https://www.tecmint.com/enable-clipboard-in-vim

How to Enable and Manage Clipboard Access in Vim on Linux

Anoop C SLast Updated: October 28, 2024 Read Time: 3 minsCategories Vim Editor Leave a comment

Vim is a powerful text editor that many programmers and writers use because of its features and efficiency. One useful feature is the ability to access and share clipboard contents across multiple instances of Vim.

In this article, we’ll explore how to enable clipboard access in Vim and manage clipboard contents effectively from the Linux terminal.

What is Clipboard Access in Vim?

Clipboard access in Vim allows you to copy and paste text between different Vim instances or even between Vim and other applications. By default, Vim may not have access to the system clipboard, so you’ll need to make some changes to enable this feature.

There are generally two clipboards in Linux systems:

• Primary Clipboard: This is the default clipboard that automatically saves selected text. You can paste it using the middle mouse button.
• Clipboard (X11 Clipboard): This clipboard is what most graphical applications use, and you typically access it with keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + C for copy and Ctrl + V for paste.

Checking for Clipboard Support in Vim

First, ensure that you have a version of Vim that supports clipboard access.

vim --version | grep clipboard

Check Vim Clipboard Support

If you see +clipboard, it means Vim has clipboard support. If you see -clipboard, you will need to install a version of Vim with clipboard support, such as vim-gtk, vim-gnome, or vim-athena.

Installing Vim with Clipboard Support

If you need to install a version with clipboard support, you can use the following appropriate command for your specific Linux distribution.

sudo apt install vim-gtk3        [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint]
sudo dnf install vim-X11         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
sudo apk add vim                 [On Alpine Linux]
sudo pacman -S gvim              [On Arch Linux]
sudo zypper install vim-X11      [On OpenSUSE]    
sudo pkg install vim             [On FreeBSD]

Using the Clipboard in Vim

Once you have the correct version of Vim installed, you can use the clipboard in Vim by following these steps:

Copying to the Clipboard

To copy text from Vim to the system clipboard, use the following command:

• Visual Mode: Enter Visual mode by pressing v (for character selection) or V (for line selection).
• Select Text: Use arrow keys or h, j, k, l to select the text you want to copy.
• Copy to Clipboard: Press “+y (double quotes followed by a plus sign and y for yank).

Pasting from the Clipboard

To paste text from the clipboard into Vim, use the following command:

• Place the cursor where you want to insert the text.
• Press “+p (double quotes followed by a plus sign and p for put).

Here’s a simple example to illustrate how to copy and paste:

1. Open a new instance of Vim:

vim file1.txt

2. In file1.txt, type some text:

Hello, this is Vim.

3. Select the text with v and use “+y” to copy it.

4. Open another instance of Vim with a different file:

vim file2.txt

5. Place the cursor in file2.txt and press “+p” to paste the copied text.

Using System Clipboard with Multiple Vim Instances

You can use the system clipboard to share text between different instances of Vim and other applications.

Accessing Clipboard Contents from Terminal

You can also access clipboard contents from the terminal using commands like xclip or xsel.

sudo apt install xclip         [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint]
sudo yum install xclip         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
sudo apk add xclip             [On Alpine Linux]
sudo pacman -S xclip           [On Arch Linux]
sudo zypper install xclip      [On OpenSUSE]    
sudo pkg install xclip         [On FreeBSD]

Copying to Clipboard via Terminal

You can copy the contents of a file to the clipboard directly from the terminal:

cat filename.txt | xclip -selection clipboard

Pasting from Clipboard via Terminal

To paste clipboard contents into a file, you can use:

xclip -selection clipboard -o > filename.txt

Conclusion

Accessing clipboard contents across multiple instances of Vim is a valuable feature that can enhance your productivity. By enabling clipboard support in Vim and using the right commands, you can easily copy and paste text between different files and applications.

With the additional tools like xclip, you can further manage clipboard contents directly from the terminal. Now you can work more efficiently with Vim and make the most out of its powerful features!

