How do I make the vi editor display or hide line numbers?

To make vi display line numbers, you need to set the number flag. To do so:

1. Press the Esc key if you are currently in insert or append mode.
   
   
2. Press  :  (the colon). The cursor should reappear at the lower left corner of the screen next to a  :  prompt.
   
   
3. Enter the following command: set number
4. A column of sequential line numbers will then appear at the left side of the screen. Each line number references the text located directly to the right.

To turn off line numbering, again follow the preceding instructions, except this time enter the following line at the  :  prompt: set nonumber

Normally, vi will forget the setting you've chosen once you've left the editor. You can, however, make either setting take effect automatically whenever you use vi on a particular account. To do this, place the appropriate set statement as a line in a file in your home directory named .exrc .

For a list of all current settings, at the  :  prompt, enter: set all For a list of everything that you have set, at the  :  prompt, enter: set

At Indiana University, to get support for personal or departmental Linux or Unix systems, see At IU, how do I get support for Linux or Unix?

Also see:

• In vi, how do I go to a particular line or word in a file?
• Using the vi editor, how can I automatically indent lines?
• A quick reference list of vi editor commands
• When using vi to edit a large file, what should I do if I get the "not enough space" error message?