diff --git a/clite/commands.js b/clite/commands.js
index b335f5d..db3c5c4 100644
--- a/clite/commands.js
+++ b/clite/commands.js
@@ -462,25 +462,25 @@ Options:
 
 	function input(key) {
 		switch (key) {
-		case 27:
+		case curses.key.KEY_ESCAPE:
 		case 'q':
 			curses.endwin();
 			io.exit(0);
 			return;
 			break;
-		case -4:
+		case curses.key.KEY_UP:
 			if (topLine > 0) {
 				topLine--;
 				showAt(topLine);
 			}
 			break;
-		case -3:
+		case curses.key.KEY_DOWN:
 			if (topLine < bottomLine) {
 				topLine++;
 				showAt(topLine);
 			}
 			break;
-		case -7:
+		case curses.key.KEY_PPAGE:
 			if (topLine > 0) {
 				topLine -= rows-1;
 				if (topLine < 0)
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ Options:
 				showAt(topLine);
 			}
 			break;
-		case -8:
+		case curses.key.KEY_NPAGE:
 			if (topLine < bottomLine) {
 				topLine += rows-1;
 				if (topLine >= bottomLine)
@@ -496,11 +496,11 @@ Options:
 				showAt(topLine);
 			}
 			break;
-		case -9:
+		case curses.key.KEY_HOME:
 			topLine = 0;
 			showAt(topLine);
 			break;
-		case -10:
+		case curses.key.KEY_END:
 			topLine = bottomLine;
 			showAt(topLine);
 			break;
diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index bebeadd..cde59ae 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -2483,6 +2483,21 @@ clite.tty = {
 		default:
 			return false;
 		}
+	},
+	getCursor:function(id) {
+		if (id<0 || id>=clite.tty.data.ttys.length)
+			return;
+		var t = clite.tty.data.ttys[id];
+		return [t.x,t.y];
+	},
+	setCursor:function(id,x,y) {
+		if (id<0 || id>=clite.tty.data.ttys.length)
+			return;
+		var t = clite.tty.data.ttys[id];
+		if (x > -1 && x < 80)
+			t.x = x;
+		if (y > -1 && y < 25)
+			t.y = y;
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/clite/libcurses.js b/clite/libcurses.js
index f4f1488..fd3c03d 100644
--- a/clite/libcurses.js
+++ b/clite/libcurses.js
@@ -14,6 +14,23 @@ return Object.create({
 		A_NULL:0,
 		A_BOLD:1,
 	},
+	key:{
+		KEY_DOWN:-3,
+		KEY_UP:-4,
+		KEY_LEFT:-5,
+		KEY_RIGHT:-6,
+		KEY_ENTER:String.fromCharCode(10),
+		KEY_ESCAPE:27,
+		KEY_SHIFT:-2,
+		KEY_TAB:'\t',
+		KEY_DL:String.fromCharCode(127),
+		KEY_BACKSPACE:String.fromCharCode(8),
+		KEY_CONTROL:-1,
+		KEY_PPAGE:-7,
+		KEY_NPAGE:-8,
+		KEY_HOME:-9,
+		KEY_END:-10,
+	},
 	attmap:function(t) {
 		switch (t) {
 		case this.types.A_BOLD:
@@ -27,7 +44,7 @@ return Object.create({
 		// curses only works on a tty
 		if (!clite.io.isatty(io.pid,io.stdin))
 			return false;
-		// TODO: get the controlling tty id
+		this.ctty = clite.proc.getTTY(io.pid);
 		this.size.rows = clite.tty.ttyctrl(this.ctty,'rows');
 		this.size.cols = clite.tty.ttyctrl(this.ctty,'cols');
 		clite.tty.clear(this.ctty);
@@ -128,8 +145,13 @@ return Object.create({
 		ptrx.value = this.size.cols;
 		ptry.value = this.size.rows;
 		return true;
-	}
+	},
 
+	move:function(y,x) {
+		if (!this.isinit)
+			return false;
+		clite.tty.setCursor(this.ctty,x,y);
+	}
 
 });
 
diff --git a/clite/vi.js b/clite/vi.js
index 2d06c2b..9ff2e34 100644
--- a/clite/vi.js
+++ b/clite/vi.js
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ clite.commands.load('vi',function(args,env,io) {
 	var changed = false;
 	var num = false;
 	var message = '';
+	var cols;
+	var rows;
+	var lines = [];
+	var topLine = 0;
+	var bottomLine = 0;
 
 	function help() {
 		stdio.printf(`
@@ -47,12 +52,6 @@ Options:
 	if (!stdio.isatty(io.stdin))
 		return 1;
 
