LINUX+ LAB SERIES (LX0-101)
Lab 10a: Managing Text Files
Document Version: 2015-09-18
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noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2
Objective ............................................................................................................................. 2
Linux+ LX0-101 Exam Objectives ........................................................................................ 3
Lab Topology ....................................................................................................................... 4
Lab Settings ......................................................................................................................... 5
1 Using the vi Editor for Basic File Editing ..................................................................... 6
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This work by the National Information Security and Geospatial Technologies Consortium (NISGTC), and except where
otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
Introduction
This lab provides guidance on performing Lab 10a: Managing Text Files of the Linux+
LX0-101 course, using a NETLAB+ system. By performing this lab, students will learn how
to manage text files using the vi editor.
Objective
In this lab, you will perform the following task: Using the vi editor for basic file editing.
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
Linux+ LX0-101 Exam Objectives
This lab will cover the topics for the following LX0-101 objectives:
103.8 Perform basic file editing operations using vi
1. Navigate a document using vi.
2. Use basic vi modes.
3. Insert, edit, delete, copy, and find text.
The following is a partial list of the used files, terms, and utilities:
a. vi
b. /,?
c. h,j,k,l
d. l, o , a
e. c,d,p,y,dd,yy
f. ZZ, :w!, :q!, e!
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This work by the National Information Security and Geospatial Technologies Consortium (NISGTC), and except where
otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
Lab Topology
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
Lab Settings
The information in the table below will be used to complete the lab. Additional details
will be provided within the task sections as required.
System
Username/Password
CentOS Server
sysadmin/netlab123
Ubuntu Server
sysadmin/netlab123
Fedora Workstation
sysadmin/netlab123
Ubuntu Workstation
sysadmin/netlab123
All Machines
root/netlab123
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
1
Using the vi Editor for Basic File Editing
In this task, we will explore some of the basic text editing features of the vi editor. The
vi editor is a powerful text editor with a bit of a learning curve but capable of
performing a wide variety of text editing tasks.
The vi editor has two modes: insert and command. In insert mode, you add text to a
document. In command mode, operations can be performed such as navigation,
searching, saving, and exiting the editor.
1. Click on the Fedora Workstation icon in the pod topology to launch the virtual
machine.
2. The virtual machine will display a login screen. Make sure sysadmin is in the
user field . Enter the password netlab123 and press Enter.
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
3. Once you have logged in, a terminal window may appear. If it does not, click on
the Kickoff Application Launcher, the “f”, in the lower-left corner of the desktop.
In the search bar, type konsole and click on Konsole, which will launch a
terminal window:
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
4. Create a file that can be used to demonstrate using the vi editor:
echo “Welcome to the vi editor.” > myfile
echo “It is a very powerful text editor.” >> myfile
echo “Especially for those who master it.” >> myfile
cat myfile
Your output should be similar to the following:
If the file exists, the first echo command overwrites its contents. If there is no
input data, a new file will be created.
5. Invoke the vi editor to modify the file we created. When vi is invoked we are
placed in command mode by default:
vi myfile
Your output should be similar to the following:
On your screen, notice in the bottom-left, the file name, the number of lines, and
the number of characters in the file are displayed.
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
6. Press each of the following keys two times and observe how the cursor is moved.
Remember that we are in command mode:
Key
Function
j
Moves cursor down one line (same as down arrow)
k
Moves cursor up one line (same as up arrow)
l
Moves cursor to the right one character (same as right arrow)
h
Moves cursor to the left one character (same as left arrow)
w
Moves cursor to beginning of next word
e
Moves cursor to end of word
b
Moves cursor to beginning of previous word
Depending on the connection/terminal type, h, j, k and l always work whereas the
arrow keys may not.
7. More vi cursor navigation. Press the following keys and observe how the cursor
moves:
Keys
$
0 (zero)
Function
Moves cursor to end of current line
Moves cursor beginning of current line
3G
Jumps to third line (nG jumps to the nth line)
1G
Jumps to first line
Shift+G
Jumps to the last line
8. Move the cursor to the beginning of the word “very.” by pressing the following:
Shift+G:
G
k
8l
The third command is 8 plus lower case L.
The cursor should be on the letter v for “very” as shown below:
9
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
9. Delete the word “very”:
dw
10. Undo the last operation:
u
11. Delete two words:
2dw
12. Undo the last operation:
u
10
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
13. Delete four characters, one at a time:
xxxx
14. Undo the last 4 operations and recover the deleted characters:
4u
15. Delete 14 characters:
14x
16. Undo the last operation:
u
11
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
17. Delete the five characters to the left of the cursor Shift+X:
5X
18. Undo the last operation:
u
19. Delete the current line:
dd
20. Whatever was last deleted or yanked can be “pasted”. Paste the deleted lines
below the current line:
p
12
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
21. Undo the last two operations:
2u
22. Delete two lines, the current and the next:
2dd
23. Undo the last operation:
u
24. Move to the fourth word then delete from the current position to end of line
Shift+D:
4w
D
The command d$ also deletes to end of line. The $ character, as seen earlier,
advances to end of line. Thus d$ deletes to end of line.
