Anyone have some practice with VIM/VI editor in unix/Linux ? I want to know if it is possible to get the previous commands on : prompt , the way we get previous command on command prompt by using UP and DOWN arrow keys.

Also , how do i edit the .vimrc file ?

Question

Anyone have some practice with VIM/VI editor in unix/Linux ? I want to know if it is possible to get the previous commands on : prompt , the way we get previous command on command prompt by using UP and DOWN arrow keys. 

Also , how do i edit the .vimrc file ?

hartnn · Answer

i know that 
:display or :disp
shows list of previous commands, but thats not useful at all...

hartnn · Answer

because say if i typed incorrectly a specific command like 
:%s/as an ex for blah blah/ad an example for blah balh/g  (note the typing errors) 
   
then i will have to write the entire line again....it would be better if i could fetch this line in the : prompt and just edit the typos

e.mccormick · Answer

http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Using_command-line_history

hartnn · Answer

up down arrow keys does not work in vi/vim

thats says to write :s then up down arrow ? tried and failed...

e.mccormick · Answer

It souns like your history is disabled, which might be a setting, but here are a few reasons why histroy has issues: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10752863/vim-record-history

e.mccormick · Answer

Ah, and another: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8930690/what-sets-vim-history