ex-2.2 (from 2BSD release)

This is vi version 2.2 taken from 2BSD. It had been released in May 1979.

Installation notes

The software is downloaded with

git clone https://github.com/n-t-roff/ex-2.2.git

and can be kept up-to-date with

git pull

Some configuration (e.g. installation paths) can be done in the makefile. For compiling on BSD, Linux and Solaris, autoconfiguration is required:

$ ./configure

The software is build with

$ make

and installed with

$ su
# make install
# exit

All generated files are removed with

$ make distclean

Usage notes for version 2.2

• When inserting characters before a tab, characters following the tab are shifted. This is fixed with ^L. (The bug is fixed in vi version 2.6.)

• If the screen with is not a multiple of the tab width tab characters are displayed wrong after screen updates which results in a left shift of the subsequent text. (This bug is fixed in vi version 3.4.) The display is fixed with the following actions:

  • The current line is always displayed correct after ^L.
  • All screen lines are fixed with screen updates after ^F ^B, '' ''. ^^ ^^ and so on.
  • The issue does not occur if the terminal width is set to a multiple of the tab width (e.g. a multiple of 8) before vi is started.

Features which had been invented after version 2.2:

• j, k, l. (Existed in ex-1.1, new again in ex-2.8.) Use the alternative commands for cursor motions:

  • h works, alternative is ^H
  • j: ^N (+ and <ENTER> are similar)
  • k: ^P (- is similar)
  • l: <SPACE>

• ZZ, :x (use :wq) (New in ex-3.3.)

• ~, ^E, ^Y, :map (New in ex-3.1.)

• Job control (New in ex-3.4.)

• The comment character ". If you need to comment something in ~/.exrc, put these lines to the end of the file and insert an empty line before them. (New in ex-3.4.)

• There is no read-only mode. Program name view and option -R did not exist. (New in ex-3.4.)

• The documents viin.pdf, viapp.pdf and exrm.pdf describe vi version 2.2 in detail, ex2.0-3.1.pdf shows the differences to later vi versions.