How to Copy Text from a Web Browser to a Unix File

Here is how to copy text from a Web page and paste it into a Unix file:

1. Have a Unix window open on your computer.
2. Have a Web browser open to the page showing the text you want to copy.
3. In the Unix window, start up the vi editor with the file name that you want to store the text in (let's say the file name is box.dat); enter this at the Unix prompt:

   vi box.dat
   

4. You will see a bunch of ~ in the left side of your Unix window. This is normal. Now press the i (lower case i) just once. This puts you in insert mode.
5. Now to go the Web browser that shows the text you want. Use the mouse and cursor to highlight the text you want to copy.
6. Once you have the text highlighted in the Web browser, select the Web browser title bar command Edit, and then Copy.
7. Now go to the Unix window by clicking your mouse cursor on the title bar of the Unix window.
8. Now select the Unix window title bar Edit, then Paste.
9. You should see the text you copied appear in the vi editor.
10. Save the contents of the vi editor by hitting the Escape key once, then hold down the shift key while at the same time pressing the Z key twice.
11. Now you should be back at the Unix prompt.
12. Use the Unix command

    cat box.dat
    

    to look at what you copied. For more information on the vi editor or to fix what you copied, see the vi editor reference.