VI delete text issue

[Andrew McNabb]

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On Tue, May 25, 2004 at 03:54:08PM -0600, Kenneth Burgener wrote:
> On the brand new system I installed, which is running Suse Professional
> v9.0.  There seems to be a problem with the delete keys.  The backspace k=
ey
> only gives me a system beep, and does not delete text.  It does delete br=
and
> new text though.  So, for example, if there is already text in the file, I
> cannot delete it.  But if I insert new text and immediate hit the backspa=
ce
> key it will delete it, but only up to the begging of the new text I have
> typed.  If I type some new text and use the arrow keys to move around I c=
an
> no longer delete the new text using the backspace key.  I can however alw=
ays
> use the delete key to delete any text.  But then the delete key is unable=
 to
> delete blank lines.

It's all about the configuration of VI.  The second behavior (only
deleting newly created text) is the traditional one, and in fact is the
one that I prefer.  It make a lot of sense if you think in modes.

In Vim, there is a bs option.  If you type ":set bs" you'll see which
mode you're in.  To get the behavior you're looking for, you'll need to
set it to mode two, so type ":set bs=3D2".

--=20
Andrew McNabb
http://www.mcnabbs.org/andrew/
PGP Fingerprint: 8A17 B57C 6879 1863 DE55  8012 AB4D 6098 8826 6868

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