Alternative to vi

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 02:08 AM

Hi

I know that its possible to edit files in SSH using vi but am not used to it and not so user-friendly.

Is there anything like Microsoft' old dos Edit utility ?

Thanks

bathory · 01-10-2006, 02:12 AM

You can use "joe" or "pico" (another name for "pico" is "nano") if they are installed on your system.

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 02:24 AM

Thanks - joe was ok - still none of these are as user-friendly as Edit.

timmeke · 01-10-2006, 02:28 AM

If you forward your X server connection, using ssh's -X option, you can use graphical (X-windows based) programs like nedit and gedit too (if they're installed).

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 02:38 AM

This is possible using Putty too ? How do I call SSH -X in Putty ?

timmeke · 01-10-2006, 02:55 AM

A quick search on Google showed that you can configure Putty for "X11 forwarding", which is the
same as what the -X option does (on Linux).

See:
http://www.msi.umn.edu/user_support/...in_config.html

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 03:27 AM

Thanks - I tried entering -X in the Remote Command textbox in the SSH option in Putty - but didnt work - infact after entering the username and password, Putty just closed.

The config options have changed in the newer Putty I guess - because mine looks like this - I checked Enable X11 but I did not give localhost:0 in X Display location.

Code:

login as: myuser
myuser@x.x.x.x's password:
/usr/X11R6/bin/xauth:  creating new authority file /home/myuser/.Xauthority
[myuser@myserver myuser]$

What am I suppossed to do from here ?

Thanks

T.Hsu · 01-10-2006, 03:36 AM

You have to install an X server on win box, like Exceed (commercial software) or cygwin X.

Using Exceed X Server with SSH X11 Tunneling

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 04:10 AM

Oh....ok - anyway I guess I got to learn vi - because I have access to server - but not a fully dedicated one - managed one. So they woundt install stuff that they think is not required. Guess I'll go back to CUI.

Thanks

spooon · 01-10-2006, 04:57 AM

Also Emacs can be used from the terminal (as well as in X), if you know how to use it (and if you're not one of those diehard vi fans

)

Also, the stuff mentioned before about X forwarding; that is normal functionality and doesn't involve installing anything on the server side.

nitinatindore · 01-10-2006, 05:30 AM

try out mc,(certainly not as good as vi), but a breeze to use.
Anyways you will find it as good as that edit in stupid W**dows.

Dtsazza · 01-10-2006, 08:15 AM

Something to add is that according to POSIX standards, vi is guaranteed to be installed on any UNIX-based system, anywhere. It's probably worth learning to use it (at least to a basic level) for this reason alone. Once you get used to the idea of having two modes, there are really very few commands you need to know for the purposes of changing a few lines in a file.

alienDog · 01-10-2006, 08:38 AM

In my opinion the problem with vi is not with modes. Modes are actually quite handy once you get used to them. I dislike the little oddities it has (pressing ESC on insert mode moves the cursor backwards, so you'll have to compensate it with l, cursor keys up and down or k and j won't work on wrapped lines, in vim undo is u and redo CTRL+R, etc.) Yes, I know these can be fixed, but why don't they work right in a "sane" way in the first place? In my opinion it's also a really bad idea to use control keysequences in a modal editor like vi, it makes it (even more) confusing. Controlling open windows in vim for example can't be said to be very handy, why isn't it simply done in command mode? And then there is of course the size question, >12 MB for a text editor without the graphical mode (which is a joke anyway

), oh come now...

anjanesh · 01-10-2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

try out mc,(certainly not as good as vi), but a breeze to use.
Anyways you will find it as good as that edit in stupid W**dows.

Hey - mc is pretty good - how is that its not better than vi ?

Amar Ujala · 01-11-2006, 12:22 AM

You can use ed command