How to Exit Vim

Yes, we all have been there: You are stuck and cannot escape Vim. It says:

"type :quit<Enter> to quit VIM"

Here is the solution to escape from this dead-end hell:

1. Press Esc key.
2. Hit :
3. Press wq (q short for quit, w for write/save)
4. Hit Enter

If you dont want to save the changes you made in the file use q! instead of wq.

For more

'quit' Alternatives

• :x to write and quit (similar to :wq, but only write if there are changes)
• :exit to write and exit (same as :x)
• :qa to quit all (short for :quitall)
• :1,5wq will save only lines 1 to 5 and quit

Shortcut Alternatives

After pressing Esc:

• ZZ will save and quit
• ZQ will just quit