http://www.martintoft.dk/imgs/vi-assistant.gif

Useful howto on bash Vi command line editing HERE.

Highlights:
>set -o vi

sets vi cmd line editing mode

It drops you into insert mode. Hitting Esc will get you into command mode like usual. Many vi editing commands work. Search (/foo) does not search the current command line. Instead it searches your bash history. Hitting ‘n’ after a search finds the next match as usual. The substitute cmd (s/foo/bar) does not work.

Hitting ‘v’ when in command mode opens up vi with your command line. Now you are in regular vi - the usual editing works. Once done editing ‘:wq’ will quit vi and execute the command.