13
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
25. Undo the last operation:
u
26. Join two lines, the current and the next Shift+J:
J
27. Undo the last operation:
u
28. Copy, or “yank” the current word:
yw
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This work by the National Information Security and Geospatial Technologies Consortium (NISGTC), and except where
otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
29. Paste or “put” the copied word before the current cursor:
P
30. Undo the last operation:
u
31. Move to the first line, then join three lines Shift+G, Shift+J:
1G
3J
32. Undo the last operation:
u
15
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
33. Search for and delete the word "text" (add a space after the word “text”):
:%s/text //g
34. Navigate to beginning of file then press i to enter insert mode to add text:
Keys
1G
i
Hello and
Function
Go to beginning of file (Shift+G)
Enter insert mode
Add a space after “and”
1G
i
Hello and
Notice that while in insert mode the text “--INSERT --“ appears in the lower-left
corner of the screen as shown in the image below:
35. Exit insert mode and return to command mode by pressing the Escape key:
Notice that the cursor is now between the words “and” and “Welcome.”
16
This work by the National Information Security and Geospatial Technologies Consortium (NISGTC), and except where
otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
36. Move forward one space by pressing the lower case l to place the cursor on the
‘W’ and toggle it to lower case by pressing the tilde:
Keys
l
~
Function
Lowercase ‘L’ moves forward one space
Shift+` changes letter to lower case
37. Save the file. Press the Escape key to ensure we are in command mode. Then
the : followed by then a w and Enter:
38. Press Enter to commit the change. Observe message in lower left indicating the
file has been written:
39. Navigate to the space between the word "powerful" and "editor" in the second
line as shown in the image below. You could press j followed by 10l or use the
arrow keys:
Command
Function/Keys
j
Move down to second
10l
10 followed by the lowercase ‘L’
17
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
40. Add text to the right of the cursor by pressing the letter a. This moves the cursor
to the right and enters insert mode. Type the word text followed by a space as
shown in image below:
Command
a
text
Function/Keys
Enter insert mode.
text followed by a space
41. Exit insert mode by pressing the Escape key.
42. Open a blank line below the current line:
o
43. Enter the following text:
This line added by pressing lowercase o.
44. Exit insert mode by pressing the Escape key:
18
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
45. Open a blank line above the current line by pressing uppercase ‘ O’:
O
46. Enter the following text:
We just pressed O to open a line above.
47. Exit insert mode by pressing the Escape key.
48. Save the file and close the vi editor using any one of the following methods:
Command
Function/Keys
:x
:wq
:wq!
ZZ
:q!
:e!
Will save and close the file.
Will write to file and quit.
Will write to a read-only file, if possible, and quit.
Notice that no colon : is used in this case.
Exit without saving changes
Discard changes and reload file
:w!
Write to read-only, if possible.
19
This work by the National Information Security and Geospatial Technologies Consortium (NISGTC), and except where
otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
49. Once again open myfile using the vi editor:
vi myfile
50. Navigate to the third line, delete the third and fourth lines:
3G
2dd
51. Press the Escape key to confirm you are in command mode.
52. Quit the vi editor without saving your changes:
:q!
If you are not sure that you have made the correct changes or just want to start over, be
sure to use :q!. If in doubt, exit without saving (:q!)!
53. Open myfile with the vi editor:
vi myfile
Notice that lines 3 and 4 are still present.
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
54. Search forward for the word line. You’ll notice the cursor moves to the
beginning of the first instance of the word line as shown in image below. Enter
the following command and press Enter:
/line
55. Search for the next instance of the word line by pressing the letter n:
n
21
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
56. Search backward for the word line. You’ll notice the cursor moves to the
beginning of the previous instance of the word line as shown in image below:
?line
57. Search for the previous instance of the word line by pressing the letter n. Since
there are none in this direction, vi will wrap around the document:
n
22
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
58. We will replace the word line with the word entry. When we press cw the word
line will disappear and we will be in insert mode:
cw
entry
59. Press Escape key to exit insert mode.
60. Add text at the beginning of a line. Enter insert mode again and add a line by
pressing upper case i:
I
Insert modes include: i, I, a, A, o, and O.
Finally press Enter followed by the Escape key.
23
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
61. Add text at the end of a line (uppercase A). First move to the second line and add
the phrase Indeed!:
2G
A
[Space]Indeed!
Then press the Escape key.
62. Save your changes and exit vi:
:x
63. Create a sample/test file in our home directory for modification with vi:
cd
cat /etc/passwd > mypasswd
vi mypasswd
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
64. Replace the first instance of the word root with the word superuser in the
current line (the first line in this case):
:s/root/superuser/
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
65. Undo the replacement by pressing the letter:
u
66. Replace every instance of the word root with the word superuser in the current
line (the first line):
:s/root/superuser/g
67. Quit without saving:
:q!
68. Create another sample/test file for modification with vi. Notice all the stderr
(standard error) messages sent to stdout (standard output):
find / -name *MESSAGES* > find.out
26
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
69. Run the command again but send the standard error stream to /dev/null. This
time no error messages are sent to stdout and thus, not displayed:
find / -name *MESSAGES* > find.out 2> /dev/null
70. Open the find.out file using the vi editor:
vi find.out
71. Replace every single instance of the word MESSAGES with the word message in
the entire file:
:%s/MESSAGES/message/g
Notice total number of substitutions is reflected in the lower left of the editor:
27
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Linux+ Lab Series (LX0-101) Lab 10A: Managing Text Files
72. Save the changes and exit vi by pressing Escape key and then type: wq!
73. Click the X in the upper-right corner to close the terminal window.
74. Close the Fedora Workstation remote pc window.
75. Click the I’m Done button to end the reservation.
28
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otherwise noted, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.