The text editor, vim, in Linux, is fast and easy to use if you prefer to use the keyboard to operate programs. There are a couple of more user-friendly versions of this text editor available in Ubuntu.
For both of these versions, use the Synaptic Package Manager to install the software. To access it, select Administration | Synaptic Package Manager from the System menu.
An Improved Terminal Version of Vim
For an improved version of Vim that is very similar to the terminal-based, original version, search for vim in the Synaptic Package Manager. The package that gives you vim with a base Ubuntu installation is vim-common.
Right-click on the vim package and select Mark for Installation from the pop-up menu.
Click the Apply button to apply the changes.
A Summary dialog displays showing you the changes to be made. Click the Apply button.
The necessary package files for vim are downloaded.
A dialog box displays when the changes have been applied. Click Close.
Select Quit from the File menu to close the Synaptic Package Manager.
Configuration of the improved version of vim is automatic and you can now access the improved version by typing vi or vim in a Terminal window. Many new features have been added such as multi level undo, syntax highlighting, command line history, online help, filename completion, and block operations.
A Graphical Version of Vim
If you like the features of vim text editor, but you prefer a graphical user interface (GUI) to work within, you might like Gvim. It’s a version of vim with a graphical front-end added.
To install Gvim, follow the steps from the previous section, except search for vim-gnome instead of just vim in the Synaptic Package Manager.
Gvim is not added to any of the Ubuntu menus, but it can be run by typing gvim at the prompt in a Terminal window.
Use Gvim just like you would vim, typing a colon to enter commands and entering insert mode by typing an ‘i’. Gvim does provide easier access to the features of vim that are usually hidden, plus some extra features, through menus and a toolbar.
For those of us who are programmers, but prefer working with the mouse rather than the keyboard when running software programs, Gvim is a useful tool to have.
by Lori Kaufman
You can think of cream also.. That is very user friendly for the vim beginners and advanced users also.
[...] 16th 2010 16Dec We have previous written about GVim in our post, Two More User-Friendly Versions of the Vim Text Editor in Ubuntu. It is a graphical version of the vim text editor. If you like using vim, but prefer having the [...]