Red Hat Enterprise Linux Default Text Editor | Generated by AI
Default Text Editor in Red Hat Enterprise Linux
In Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the default text editor is Vi (often aliased to Vim, which stands for “Vi IMproved”). Vi is a modal, command-line text editor that’s been the standard on Unix-like systems since the 1970s. It’s lightweight, ubiquitous, and pre-installed on most RHEL systems via the vim-minimal or vim-enhanced package.
Why Vi/Vim?
- It’s efficient for server environments where GUI editors aren’t practical.
- Commands are keyboard-based: Insert mode for typing (
i), and command mode for editing (e.g.,ddto delete a line,:wqto save and quit). - If you’re new to it, it has a learning curve but is powerful once mastered.
Checking and Using It
- Run
vi filename.txt(orvim filename.txt) to open a file. - To check your current default editor:
echo $EDITOR(usually outputs/usr/bin/vi). - If you prefer something else (like Emacs from your previous query), set it with
export EDITOR=emacsin your~/.bashrc.
For a quick start, type vimtutor to launch an interactive tutorial.
How to get started with the Vi editor - Red Hat
Linux skills: 9 tutorials to get more from your text editor - Red Hat