Next: 3.12.3 Inserting text Up: 3.12 Using the vi Previous: 3.12.1 Concepts

## 3.12.2 Starting vi

The best way to understand these concepts is to actually fire up `vi` and edit a file. In the example ``screens'' below, we're only going to show a few lines of text, as if the screen was only six lines high (instead of twenty-four).

The syntax for `vi` is

`vi`

where is the name of the file that you wish to edit.

Start up `vi` by typing

`/home/larry# vi test`

which will edit the file `test`. You should see something like

``

The column of ```~`'' characters indicates that you are the end of the file.

Next: 3.12.3 Inserting text Up: 3.12 Using the vi Previous: 3.12.1 Concepts