2.4 vim Editor Basics

The vim editor is one of the most commonly used text editors in Linux systems.
It is especially important for editing configuration files on servers and remote systems.

This section focuses on basic vim usage — enough to confidently open, edit, and save files without frustration.

Learning Goal

After completing this section, you should be able to:

Understand how vim works conceptually
Switch between different vim modes
Perform basic editing tasks
Save changes and exit safely
Search and replace simple text patterns

Why vim Matters

vim is often:

Installed by default on Linux systems
Used in server and recovery environments
Required for editing system configuration files

Even basic vim knowledge can prevent serious workflow interruptions.

📌 Note:
This section covers essential usage only. Advanced vim features are beyond the scope of this chapter.