Help with doas.conf OpenBSD 6.5

[hitest]

Originally Posted by TheTKS

And like hitest, it may be time for me to use vi enough to actually learn it, even if I now better know how to use nano.
TKS

Interesting morning. Ran a little experiment and re-installed an OpenBSD 6.5 system and forced myself to mostly use vi for initial set-up. I did some reading yesterday to re-familiarize myself with basic usage of vi (command and insert modes, and how to save). I was able to successfully use vi to edit pf.conf, create a new doas.conf file, and create a new /etc/hostname.iwn0 file.
I still do like to use sudo occasionally, but , ran into trouble trying to edit my existing /etc/sudoers file. I did what was suggested and could not save the file?! Did the remaining files with nano. That was odd. I have more to learn about vi. Enjoyable and frustrating.

Addition: Spent the afternoon and evening tinkering with vi. I am a bit more comfortable with vi.

[jmccue]

Hi

Did not see this link (flak.tedunangst.com) in the tread, but I found it very informative

John

[braveheart]

I use the ee text editor. It comes standard with FreeBSD. I know you need to installl it as a package or from the ports tree, so that ED Mastery book suggested maybe a better place to start, unless you need to use some GNU/Linux distro that doesn't have it installed by default anymore. I wish the OpenBSD communal packages came with the more advanced text editor based on ee, ie. aee or I think its xae for GUI interfaces, (its a long time since I have used FreeBSD).
As far as doas.conf is concerned, the Author inside the man page is Ted Unagast (have I spelled his name correctly?). Anyway, search for his doas pamphlet mastery webpage with Chromium, it doesn't seem to work with other web browsers, get security certificate errors with Firefox and Lynx I think. But his document is not too long but covers the essentials. Its getting a bit old, so some of the contents may need updating - ie. the OP that replied to you said you might have found a bug.

Anyway, Take Care and Happy Reading/Experimenting

BraveHeart

[ibara]

Originally Posted by braveheart

I use the ee text editor. It comes standard with FreeBSD. I know you need to installl it as a package or from the ports tree, so that ED Mastery book suggested maybe a better place to start, unless you need to use some GNU/Linux distro that doesn't have it installed by default anymore. I wish the OpenBSD communal packages came with the more advanced text editor based on ee, ie. aee or I think its xae for GUI interfaces, (its a long time since I have used FreeBSD).

I manage the editors/ee package. I also have a (never committed) port of aee (which comes with xae). Never thought anyone would want it but I can put it in if people do.

[johnR]

Originally Posted by hitest

I still do like to use sudo occasionally, but , ran into trouble trying to edit my existing /etc/sudoers file. I did what was suggested and could not save the file?!

/etc/sudoers may have read-only permissions, in which case you'd need to add an exclamation mark to the vi :wq command to allow vi to write to the file, eg. :wq!

You should use visudo to edit the sudoers file, not plain vi.

[hitest]

Originally Posted by johnR

/etc/sudoers may have read-only permissions, in which case you'd need to add an exclamation mark to the vi :wq command to allow vi to write to the file, eg. :wq!

You should use visudo to edit the sudoers file, not plain vi.

Thank you! Yes. Noted for future reference. This experience with editing /etc/doas.conf was indeed valuable. My default editor is now vi not nano.

[ripe]

I am trying ed and I am reading Ed Mastery, I fall in love.

[hitest]

Originally Posted by ripe

I am trying ed and I am reading Ed Mastery, I fall in love.

I'm starting to get comfortable with simple vi commands. I had a look at the ed wikipedia entry; it appears daunting.
I'm glad that you like ed.

[LeFrettchen]

vim is pretty similar to vi, and is also the default git editor when commiting...

The command

$ git commit

will launch vim

[jggimi]

I use ed(1) for specific tasks only. I find it particularly useful for adding new line characters to markup languages such as html or xml. And I use it in situations where no other editor is available. And sometimes in scripts.

But my use excludes regular expressions. Even though there's a large chapter on the use of them in Ed Mastery, and I've gone through the exercises. Several times.

I hate regular expressions. For me, that way lies madness.

[frcc]

My 2 cents..........
"ed" of course has its roots based in the development of the Unix OS.

Back in the day (mid to late 80's and early 90's) it was the only way to edit what you might consider .conf or batch files on certain IBM (Tm) mainframes as used in the Nuclear Power Plant Simulation Industry.
Following a short learning curve (being a paid consultant ) I found "ed" in this particular usage an exceptional well suited tool. Since simulation involves the monitoring, calculation, display of many variables, "ed" facilitated exact methods to alter these files to inject failure of various degree affecting simulation. As stated earlier by a previous poster it allows mental concentration on a line by line basis allowing one to focus on the technical requirements of that line. Since "ed" was the only "line editor" provided on the mainframe it was the "only" game in town. Would I have preferred another editor for this purpose?, given the technology at the time probably not. And of course in the end it didn't matter as it was the only tool provided.

Today I have greatly reduced needs for editing files. Therefore I use nano daily for .conf files and geany when fooling around with "freebasic" . Since some of you have experienced problems with .conf file editing using nano I scrutinize those files closer when using nano or if I experience problems can manage them using vi or ed.

In the end what editor or processor you choose is normally driven by convenience and suitability
and of course personal choice.

[ripe]

Nice to read all this guys.