vi filename- nothing happens

[Maaz]

os: rhel 4
kernel: 2.6.9-22.EL

when I issue the following command nothing happens
#vi /path/to/filename
or
#vim /path/to/filename
that is simply "vi" or "vim" doesnt execute/run(gedit or cat are working fine), and also after "vi /etc/hosts", "ps ax" also doesnt show about "vi/vim".
Nothing speciall in /var/log/messages.

# rpm -q vim-enhanced
vim-enhanced-6.3.035-3
# rpm -q vim-minimal
vim-minimal-6.3.035-3

# rpm -ql vim-enhanced
/etc/profile.d/vim.csh
/etc/profile.d/vim.sh
/usr/bin/ex
/usr/bin/rvim
/usr/bin/vim
/usr/bin/vimdiff
/usr/bin/vimtutor
/usr/share/man/man1/rvim.1.gz
/usr/share/man/man1/vimdiff.1.gz
/usr/share/man/man1/vimtutor.1.gz

# rpm -ql vim-minimal
/bin/ex
/bin/rvi
/bin/rview
/bin/vi
/bin/view
/etc/vimrc

[Ivan Ferreira]

Can you specify the full path to the command, for example:

/bin/vi /etc/hosts

or

/usr/bin/vim /etc/hosts


Check aliases:

alias vi

[Maaz]

Thanks Ivan for reply.
>Can you specify the full path to the command, for example:
>/usr/bin/vim /etc/hosts

#/usr/bin/vim /etc/hosts
nothing happens ;(


>Check aliases:
>alias vi
here is the output of "alias"
#alias vi
alias vi='vim'

[Ivan Krastev]

Try to check packages and files - http://www.rpm.org/max-rpm/ch-rpm-checksig.html

Also try to reinstall package.

Do you have same error with other editor ?


regards,
ivan

[Ivan Ferreira]

what is the output of

rpm -V vim-enhanced
rpm -V vim-minimal
ls -la /usr/bin/vim
ls -la /bin/vi

echo $PATH
whereis vi
which vi

[George Liu_4]

What do yo mean "nothing happened?" Is it quit or waiting for input?


try just /usr/bin/vim
without any arguments to see what happens

[Alexander Chuzhoy]

Hi,
also try `alias |grep vi`

By nothing happens- you mean that you get the prompt back?

[Maaz]

Thanks All for the help/reply... and sory for replying late.

Dear Ivan....
# rpm -V vim-minimal ;[nothing happens... simply got the prompt back]
# rpm -V vim-enhanced
S.5....T. /usr/bin/vim
# ls -la /usr/bin/vim
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Nov 26 22:05 /usr/bin/vim
# ls -la /bin/vi
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 468864 Dec 5 2004 /bin/vi
# echo $PATH
/usr/kerberos/sbin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin
# whereis vi
vi: /bin/vi /usr/share/man/man1p/vi.1p.gz /usr/share/man/man1/vi.1.gz
# which vi
alias vi='vim'
/usr/bin/vim

Dear George Liu and Alexander
# /usr/bin/vim ;[nothing happens... simply got the prompt back.. and this is the actual prblm]
# alias |grep vi
alias vi='vim'

"nothing happened" means "quit" or "got the prompt back" and/or even "no error" and also nothing relevant/special in /var/log/messages

Regards
Maaz

[Maaz]

Dear Ivan Krastev

>Also try to reinstall package.
first I want to resolve/troubleshoot this issue.. this is the last option.

>Do you have same error with other editor ?
no

[Jeff_Traigle]

Looks to me like your vim installation isn't complete (or vim got truncated by someone or something on Nov. 26). Note /bin/vim is zero length in your ls output. I bet if you try "/bin/vi testfile" it might actually start the editor since that binary appears to have a size.

[Ivan Ferreira · Accepted solution]

Reinstall vim, because:

# rpm -V vim-enhanced
S.5....T. /usr/bin/vim

Indicates that the vim command was modified since the installation, in this case the Size, the MD5 checksum and the modification time of the file where modified (see man rpm)

# ls -la /usr/bin/vim
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Nov 26 22:05 /usr/bin/vim

Indicates that the program has 0 bytes and will never work.

To reinstall use:

rpm -ivh vim-enhanced-version.rpm --force

[Maaz]

Thanks all(esp Ivan Ferriera) for help/support.

for me its quite strange...why/how vim became corrupted, because I am the only person who can access this rhel box, and this box is never connected to the internet, virus/worms are not possible.
At the end I hardly accept(since no one can access this machine) that I myself hav done some mistake(edit the vim.. somehow)

Anyhow thanks All
Regards
Maaz