightweight. It runs on almost every server in the world.

Developers love it for its powerful modal editing style. This allows you to edit text without using mice.

You should learn Vim to boost your daily productivity. It works perfectly over slow remote SSH server connections.

Learning these five essential commands will start your journey. Practice them daily to build strong muscle memory quickly.

Five Essential Vim Commands

Insert Mode

First press the i key for insert mode. This allows you to type text normally now.

Normal Mode

Second press the Esc key to exit mode. This returns you to the standard command mode.

Save Changes

Third type :w to save your current file. Writing changes ensures your progress is kept safe.

Quit Editor

Fourth type :q to quit the Vim editor. You can combine these by typing :wq instead.

Undo Actions

Fifth use the u key to undo mistakes. Fixing errors is very fast with this command.

Screenshot

Vim Insert
Vim Displaying Insert Mode

Vim Standard
Vim Displaying Standard Mode

Vim Save
Vim Displaying Save Mode

Vim Saved
Vim Displaying Save Mode Results

Vim Quit
Vim Displaying Quit Mode

Vim Undo
Vim Displaying Undo Results

Live Screencast

Screencast Of Improved And Optimized Rubik’s Cube Code

Take Your Skills Further

Books: www.amazon.com

Courses: ojamboshop.com

Tutorials: ojambo.com

Consultations: ojamboservices.com

Recommended Resources:

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About Edward

Edward is a software engineer, web developer, and author dedicated to helping people achieve their personal and professional goals through actionable advice and real-world tools.

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