3 ms·

If I’m reading this right, it’s “open a local vi(m) on a remote file”, by invoking a remote command. Is that right? I’m wondering how it’s different in effect

If I’m reading this right, it’s “open a local vi(m) on a remote file”, by invoking a remote command. Is that right? I’m wondering how it’s different in effect to just using vim sftp://host/path/to/file

__MatrixMan__ 2y ago
does sftp require configuration beyond what you've already got working if you're ssh'd in?
- darrenf 2y ago
  I mean you run that command locally. You aren’t ssh’d in, vim copies the file to a tmp location and you edit it, `:w` writes it back to the remote.
  - throwaway314155 2y ago
    ngl didn't know vim supported that so conveniently
  - freedomben 2y ago
    Wow, I've been using Vim exclusively as my text editor now for 15 years and I did not know it could do this. Awesome!
    - stvltvs 2y ago
      Always learning something new with vim. For such a barebones looking editor, it's got a lot going on.
akovaski 2y ago
Almost, down the page it says: vi Invokes gvim on your workstation, passing it an scp://... URL of the file(s) you wish to edit So it's just a more convenient way to launch local vim, doing something you could do manually. suvi is neat, and bcp seems like something that I'd actually use.
cycomanic 2y ago
Sure, but that makes all the difference. I often work on an embedded remote machine with quite restricted vim (can't use a custom config, particularly no language packages). When I am on the remote machine (typically I have to run local commands), I often discover I have to edit a python file (typically just minor edits). So to use vim sftp://host/path/to/file I have to open a new terminal copy the path and then open using sftp. For me that interrupts enough of the workflow, that I just don't bother and instead just edit the file on the remote machine using the restricted vim.
- fwip 2y ago
  Can you install bcvi on that remote machine? (Genuine question - when I've been in similar situations, it also would have been a no-go to install a binary.
  - cycomanic 2y ago
    It depends, compiled binaries, no. If it's a shell script yes. Python or Perl maybe. But I agree ideally it would work by transferring a script (or aliases ...) across the ssh link and remove it afterwards.
    - omoikane 2y ago
      Looks like it's all Perl: https://github.com/grantm/bcvi https://github.com/grantm/bcvi But it's not a single consolidated script.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]

__MatrixMan__ 2y ago

does sftp require configuration beyond what you've already got working if you're ssh'd in?

darrenf 2y ago
I mean you run that command locally. You aren’t ssh’d in, vim copies the file to a tmp location and you edit it, `:w` writes it back to the remote.
- throwaway314155 2y ago
  ngl didn't know vim supported that so conveniently
- freedomben 2y ago
  Wow, I've been using Vim exclusively as my text editor now for 15 years and I did not know it could do this. Awesome!
  - stvltvs 2y ago
    Always learning something new with vim. For such a barebones looking editor, it's got a lot going on.

akovaski 2y ago

Almost, down the page it says: vi Invokes gvim on your workstation, passing it an scp://... URL of the file(s) you wish to edit So it's just a more convenient way to launch local vim, doing something you could do manually. suvi is neat, and bcp seems like something that I'd actually use.

cycomanic 2y ago

Sure, but that makes all the difference. I often work on an embedded remote machine with quite restricted vim (can't use a custom config, particularly no language packages). When I am on the remote machine (typically I have to run local commands), I often discover I have to edit a python file (typically just minor edits). So to use vim sftp://host/path/to/file I have to open a new terminal copy the path and then open using sftp. For me that interrupts enough of the workflow, that I just don't bother and instead just edit the file on the remote machine using the restricted vim.

fwip 2y ago
Can you install bcvi on that remote machine? (Genuine question - when I've been in similar situations, it also would have been a no-go to install a binary.
- cycomanic 2y ago
  It depends, compiled binaries, no. If it's a shell script yes. Python or Perl maybe. But I agree ideally it would work by transferring a script (or aliases ...) across the ssh link and remove it afterwards.
  - omoikane 2y ago
    Looks like it's all Perl: https://github.com/grantm/bcvi https://github.com/grantm/bcvi But it's not a single consolidated script.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]