First used "vi" in 1985, using a time sharing connection via a vt100 terminal to a VAX cluster running BSD 4.3 (I think). Over the next several years, using Unix variants on a Sun II workstation, I continued to use "vi" as my primary Unix editor. That continued as I later used vi on a Unicos system on a Cray X/MP time sharing system. I'm still using the modern variant "vim" on my POP-OS Linux laptop right now. Great little history lesson!
For a long time, I learned vi mainly because there were still random systems here and there that didn't have pico installed. The big systems at the college had it, linux had it or nano, but sometimes I'd login to some random embedded thing and the only editors would be ed and vi. And I just got used to it and could use it faster than nano.
I mean, at this point almost everything has nano though, so there's really not much reason for most people to learn it.
Inertia is one heck of a drug.
First used "vi" in 1985, using a time sharing connection via a vt100 terminal to a VAX cluster running BSD 4.3 (I think). Over the next several years, using Unix variants on a Sun II workstation, I continued to use "vi" as my primary Unix editor. That continued as I later used vi on a Unicos system on a Cray X/MP time sharing system. I'm still using the modern variant "vim" on my POP-OS Linux laptop right now. Great little history lesson!
I really enjoyed your article; might I suggest the book Ed Mastery by Michael W Lucas.
For a long time, I learned vi mainly because there were still random systems here and there that didn't have pico installed. The big systems at the college had it, linux had it or nano, but sometimes I'd login to some random embedded thing and the only editors would be ed and vi. And I just got used to it and could use it faster than nano.
I mean, at this point almost everything has nano though, so there's really not much reason for most people to learn it.
I don't know what it does, but I need a "Here is" key on my keyboard.