Ubuntu Linux Install vim Text Editor using apt-get

Ubuntu Linux install vim using apt

The procedure is as follows:

1. Open terminal application. You can also press CTRL+ALT+T keyboard shortcut
2. Update package database by typing the sudo apt update command
3. Search for vim packages run: sudo apt search vim
4. Install vim on Ubuntu Linux, type: sudo apt install vim
5. Verify vim installation by typing the vim --version command

Let us see all steps in details to install vim on Ubuntu system.

How to install full version of Vim on Ubuntu

First open the terminal application and then update package database using the apt command or apt-get command:
sudo apt update

Hit:1 http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:2 http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease             
Hit:3 http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease           
Hit:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease                           
Hit:5 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                                  
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up to date.

Apply all patches on Ubuntu Linux:
sudo apt upgrade

Search for vim package

Run any one of the following command:
sudo apt search vim
sudo apt-cache search vim
sudo apt-cache search vim | grep editor

vim - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor
vim-tiny - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - compact version
elvis-tiny - Tiny vi compatible editor for the base system
formiko - reStructuredText and MarkDown editor and live previewer
kakoune - Vim-inspired, selection-oriented code editor
libghc-yi-keymap-vim-dev - Vim keymap for Yi editor
libghc-yi-keymap-vim-doc - Vim keymap for Yi editor; documentation
libghc-yi-keymap-vim-prof - Vim keymap for Yi editor; profiling libraries
python3-editor - programmatically open an editor, capture the result - Python 3.x
vim-addon-manager - manager of addons for the Vim editor
vim-athena - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with Athena GUI
vim-editorconfig - EditorConfig Plugin for Vim
vim-gtk - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor (dummy package)
vim-gtk3 - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with GTK3 GUI
vim-nox - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with scripting languages support
vis - Modern, legacy free, simple yet efficient vim-like editor

You don’t have to install above vim packages. Typically we eiter install vim or vim-tiny on Ubuntu Linux.

Get info about vim package of your choice

Use the apt as follows:
apt show vim-tiny
apt show vim

Package: vim
Version: 2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5
Priority: optional
Section: editors
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers 
Original-Maintainer: Debian Vim Maintainers 
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 3111 kB
Provides: editor
Depends: vim-common (= 2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5), vim-runtime (= 2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5), libacl1 (>= 2.2.23), libc6 (>= 2.29), libcanberra0 (>= 0.2), libgpm2 (>= 1.20.7), libpython3.8 (>= 3.8.2), libselinux1 (>= 1.32), libtinfo6 (>= 6)
Suggests: ctags, vim-doc, vim-scripts
Homepage: https://www.vim.org/
Task: server, cloud-image, lubuntu-desktop
Download-Size: 1238 kB
APT-Sources: http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
Description: Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor
 Vim is an almost compatible version of the UNIX editor Vi.
 .
 Many new features have been added: multi level undo, syntax
 highlighting, command line history, on-line help, filename
 completion, block operations, folding, Unicode support, etc.
 .
 This package contains a version of vim compiled with a rather
 standard set of features.  This package does not provide a GUI
 version of Vim.  See the other vim-* packages if you need more
 (or less).

Installing vim text editor on Ubuntu

Open a terminal and/or login to the remote Ubuntu server using the ssh client. Type the following apt-get command to install vim text editor (when promoted type your own password):
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install vim
OR
sudo -s
sudo apt-get update
apt-get install vim
Sample outputs:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libasound2 libasound2-data libcanberra0 libltdl7 libogg0 libpython3.8 libtdb1 libvorbis0a libvorbisfile3 vim-common vim-runtime
Suggested packages:
  libasound2-plugins alsa-utils libcanberra-gtk0 libcanberra-pulse ctags vim-doc vim-scripts
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libasound2 libasound2-data libcanberra0 libltdl7 libogg0 libpython3.8 libtdb1 libvorbis0a libvorbisfile3 vim vim-common vim-runtime
0 upgraded, 12 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 9412 kB of archives.
After this operation, 42.9 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 vim-common all 2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5 [85.1 kB]
Get:2 http://us-central1.gce.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 libasound2-data all 1.2.2-2.1 [19.0 kB]
....
..
...
Unpacking libpython3.8:amd64 (3.8.2-1ubuntu1.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package vim-runtime.
Preparing to unpack .../10-vim-runtime_2%3a8.1.2269-1ubuntu5_all.deb ...
Adding 'diversion of /usr/share/vim/vim81/doc/help.txt to /usr/share/vim/vim81/doc/help.txt.vim-tiny by vim-runtime'
Adding 'diversion of /usr/share/vim/vim81/doc/tags to /usr/share/vim/vim81/doc/tags.vim-tiny by vim-runtime'
Unpacking vim-runtime (2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5) ...
Selecting previously unselected package vim.
Preparing to unpack .../11-vim_2%3a8.1.2269-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking vim (2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5) ...
Setting up libogg0:amd64 (1.3.4-0ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libtdb1:amd64 (1.4.2-3build1) ...
Setting up libasound2-data (1.2.2-2.1) ...
Setting up vim-common (2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5) ...
Setting up libpython3.8:amd64 (3.8.2-1ubuntu1.1) ...
Setting up libvorbis0a:amd64 (1.3.6-2ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libltdl7:amd64 (2.4.6-14) ...
Setting up libasound2:amd64 (1.2.2-2.1) ...
Setting up vim-runtime (2:8.1.2269-1ubuntu5) ...
Setting up libvorbisfile3:amd64 (1.3.6-2ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libcanberra0:amd64 (0.30-7ubuntu1)

Verify vim installation

Run the following command:
vim --version

How do I edit file with vim

You can now use vim text editor:
$ vi file.c
$ vim file.c
$ sudo vim /etc/sysctl.conf
Sample outputs:

Fig.01: Vim in action on Ubuntu

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to install vim text editor on Ubuntu Linux using the apt-get command or apt command. For more information read the apt-get(8) man page and see vim page here.