Can't get into insert mode in Vim

Question

So, I come back to my computer after the weekend and when I try to edit a file in vim now I can't get into insert mode at all. Used to be just by pressing I or Esc+I. The Insert key doesn't do it either.

I don't know much about vim, I haven't knowingly changed any settings.

Any idea what's gone wrong? I'm running Ubuntu 12.04.

My /etc/vim/vimrc file (minus comments) looks like:

runtime! debian.vim

if has("syntax")
  syntax on
endif

if filereadable("/etc/vim/vimrc.local")
  source /etc/vim/vimrc.local
endif

I don't have a vimrc.local file but there is a vimrc.tiny which contains:

set runtimepath=~/.vim,/var/lib/vim/addons,/usr/share/vim/vimfiles,/usr/share/vim/vim73,/usr/share/vim/vimfiles/after,/var/lib/vim/addons/after,~/.vim/after

set compatible

Both are identical to the same files on a remote server where vim behaves normally.

Answer 1

Do you use vi compatibility mode? Try the command :set nocompatible.

In vi the insert mode notification is not shown on the status line (in contrast to vim) – so if you press i you actually are in insert mode but perhaps you just don't know it.

To save user-defined settings just put them in your ~/.vimrc (create if not existing), e.g. like:

set nocompatible

Answer 2

syntax on
set nocompatible

I am compiling vim 7.3 from source and still found it was the vi editor working even after using vim command. So, to have the same effect as I normally do apt-get install vim is .. follow the above post by @speakr