 

https://www.rosehosting.com/blog/how-to-redirect-urls-using-nginx

How to Redirect URLs Using Nginx

October 14, 2024 by Jeff Wilson

URL redirection, also called URL forwarding, allows multiple URL addresses to be associated with a single page. This can include a form, the entire website, or a web application. This functionality is executed through a specialized HTTP response called an HTTP redirect. Redirecting URLs involves pointing an existing URL to a new one. This effectively communicates to your visitors and search bots that the URL has a new destination. This redirect can be either a temporary or a permanent redirection. Nginx, a web server, has gained more and more popularity over the past few years. It was initially created as a high-performance web server. Using an asynchronous event-driven architecture, Nginx can increase speed and stability when handling high traffic. This article will show you how to redirect URLs using nginx in an easy-to-follow guide.

Prerequisites

• Linux VPS hosting with Nginx as the web server
• SSH root access or a normal system user with sudo privileges

Redirection Types

There are only two redirection types: permanent and temporary. The permanent redirection has HTTP code 301, while the temporary redirection has HTTP code 302. The difference between 301 and 302 redirects lies in how they affect the redirection of URLs on a website. This can have a significant impact on your on-page SEO. To clarify, below is an explanation of the differences between 301 and 302 redirects in detail:

Permanent Redirect (301)

As the name indicates, a permanent redirect means the old URL will no longer be used. Visitors will be permanently redirected to the new URL. This means that when visitors access the old URL, they will be automatically redirected to the new URL.

301 redirects also tell search engines that the old URL page has been made permanent and redirected to the new URL. Search engines will pass on any link authority directly from the old URL to the new URL. A 301 redirects are usually used for website pages that have been moved to a new URL or permanently deleted. This is akin to moving your house permanently and letting everyone know your new address.

Temporary Redirect (302)

Redirect 302 is known as a “temporary redirect”. This means the old URL has been moved, and visitors are redirected to the new URL, just like with a 301.

The difference is that a 302 tells search engines that the old URL page is only temporarily redirected to the new URL. This signals to search engines that the old URL will return and will still maintain the page’s ranking of the old URL. As such, a 302 redirect is typically used for website pages that will return to the original URL after a while. Think of this as leaving your house when you go on an extended vacation and have your mail sent there.

Redirects are helpful when you send website visitors to a different URL according to the page they are trying to access. Here are some popular reasons to use them:

• Reroute visitors from discontinued pages (which would otherwise show a 404 error) to the most similar page.
• Keep old URLs operational after moving from one software system to another.
• Take visitors from a short and simple, memorable URL to the correct page.
• Redirecting outdated .html URLs or non-www to their www counterparts.
• Retain seasonal page content with limited-time deals; the same offer will return next season. Think of Black Friday count-down timer pages.

When using Nginx as the web server, you can generally create redirects using rewrite or return directives. Incorporating a redirect map can be beneficial for extensive redirect lists.

Use RETURN Directive

We can use the return directive in the server context to redirect HTTP to HTTPS or from one domain name to another.

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;
}

The following configuration should also work if you want to redirect a URL to another.

location = /blog/how-to-redirect-in-nginx {
     return 301 $scheme://blog.example.com/how-to-redirect-in-nginx
}

Use REWRITE Directive

We can place both RETURN and REWRITE directives in the server and location context in the Nginx configuration file.

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    rewrite ^/(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 redirect;
}

We can use the above config to redirect HTTP to HTTPS temporarily. To change it to a permanent redirect, simply replace redirect with permanent.

Another example is to redirect a URL using rewrite, but this time, we use location context.

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location = /how-to-redirect-in-nginx {
     rewrite ^/how-to-redirect-in-nginx?$ /redirection-in-nginx.html break;
}

Use MAP Directive

If you have many redirections, you can use Nginx MAP directive. Add the following to the top of your Nginx server block file.

map $request_uri $new_uri {
    include /etc/nginx/redirect-map.conf;
}

Then, create a file /etc/nginx/redirect-map.conf, and you can put your old and new URLs there.

The file /etc/nginx/redirect-map.conf should contain something like this:

/blog/how-to-redirect-in-nginx /nginx-redirect;
/old.html /new.html;
/old-file.php /new-file.php;

Make sure to check the map file, it should contain ‘;’ at the end of each line or else it causes EOL error. Also, remember that you should restart Nginx every time you modify its configuration file to apply the changes.

That’s it! You have learned about configuring URL redirects in Nginx.

Of course, you don’t have to spend your time and follow this article to learn how to redirect URLs using Nginx. If you have an active VPS hosting service with us, you can ask our expert Linux admins to redirect URLs using Nginx for you. Simply log in to the client area, then submit a ticket. Our system administrators are available 24×7 and will take care of your request immediately.

