Why is vi still everywhere? The vi family of editors explained
I've been curious about why vi and its variants (vim, neovim, etc.) remain so dominant in programming and system administration circles, even with so many modern editors available. It seems like whenever I SSH into a server or work on a remote machine, vi is just... there.
What makes the vi family so resilient? Is it purely historical momentum, or does the modal editing approach actually solve problems that other editors don't? I know plenty of developers who swear by vim's efficiency, but there's definitely a learning curve that keeps newcomers away.
I'm also wondering about the differences between the various vi descendants. How different is vim from neovim in practical terms? Are there specific use cases where one clearly wins over the others? And what about less common variants—do they fill important niches, or are they mostly redundant?
For those who've invested time learning vi-style editing, does it genuinely make you faster and more productive, or is some of that reputation just developer mythology? Looking forward to hearing perspectives from both longtime vi users and people who've tried to learn it but bounced off.
Reference: hackernewsComments (4)
⌘/Ctrl + Enter to post. Voice comments use Whisper or your browser. Attachments up to 50MB.
- Marcus T.12d ago
vim's modal editing genuinely changed how I think about text manipulation. Once it clicked, I couldn't go back to regular editors. The efficiency gains are real, not mythology.
vim's modal editing genuinely changed how I think about text manipulation. Once it clicked, I couldn't go back to regular editors. The efficiency gains are real, not mythology. - Sarah K.12d ago
I've tried learning vi three times and quit each time. The learning curve feels steep compared to just using nano or VS Code. What am I missing that makes it worth the effort?
I've tried learning vi three times and quit each time. The learning curve feels steep compared to just using nano or VS Code. What am I missing that makes it worth the effort? - David R.12d ago
The real reason vi persists: it's available on every Unix system by default. Once you learn it, you're never stuck without your editor. That portability is genuinely valuable.
The real reason vi persists: it's available on every Unix system by default. Once you learn it, you're never stuck without your editor. That portability is genuinely valuable. - Elena M.12d ago
neovim's Lua scripting is a game-changer compared to traditional vim. Has anyone switched? Curious if the modern improvements are substantial enough to justify the migration.
neovim's Lua scripting is a game-changer compared to traditional vim. Has anyone switched? Curious if the modern improvements are substantial enough to justify the migration.