How to 'Save and Exit' if the `crontab -e` opened by AnQiCMS is another editor?

As an experienced website operations expert, I know the importance of an efficient and stable system operation for AnQiCMS such as enterprise-level content management systems. When deploying and maintaining AnQiCMS, we often encounter scenarios where we need to configure scheduled tasks (crontab), such asinstall.md中提到的用于守护 AnQiCMS 进程的 Englishstart.sh脚本。然而，当执行 Englishcrontab -eWhen executing commands, many users may find that the editor opened is not the one they are familiar with, thereby causing difficulties in the seemingly simple operation of 'Save and Exit'.

Today, let's delve deeply into this issue to help everyone handle any editor with ease and ensure the smooth completion of the AnQiCMS task scheduling configuration.

Understandingcrontab -eWith its 'mysterious' editor

When we execute according to the AnQiCMS installation guide on a Linux servercrontab -eThe system will open a text editor for us to edit the current user's cron task list when adding or modifying a plan task. The choice of this editor is not random, it usually depends on your current shell environment.EDITORorVISUALThe setting of environment variables. If these variables are not explicitly set, the system will resort to using the default editor, such as the one that is pre-installed and ubiquitous in many Linux distributions.Vi(or its enhanced version)Vim), or possibly more user-friendlyNano.

In AnQiCMS,install.mdIn the document, the part about command-line deployment indeed mentioned that after adding a scheduled task, there is a line of prompt:# ws 保存并退出。EnglishThis comment itself is somewhat ambiguous, it is very likely a shorthand or incomplete prompt in the early documents for a specific editor.For users not familiar with Linux editor operations, this indeed causes trouble.Therefore, mastering the save and exit methods of mainstream editors is the key to ensuring that AnQiCMS scheduled tasks work smoothly.

Handle the 'Save and Exit' strategy for different editors

Although there are many text editors in Linux systems, the two most common ones, Vi/Vim and Nano, are enough to cover the scenarios of the vast majority of users.

Scene one: Encounter the 'Ancient Artifact' - Vi/Vim Editor

Vi or Vim is one of the most powerful and most widely used text editors in the Linux environment.Its features include having 'patterns': command pattern, insert pattern, and bottom line pattern.It might seem counterintuitive at first, but with a few basic commands, you can easily handle it.

1. Enter Insert Mode: When you opencrontab -eAfter that, you will find that you cannot input content directly. This is becauseVi/VimIt is in command mode by default. You need to press thei(insert) key, and a prompt will appear at the lower left corner of the screen-- INSERT --auto
2. auto: Based oninstall.mdThe guidance, you need to add the following line (please modify according to your actual AnQiCMS installation path):

   
   */1 * * * * /www/wwwroot/anqicms.com/start.sh
   

   The meaning of this command is to execute it once a minute.start.shThe script is responsible for checking the AnQiCMS process, and if it is not running, it will automatically start.This is one of the important guarantees for the long-term stable operation of AnQiCMS.
3. Exit Insert Mode (Command Mode)Press it after you finish the modificationEsckey to return to Command Mode. You will see it in the lower left corner-- INSERT --disappear.
4. Save and exitIn command mode, type:wq(write and quit), then pressEnterkey. Your changes will be saved and the editor will close.
5. If you do not want to save and exitIf you only want to view or accidentally made an incorrect modification and do not want to save, you can enter in command mode:q!(quit without saving)，then pressEnterkey. This will force quit without saving any changes.

Scene two: Encounter the 'People-friendly Partner' - Nano Editor

NanoIt is another very popular text editor, known for its user-friendliness. It differs fromVi/Vimthe mode switching pattern.NanoAfter starting, you can directly edit, and the bottom of the screen will display commonly used operation shortcuts, which greatly reduces the learning cost.

1. Direct edit: When you opencrontab -eAfter that, if you see isNanoInterface, you can directly enter or modify the task content. Similarly, add the guardian script for AnQiCMS:

   
   */1 * * * * /www/wwwroot/anqicms.com/start.sh
   

2. Save Changes: After completing the editing, a prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen^O WriteOut(^representCtrlkey,Ctrl + O）。PressCtrl + Oa combination key,Nanoit will ask for the filename you want to save, usually pressEnterto confirm.
3. Exit the editor：Save successfully, or if you have not made any changes and just want to exit, you can pressCtrl + X(^X Exit）combination key. If there were any unsaved changes before,NanoWill ask you again whether to save, choose according to your needsY(Yes) orN(No).

Scenario 3: Other uncommon editors

Ifcrontab -eStarted other unfamiliar editors, such asEmacsauto, generally provides shortcut key hints at the bottom or top of the screen. Common save operations are usuallyCtrl + SorAlt + Sauto, exit isCtrl + XorAlt + Xauto. The safest method is to try pressing the key after entering the editorCtrl + G(usually to get help) orF1key, find the help document. If you really have no idea, you can try searching in Google"<编辑器名称> save and exit".

Advanced techniques: specify the editor you usually use

To avoid using every timecrontab -eEncountering an unfamiliar editor, you can specify your preferred editor by setting the environment variable.

In your shell configuration file (usually)~/.bashrcor~/.zshrc）中，add the following line and then save the file and reload shell (source ~/.bashrc):

• If you like Nano：

  
  export EDITOR=nano
  

• If you like Vim：

  
  export EDITOR=vim
  

• If you like Vi：

  
  export EDITOR=vi
  

Set after completion, each time you performcrontab -ethe system will use the editor you specified first.

Summary

Configuring scheduled tasks for AnQiCMS is an important link for its stable operation. Althoughcrontab -eThe command itself is simple, but the different editors it may call behind it may discourage many people. By understandingVi/VimandNanoThese mainstream editors' basic operations, as well as how to set your default editor, will enable you to handle it easilycrontab -eBrings challenges, ensuring that the background process of AnQiCMS can be correctly monitored, thus providing a solid guarantee for the operation of your website.

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Common Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why do I executecrontab -eWhy does the editor open each time I open it differ?A1: This is usually because your system has not been explicitly setEDITORorVISUALEnvironment variable.When these environment variables are not set, the system will choose an editor based on its internal priority or the default configuration of the distribution.If you operate under different terminal sessions or different users, or if the system default configuration has changed, you may encounter different editors.

Q2: Can I set it permanently?crontab -eDefault to opening my favorite editor?A2: Can do. You can add a line in the shell configuration file (such as~/.bashrcor~/.zshrc) under your user home directoryexport EDITOR=<你喜欢的编辑器名称>[for example]export EDITOR=nano). Save the file and runsource ~/.bashrc(or)source ~/.zshrc) Make the configuration effective. So every time you log in or open a new terminal, the settings will be loaded automatically,crontab -ethe editor you specified will open.

**Q3: If I amcrontab -ein