Why is Vim no longer installed in 12.04 desktops and is there a better alternative?
Solution 1
Usually, packages are removed from the default installation due to space constraint. CDs are limited ( and so does DVD ), and there is pressure to add more translations, to support more hardware ( especially with big binary blobs like the Nvidia driver ), etc.
So usually, packagers take a look at what can be safely removed ( ie, without removing important use case of a default distribution ). In the case of vim, there is already gedit and nano to fill the position and I would say that people who use vim are able to install it from the archive without much problem.
Solution 2
I think most desktop user use nano
or gedit
... if you install Ubuntu Server vim
is still installed by default.
If you type vim
on a 12.04 desktop you get:
The program 'vim' can be found in the following packages: * vim * vim-gnome * vim-tiny * vim-athena * vim-gtk * vim-nox
Try installing any of these with sudo apt-get install <selected package>
Solution 3
You can install the vim editor simply by typing sudo apt-get install vim
in terminal.
Good alternatives for vim are nano,the vi editor or if you prefer a GUI experience rather than terminal you can use gedit which is installed by default or a more simple editor like leafpad,or the GTK+ version of vim which you get with sudo apt-get install vim-gtk
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a1an
Updated on September 18, 2022Comments
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a1an over 1 year
What are the reasons and alternatives to the removal of Vim from a default Ubuntu installation since Oneiric 11.10?
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InuYaksa almost 12 yearsvim is not even in 10.04
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Kris Harper almost 12 years@daithib8 As far as I know, I always have to install it on the desktop version. I don't think it was installed by default in 11.10.
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myles almost 12 yearsYes, the better alternative is called emacs....
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Keith Thompson almost 12 yearsDon't feel you need to find an alternative just because
vim
isn't installed by default (unless you commonly use Ubuntu systems on which you're unable to install packages). -
BlitZz almost 12 yearsUbuntu includes by default a vi-compatible editor, vim-tiny (invoke it just with
vi
). It lacks some of the advanced features of the full-fledged vim, but will at least allow you to edit files using your command set of choice. -
a1an almost 12 years@KeithThompson emacs is also missing in the default setup of ubuntu desktop, I was looking for a command line alternative readily available on a default setup
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rbaleksandar over 9 yearsI think this should no longer be the issue since the default installation of Ubuntu no longer fits on a single CD. This applies for all versions after (and including) 12.04 LTS. In fact I find the new size pretty annoying due to the fact that it does not fit a CD yet it does no require a full DVD. In this regard Debian and many other distributions are smart enough to offer a relatively small default installation that fits on a single CD and then provide all the extras on other CDs or even DVDs.