10.2 Important Command-Line Arguments

elvis is not typically installed as vi , though it can be. If invoked as ex , it operates as a line editor and allows the Q command from vi mode to switch into ex mode.

elvis has a number of command-line options. The most useful are described here:

-a

Load each file named on the command line into a separate window.

-r

Perform recovery after a crash.

-R

Start editing each file in read-only mode.

-i

Start editing in input mode instead of in command mode. This may be easier for novice users.

-s

Set the safer option for the whole session, not just execution of .exrc files. This adds a certain amount of security, but should not necessarily be trusted blindly. In elvis 2.1, this option is renamed -S , and (following the POSIX standard) -s provides ex scripting.

-f filename

Use filename for the session file instead of the default name. Session files are discussed below.

-G gui

Use the given interface. The default is the termcap interface. Other choices include x11 , win32 , curses , open , and quit . Not all the interfaces may be compiled into your version of elvis .

-c command

Execute command upon start-up. This is the POSIX version of the historical + command syntax. (The old syntax is also accepted.)

-t tag

Start editing at the specified tag .

-V

Output more verbose status information. Useful for diagnosing problems with initialization files.

-?

Print a summary of the possible options.