vi Command-Line Options (Linux in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition)

11.2. vi Command-Line Options

The three most common ways of starting a vi session are:

vi file
vi + n file
vi +/ pattern file

You can open file for editing, optionally at line n or at the first line matching pattern. If no file is specified, vi opens with an empty buffer. The command-line options that can be used with vi are:

+[num]: Start editing at line number num, or the last line of the file if num is omitted.
+/pattern: Start editing at the first line matching pattern. (Fails if nowrapscan is set in your .exrc startup file.)
-c command: Run the given vi command upon startup. Only one -c option is permitted. ex commands can be invoked by prefixing them with a :. An older form of this option, +command, is still supported.
-e: Run as ex (line editing rather than full-screen mode).
-l: Enter LISP mode for running LISP programs (not supported in all versions).
-r [file]: Recover and resume editing on file after an aborted editor session or system crash. Without file, list files available for recovery.
-t tag: Edit the file containing tag and position the cursor at its definition (see ctags in Chapter 3, "Linux Commands" for more information).
-v: Run in full-screen mode (default).
-w rows: Set the window size so rows lines at a time are displayed; useful when editing over a slow dial-up line.
-x: Prompt for a key that will be used to try to encrypt or decrypt a file using crypt (not supported in all versions).
-C: Same as -x, but assume the file is encrypted already (not supported in all versions).
-L: List files that were saved due to an aborted editor session or system crash (not supported in all versions).
-R: Edit files read-only.