Master Bash Vi Mode: Boost Your Command-Line Efficiency

As a Fedora project contributor, the author shares a love for the command line and introduces the vi editing mode available in Bash, the default shell on most Linux distributions.

Bash uses GNU Readline for line editing, and its default mode is Emacs, which provides shortcuts such as Alt+b to move back a word.

To switch to vi mode, run set -o vi. After enabling, the shell operates with INSERT and NORMAL states just like the vi/vim editor: type commands in INSERT mode, press Esc to enter NORMAL mode, and use vi‑style keys (e.g., B to move back a word) to edit.

The article demonstrates the same command‑editing example ( echo "Hello Wrld!") using vi mode, showing how the cursor moves and how text can be corrected without leaving the shell.

For a permanent setup, add the line set -o vi to the end of ~/.bashrc. This allows users who prefer vi‑style shortcuts to work more efficiently in the shell.

Overall, the guide encourages choosing the editing mode that best fits your workflow, whether Emacs or vi, to enhance productivity when interacting with the command line.