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How can I run Unix commands while I'm inside vim?

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Go to command mode Esc, then run :!unix_command. Anything run from the : prompt starting with a bang ! will be run as a unix shell command. You'll be shown the output and allowed to hit a key to get back to your work in vim.

If you have text selected in visual mode and want to send it TO a command as STDIN, hit !! and enter your command. The results of the command will replace the text you have selected.

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Also, !! without any text selected will let you run a command and then insert the result at your current cursor position -- no need to send stuff to STDIN and replace it if you don't need/want to. – Kromey May 18 '11 at 23:36
also, if you simply want to put the output of a command in your document, simply do :r!unix_command. This is usefull for commands such as date – Yab May 19 '11 at 6:01
You can also execute multiple lines of your vi buffer by the shell (or any interpreter) and have them replaced by the result of the execution. eg: :10,20!sh or, form marked lines, 'a,'b!sh – jlliagre May 19 '11 at 11:58
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up vote 1 down vote

From a VIM help mirror:

:shell        :sh[ell]        start a shell
:!            :!{command}     execute {command} with a shell
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