bi

Binary editor like vI - bi

bi is a binary editor with a user interface similar to vi. It started when I posted it on ASCII-net for MS-DOS in December 1991. 33 years have passed since then. Another binary editor with a user interface similar to vi was released for Linux in 1996 by Gerhard Buergmann, called bvi, but I was the first. The first version of bi was written, but the current release version is written in python and C. C version is newly remaked for modern version that is different from originl old version.

It uses ANSI terminal escape sequences, so it is for ANSI terminals. It should work on ANSI terminals on Linux, Unix, FreeBSD, and POSIX-compliant OSes.

Development environment and operation verification was done on ArchLinux and FreeBSD.

If the terminal background color is white, use any string other than black for the -t option, or omit the option if it is black.

The bi is designed to be with high functionality, flexible, lightweight, simple, compact, user-friendly and smoothly responsive. bi can handle original script.

The development environment and operation verification are done on ArchLinux and FreeBSD.

This software disributed with MIT license.

in python high functionality version

installation

git clone http://github.com/fygar256/bi
cd bi
chmod +x bi.py
sudo cp bi.py /usr/local/bin/bi

sudo cp bi.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/
sudo mandb

in go high speed version only on FreeBSD

This is a fast version of 'bi', the Binary editor like vi, written in Go. It doesn't support Python calls such as eval() and exec(), but it runs much faster than the Python version, making it ideal for working with large files.

The manual, commands, and operation methods are the same as those for the Python version of bi.

The following explains how to initialize the Go directory:

go mod init bi
go get golang.org/x/term

To build:

go build -o bi bi.go
sudo cp bi /usr/local/bin

in C best speed version

This is a version of 'bi', the Binary editor like vi, written in C. It doen't support Python calls such as eval() and exec(), but it runs much faster than Python version, making it ideal for working with large files.

Originally, bi was written in C in 1991, therefore I recreated bi recently in C with modern functionality.

cc bi.c -o bi
sudo cp bi /usr/local/bin

in Ruby readable version

This is a version of 'bi' for human to read in Ruby.

installation

chmod +x bi.rb
sudo cp bi.rb /usr/local/bin/bi

execution

bi file

reference of man

man bi

Title

vi like binary editor 'bi'

Designed and Programmed by Taisuke Maekawa (fygar256)

Overview

BI is a binary editor designed to mimic the interface of the

UNIX editor 'vi'. The name (BI) is an abbreviation for Binary editor

like vI. For the vi and binary enthusists.

Debug cooperation

Pacific Software Development

Screenshot

<img alt="image" src="https://github.com/fygar256/bi/blob/main/screenshot.png">

screen shot from original bi in 1991 on PC-9801 emulator xnp2.<br>

<img alt="image" src="https://github.com/fygar256/bi/blob/main/screenshot-2026-01-18 15-02-53.png">

Mascot character

<img alt="image" width="200px" height="200px" src="https://github.com/fygar256/bi/blob/main/bigirl.png">