Unix in a Nutshell, 4th Edition

Name

ed

Synopsis

    ed [options] [file]

ed is the standard text editor. If the named file does not exist, ed creates it; otherwise, the existing file is opened for editing. As a line editor, ed is generally no longer used because vi and ex have superseded it. However, it can be useful from a slow dial-in connection or over an intercontinental ssh session when using a screen editor is painful. Some utilities, such as diff, continue to make use of ed command syntax.

URL: http://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed.msg.html.

Common Options

-p string

Set string as the prompt for commands (default is *). The P command turns the prompt display on and off.

-s

Suppress character counts, diagnostics, and the ! prompt for shell commands. Earlier versions of ed used plain -; this is still accepted.

System Specific Options

-C

Same as -x, but assume file began in encrypted form. Solaris only.

-G

Forces backwards compatibility. This affects the commands G, V, f, l, m, t, and !!. GNU/Linux only.

-x

Supply a key to encrypt or decrypt file using crypt. Solaris and Mac OS X only.