[buug] vim (& "certain" Linux distributions) annoyances

[Michael Paoli]

> From: "Paul Ivanov" <pi at berkeley.edu>
> Subject: Re: [buug] vim annoyances
> Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:20:45 -0700

> I'm sorry vim doesn't work the way you expect, but I can't sit by
> and let you drag my $EDITOR through the mud ;) without responding
> to at least some of your frustrations. See also the last
> paragraph of the email, if you're not very interested in the
> solutions provided here ;)

Thanks for the useful information, but vim just isn't that [n]vi
compatible, and probably never will be.  Needing to set .vimrc files to
try and make it more compatible, especially when having to work on
hundreds or more hosts, isn't very convenient.

> It seems like your angst is a bit misdirected - you should be
> mad at whoever is forcing you to use vim, or if you're not being
> forced - use your preferred editor.

Yes, rather true that.  Linux distributions that execute vim when one
invokes the vi command, and that don't even provide [n]vi as an
available package are quite annoying.  I could mention a whole lot more
annoyances of certain such Linux distributions (e.g. like package
management commands that return an exit code of zero after having
miserably failed to install a package as requested, and other assorted
drain bamage).  Sometimes the best solution is use some other Linux
distribution, or a BSD (and that's one the BSDs got right - on the BSDs,
if one invokes vi, one gets [n]vi, not vim! :-)), or use scp or the like
and edit the file elsewhere with a sane editor like [n]vi, or use ed
:-).

Oh yeah, ... and some other serious vim annoyances ... but I'll add 'em
to my list and save 'em for another time ;-).