Book Image

Linux Utilities Cookbook

By : James Kent Lewis
Book Image

Linux Utilities Cookbook

By: James Kent Lewis

Overview of this book

<p>Linux is a stable, reliable and extremely powerful operating system. It has been around for many years, however, most people still don't know what it can do and the ways it is superior to other operating systems. Many people want to get started with Linux for greater control and security, but getting started can be time consuming and complicated. <br /><br />A practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a number of clear step-by-step examples to help you solve many of the questions that crop up when using an operating system you may not be familiar with.</p> <p>Presenting solutions to the most common Linux problems in a clear and concise way, this helpful guide starts with spicing up the terminal sessions by command retrieval and line editing, and shell prompt variables. We will then get to know the different desktops (GUIs) available for Linux systems and which is the best fit for you. We will then explore the world of managing files and directories, connectivity, and what to do when it goes wrong. We will also learn a range of skills, from creating and managing user accounts to securing your system, managing and limiting processes, and letting information flow from one process to another using pipes. Later, we will master disk management, working with scripts and automating tasks quickly, and finally, understand the need for a custom kernel and tips on how to build one.</p> <p><br />Based on the author's extensive experience, there is a section on best practices that every Linux user should be familiar with.</p>
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Linux Utilities Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Creating text files – vim, Emacs, and others


Most users are probably familiar with a GUI-based word processing program. For example, I am using LibreOffice Writer to compose this book. However, you can edit files using the command line as well. Some of us even prefer it.

Getting ready

It is assumed the reader has access to a Linux machine with a selection of text editors available. We will start with vim, a text editor that is available on every Linux/Unix system. If Emacs is not on your system, try installing it with yum install emacs or apt-get install emacs.

How to do it...

The following is the method to create and edit a text file using the vi command:

  1. Let's go to the tmp directory. Run the following command:

    cd /tmp
    
  2. Now run:

    vim lbookfile1.txt
    
  3. Your terminal should have cleared with vim running in it. Vim is modeless, and so always has to be told what mode to be in. Press the A key.

  4. Vim should now be in Insert mode. You may see something like -- INSERT -- at the bottom of the screen. Now type...