If you liked this post on how to redirect URLs using Nginx, please share it with your friends on social media or leave a comment below.

Tags how to, how to guide, nginx, redirect, URL, url redirect, webserver

What is Systemctl and How Should You Use It?

https://www.tecmint.com/rbash-restricted-bash-shell

rbash – A Restricted Bash Shell Explained with Practical Examples

In the world of Linux and Unix-like systems, security is crucial, especially when multiple users share a system. One way to enhance security is by using restricted shells. One such shell is rbash, or Restricted Bash.

This article will explain what rbash is, how it differs from the regular Bash shell, and provide practical examples of its usage.

What is a Shell?

Before diving into rbash, let’s clarify what a shell is.

A shell is a program that enables users to interact with the Linux system through a command-line interface. It interprets commands entered by the user and communicates with the system to execute those commands.

Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is one of the most widely used shells in Linux environments.

What is rbash?

rbash is a restricted version of the Bash shell, which is designed to limit users’ access to certain commands and features, enhancing system security.

When a user logs into a system using rbash, they cannot perform tasks that could compromise the system or other users.

Key Differences Between Bash and rbash

Following are some key differences between bash and rbash:

• In rbash, users cannot change their directory with the cd command. They can only operate in their home directory.
• Certain commands like exec, set, and unset are restricted, preventing users from altering the shell’s environment.
• Users cannot change environment variables that can affect other users or system settings.
• In rbash, users cannot redirect input or output, making it harder to execute commands that can access or manipulate files outside their designated areas.

These restrictions make rbash suitable for scenarios where you want to provide limited access to users while maintaining a level of security.

When to Use rbash

Here are some situations where using rbash is beneficial:

• Public Terminals: In environments like libraries or schools where users need access to basic commands but should not tamper with system settings.
• Shared Servers: On shared systems, rbash can prevent users from accessing other users’ data or critical system files.
• Testing and Learning Environments: When teaching users basic command-line skills, rbash can help limit their actions to avoid accidental system changes.

How to Set Up rbash in Linux

Setting up rbash on your Linux system is a straightforward process, all you need to do is follow these steps:

1. Install Bash in Linux

Most Linux distributions come with Bash installed by default, you can check if it’s installed by running:

bash --version

Check Bash Version

2. Create a Restricted Shell User

You can create a user specifically for rbash.

sudo adduser anusha

Create a Restricted Shell User

After creating the user, change their default shell to rbash:

sudo usermod -s /bin/rbash restricteduser

To further restrict this user’s environment, you can create a specific directory and set it as their home directory:

sudo mkdir /home/anusha/bin

Then, you can place any scripts or commands you want the user to access inside this bin directory.

To limit the commands available to the user, set their PATH variable to only include the bin directory:

echo 'export PATH=$HOME/bin' | sudo tee -a /home/anusha/.bashrc

Now, you can log in as a restricted user:

su - anusha

How to Use rbash in Linux

Let’s explore some practical examples to illustrate how rbash works.

Example 1: Attempting to Change Directory

Once logged in as the restricted user, try changing directories:

cd /tmp

You will receive an error message like -rbash: cd: restricted, which confirms that the user cannot navigate outside their home directory.

Example 2: Running Restricted Commands

Try executing commands like exec or set:

exec bash

You will get an error like -rbash: exec: restricted, which shows that the user is restricted from executing new shell instances.

Example 3: File Redirection

Attempt to redirect output to a file:

echo "Test" > test.txt

You will receive an error message that indicates that users cannot redirect output to files.

-rbash: test.txt: restricted: cannot redirect output

Example 4: Allowed Commands

To see what commands the restricted user can execute, you can create a simple script in their bin directory.

For example, create a file named hello.sh:

echo "echo 'Hello, World!'" > /home/restricteduser/bin/hello.sh
chmod +x /home/restricteduser/bin/hello.sh

Now, when the restricted user runs:

./hello.sh

They will see Hello, World! printed on the screen, demonstrating that they can execute allowed commands.

Conclusion

In summary, rbash is a powerful tool for enhancing security in multi-user Linux environments. By restricting access to certain commands and features, it helps maintain system integrity while allowing users to perform basic tasks.