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I used nano for years until I was forced to use vi when I was doing a FreeBSD install just for fun on my Cr-48. Once vim clicked for me I never went back. At th
by jrs95 9y ago
I used nano for years until I was forced to use vi when I was doing a FreeBSD install just for fun on my Cr-48. Once vim clicked for me I never went back. At the same time, Nano was invaluable as an easy to use terminal editor as a beginner. It was a huge help when I was learning to use Linux.
- pfranz 9y agoIt's weird how comfortable familiarity is. I approached vim similarly, I first used pico/nano to modify files here and there but mostly used GUI IDEs or editors. Switched to vim and been using it for 10+ years. Every once in awhile I encounter an OS where visudo or something else defaults to nano and I feel so awkward just trying to make simple changes and save the file.
- thomastjeffery 9y agoIf vim is available, then you can do VISUAL=vim visudo or EDITOR=vim visudo According to the man page, VISUAL is preferred.
- int_19h 9y agoThe huge advantage of nano over vi in that scenario, is that nano 1) uses the conventional [i.e. as used by every editor other than vi] arrow key cursor movement and typing behavior without the need to toggle any modes etc, and 2) displays the shortcuts you need for anything else on the screen by default - things like saving, cutting/pasting, searching, and, oh yes, quitting. So, while it might not be optimal for vi users, it is at least accessible to pretty much everyone regardless of their background. Whereas for someone not familiar to vi, getting thrown into the dreaded : prompt can be a frustrating nightmare.
- beojan 9y agoThe arrow keys work in vim too (I don't know about plain vi).