The Traditional Vi

The story links to Gunnar Ritter's traditional ex-vi project, though the original SourceForge link now faces a Cloudflare blockade, making it inaccessible. Hacker News users, undeterred, dive into a rich discussion about the historical nuances of vi variants, obscure commands like :x and ZZ, and its original features, including support for paper terminals. The post resonates as a nostalgic trip for seasoned developers, sparking debate on the original vi experience versus modern editors and the aesthetics of retro web design.

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First Seen

Jun 23, 10:00 AM

Last Seen

Jun 23, 4:00 PM

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The Lowdown

The Hacker News community recently revisited "The Traditional Vi," a project by Gunnar Ritter hosted on SourceForge. Despite the provided link now presenting a Cloudflare security page, preventing direct access to the content, the discussion swiftly moved to explore the historical significance and technical intricacies of this foundational text editor. Commenters shared insights into its origins and lamented the inaccessibility of the original content while appreciating modern mirrors.

The original link to ex-vi.sourceforge.net currently displays a Cloudflare "Attention Required!" page, preventing access to the intended content.
The article is identified as an older piece, with one comment noting a 2007 timestamp and Gunnar Ritter as the author.
Discussions quickly moved to the history of vi, specifically "Joy+Horton vi" and "Ritter vi," highlighting features like its "three flavours" of 'open' mode for different terminal types (cursor-addressable, non-cursor-addressable, and paper terminals).
A GitHub mirror of heirloom-ex-vi was shared, providing an accessible version of the project's code and bugfixes.
Users debated the origins and usage of specific vi commands, such as :x (save and exit) versus :wq and ZZ, with historical clarifications on :x being an early vi feature introduced by Mary Ann Horton.
Despite the inaccessible content, some users commented on the aesthetic of the website's design itself (before the block), finding it elegant yet simple, while others criticized its justified text, poor mobile rendering, and negative impact on browser reader modes.

The submission, despite its accessibility hurdle, successfully ignited a deep dive into vi's legacy, showcasing HN's appreciation for computing history and the enduring influence of its fundamental tools.

The Gossip

Vi's Vintage Variants & Features

Users delve into the rich history of the `vi` text editor, specifically discussing "Joy+Horton vi" and "Ritter vi." The conversation highlights obscure features like `vi`'s three 'open' modes designed for different terminal types, including actual paper terminals. It also touches on the evolution and functionality of various `vi` commands, confirming `:x` as an original `vi` feature introduced by Mary Ann Horton, and discussing the lesser-known `ZZ` command for saving and exiting.

Modern Mirrors & Missing Content

The primary discussion point regarding the story itself is its inaccessibility due to a Cloudflare block on the original SourceForge link. Commenters quickly pointed out the article's age, noting a 2007 timestamp, and critically, provided a GitHub mirror (`heirloom-ex-vi`) that offers bugfixes and a working, accessible version of the project's code, filling the void left by the blocked source.

Website's Wobbly Web Design

Despite the Cloudflare block preventing direct access to the site's content, several users commented on the original website's visual design. Opinions varied widely: some praised its elegant, simple, and retro aesthetic as a desirable style for modern websites. Conversely, others criticized the justified text for being difficult to read, poor mobile rendering, and its tendency to break browser reader modes, sparking a debate on minimalist versus functional web design.