Setting numbers on in VI

swamprat · 01-18-2008, 02:53 PM

I would like to have the numbers set on when ever I us VI to either create or edit a file.

I was told to create a file called .exrc in my home directory which I did. I included the single command set number.

Still doesn't work.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

farslayer · 01-18-2008, 03:51 PM

try setting the environmental variable EXINIT.

EXINIT="set nu"; export EXINIT

https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/S...ingLineNumbers

dwhitney67 · 01-18-2008, 03:51 PM

I presume you mean you would like to have line numbers displayed. The 'vi' command to enable this is:

Code:

:set nu

or

Code:

:set number

To disable:

Code:

:set nonu

To enable line numbering each and every time you enter 'vi', insert "set nu" in a file called ~/.vimrc.

dive · 01-18-2008, 04:04 PM

.vimrc is for vim.

For vi which most likely is linked to elvis (

ls -l `which vi`

)

the file can be ~/.exrc, ~/.elvisrc, or ~\elvis.rc

From the man page:

Quote:

~/.exrc, ~/.elvisrc, or ~\elvis.rc
The .exrc or .elvisrc (for UNIX) or elvis.rc (for non-UNIX) file in your
home directory will generally be executed as a series of EX commands, unless
the EXINIT environment variable is defined. This behavior isn't built into
Elvis though; it is handled by the standard elvis.ini file.

.exrc, .elvisrc, or elvis.rc
The .exrc or .elvisrc (for UNIX) or elvis.rc (for non-UNIX) file in the cur-
rent directory is interpreted as a series of EX commands, but only if the
exrc option has been set. This behavior isn't built into Elvis; it is han-
dled by the standard elvis.ini file.