Just Enough vi to Open a File, Edit It, and Quit

Published: Sep 19, 2018 • Updated: May 3, 2021

vi is something I use rarely, usually when I don’t have access to a GUI text editor. For those times, here’s just enough to do what I need:

1. vi <file> to open the file
2. Press i for “INSERT” mode
3. Make changes
4. Press esc then enter :x to quit and save changes. To quit without saving changes enter :q!