-	var cols;
-	var rows;
-	var lines = [];
-	var topLine = 0;
-	var bottomLine = 0;
-
 	function calculateBottomLine() {
 		bottomLine = lines.length;
 		var r = rows;
@@ -75,14 +74,14 @@ Options:
 		if (line < 0)
 			line = 0;
 		var start = line;
-		var end = line+rows;
+		var end = line+rows-2;
 		if (end > lines.length)
 			end = lines.length;
 		curses.clear();
 		if (num) {
 			for (var i=start; i<end; i++) {
 				if (i == cursor_line) {
-					var cursor = '█';
+					var cursor = '_';
 					if (cursor_col == 0) {
 						curses.printw('% 4d%c%s\n',i+1,cursor,lines[i][0]);
 					}else{
@@ -100,7 +99,7 @@ Options:
 		}else{
 			for (var i=start; i<end; i++) {
 				if (i == cursor_line) {
-					var cursor = '█';
+					var cursor = '_';
 					if (cursor_col == 0) {
 						curses.printw('%c%s\n',cursor,lines[i][0]);
 					}else{
@@ -116,7 +115,16 @@ Options:
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		curses.printw('%s\t\t\t\t\t\t%d,%d\n',message,cursor_line,cursor_col);
+		curses.move(rows-2,0);
+		curses.printw('%s',message);
+		var ct = cursor_line+','+cursor_col;
+		curses.move(rows-2,cols-(ct.length+5));
+		curses.printw('%s',ct);
+		if (cmd_buff != '') {
+			curses.move(rows-1,0);
+			curses.printw('%s',cmd_buff);
+		}
+		//curses.move(cursor_line,cursor_col);
 	}
 
 	function prepFile(fd) {
@@ -125,7 +133,7 @@ Options:
 			io.exit(1);
 			return;
 		}
-		var st = stdio.fstat(fd);
+		var st = stdio.fstatat(fd,0);
 		if ( !st || (st.type != stdio.types.FT_TEXT && st.type != stdio.types.FT_SCRIPT)) {
 			stdio.write(io.stderr,'can not read files of this type');
 				io.exit(1);
@@ -192,6 +200,7 @@ Options:
 			default:;
 			}
 		}
+		cmd_buff = '';
 		if (write) {
 			writeFile(force);
 			changed = false;
@@ -267,7 +276,7 @@ Options:
 
 	curses.initscr();
 	cols = curses.getmaxx();
-	rows = curses.getmaxy()-2;
+	rows = curses.getmaxy();
 	curses.cbreak();
 	curses.noecho();
 	curses.printw('Loading...');
@@ -276,20 +285,16 @@ Options:
 		if (mode == 0) { // view mode
 			//message = '';
 			switch (key) {
-			case 'Up':
-			case 'ArrowUp':
+			case curses.key.KEY_UP:
 				cursorUp();
 				break;
-			case 'Down':
-			case 'ArrowDown':
+			case curses.key.KEY_DOWN:
 				cursorDn();
 				break;
-			case 'Left':
-			case 'ArrowLeft':
+			case curses.key.KEY_LEFT:
 				cursorLt();
 				break;
-			case 'Right':
-			case 'ArrowRight':
+			case curses.key.KEY_RIGHT:
 				cursorRt();
 				break;
 			case 'i':
@@ -307,7 +312,8 @@ Options:
 				break;
 			case ':':
 				curses.echo();
-				term.ttyctrl('iset',':');
+				curses.move(rows-1,0);
+				curses.printw(':');
 				cmd_buff = ':';
 				mode = 1;
 				showAt(topLine);
@@ -316,18 +322,17 @@ Options:
 		}else if (mode == 1) { // command mode
 			//message = '';
 			switch (key) {
-			case 'Escape':
+			case curses.key.KEY_ESCAPE:
 				mode = 0;
 				cmd_buff = '';
 				curses.noecho();
 				showAt(topLine);
 				break;
-			case 'Enter':
+			case curses.key.KEY_ENTER:
 				if (!doCommand(cmd_buff))
 					return;
 				showAt(topLine);
 				cmd_buff = '';
-				term.ttyctrl('iset','');
 				break;
 			default:
 				if (key.length == 1)
@@ -337,29 +342,25 @@ Options:
 		}else{ // 2 edit mode
 			message = 'INSERT';
 			switch (key) {
-			case 'Escape':
+			case curses.key.KEY_ESCAPE:
 				mode = 0;
 				curses.noecho();
 				message = '';
 				showAt(topLine);
 				break;
-			case 'Up':
-			case 'ArrowUp':
+			case curses.key.KEY_UP:
 				cursorUp();
 				break;
-			case 'Down':
-			case 'ArrowDown':
+			case curses.key.KEY_DOWN:
 				cursorDn();
 				break;
-			case 'Left':
-			case 'ArrowLeft':
+			case curses.key.KEY_LEFT:
 				cursorLt();
 				break;
-			case 'Right':
-			case 'ArrowRight':
+			case curses.key.KEY_RIGHT:
 				cursorRt();
 				break;
-			case 'Backspace':
+			case curses.key.KEY_BACKSPACE:
 				if (cursor_col > 0) {
 					var l = lines[cursor_line][0];
 					var b = l.substring(0,cursor_col-1);
@@ -369,16 +370,16 @@ Options:
 					showAt(topLine);
 				}
 				break;
-			case 'Enter':
+			case curses.key.KEY_ENTER:
 				var l = lines[cursor_line][0];
 				var b = l.substring(0,cursor_col);
 				var e = l.substring(cursor_col);
 				setLine(b);
 				insertLine(e);
-				cursor_col = e.length;
+				cursor_col = 0;
 				showAt(topLine);
 				break;
-			case 'Delete':
+			case curses.key.KEY_DL:
 				if (cursor_col < lines[cursor_line][1]) {
 					var l = lines[cursor_line][0];
 					var b = l.substring(0,cursor_col);
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ Options:
 				}
 				break;
 			default:
-				if (key.length == 1) {
+				if (typeof key === 'string' && key.length == 1) {
 					var l = lines[cursor_line][0];
 					var b = l.substring(0,cursor_col);
 					var e = l.substring(cursor_col);