how can i type special caharacters in vi editor

now i cant login in a pc. i am using linux ubuntu. now i want change some settings 开发者_StackOverflowfor that i want to type semicolon but it is not coming..is there any format to type in vi editor..some body know means tell me how can type in vi editor

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You need to press i first, to enter to insert mode (when you open vi, you are in command mode by default).

Then, do your editing.

When you are done, press Esc and then type :wq and enter to save your changes.

Also note that vi is an advanced editor; if you just want to make some quick changes, an easier one, like nano, might be appropriate.

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You should be able to type a semi-colon if you're in insert mode. By default in vi you are in command mode, and to go to insert mode you have to use a keystroke like 'i' (insert), 'o' (begin editing on the next line), etc.