vim line numbers - how to have them on by default?

Question

I can :set number from within a file I\'m editing but how can I have them always be on by default?

Answer 1

To change the default setting to display line numbers in vi/vim:

vi ~/.vimrc

then add the following line to the file:

set number

Either we can source ~/.vimrc or save and quit by :wq, now future vi/vim sessions will have numbering :)