Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition

Status-Line Commands

Most commands are not echoed on the screen as you input them. However, the status line at the bottom of the screen is used to edit these commands:

/

Search forward for a pattern.

?

Search backward for a pattern.

:

Invoke an ex command.

!

Invoke a Unix command that takes as its input an object in the buffer and replaces it with output from the command. You type a motion command after the ! to describe what should be passed to the Unix command. The command itself is entered on the status line.

Commands that are entered on the status line must be entered by pressing the Enter key. In addition, error messages and output from the Ctrl-G command are displayed on the status line.