Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: rbowman Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Recent history of vi (was: Re: Python/C/Pascal ... How To Choose ?) Date: 16 Nov 2025 19:24:25 GMT Lines: 36 Message-ID: References: <10fasl6$3p4r1$3@dont-email.me> <10fbmhc$3ut9m$1@dont-email.me> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net xxI/OvJpAHLNtO1DAR7d0AP8wNf7kNX/w+Nkbert+GHWOZazpp Cancel-Lock: sha1:ip09HRQ8LXRk/0gtNkXZDT9ZDK0= sha256:XWdWcTRdKp4ZlgXKmrwxZtWynkz7V1tlB+6Tw+QBBUo= User-Agent: Pan/0.162 (Pokrosvk) Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:77644 alt.folklore.computers:232198 On Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:15:51 -0000 (UTC), Ian wrote: > I've used vi since first encountering *nix systems in the early '90s. It > isn't my primary editor (that'll be emacs , but I've always relied on it > being there on any system, and usable in any state that has working I/O. > I was a little taken back, and a little disappointed, that when I > installed the latest Ubuntu (minimal) distribution, vi wasn't installed > by default. A sign of the times? On my Ubuntu 25.10 box $ which vi /usr/bin/vi ls -l /usr/bin/vi lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Sep 23 2022 /usr/bin/vi -> /etc/alternatives/vi $ ls -l /etc/alternatives/vi lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 Jan 9 2025 /etc/alternatives/vi -> /usr/bin/ vim.gtk3 Fedora 43 doesn't have the two additional links but 'vi' still launches vim. Linux Mint being a Ubuntu derivative has the links. I think it's been that way for many distros. To add insult to injury on Ubuntu $ sudo apt install vi [sudo: authenticate] Password: Error: Unable to locate package vi You can install nvi however.