The Esc key is heavily used in vim to get back to normal mode from insert, command or visual mode. When you press the Esc key inside vim on the cloud shell the cursor changes shape and vim blocks. If you continually press on Esc key or if you click on the cursor itself then vim works again. I am in the habit of using the Esc key for changing back to normal in vim and so this makes using vim on the cloud shell very painful.
I do not have to use the Esc key (I can use Ctrl+c or Ctrl+[ and that works except that the banner prompt still claims vim is in INSERT mode when it has switched to NORMAL mode) but it is hard to change my habits.
vim cursor in INSERT mode just before pressing Esc key
vim cursor becomes hollowed out just after Esc is pressed but still in INSERT mode
NORMAL mode can be obtained by pressing Esc two or three more times and waiting
I have investigated remapping the Esc key inside vim but this messes up vim and I get strange behaviour (see warning not to change Esc key mapping in How to disable Esc and cursor keys in vim).
The backspace key does not work in vim either but that can be fixed inside .vimrc with:
inoremap <bs> <left><del>
If there is no fix for the Esc key mapping then I will have to force myself to learn not to use the Esc key. The best alternative to the Esc key on the cloud shell seems to be Alt+Space - as that invokes a return to NORMAL mode and switches off the --INSERT mode message on the bottom too.
vim -u NONEand check if the problem persists. Also make sure that no browser plugin is causing it, try disabling all plugins. – isAifEsckey. So start the browser without any plugin and see which plugin is causing the problem. But what I can't understand is how you are getting back to normal mode by pressing Esc two or three more times and waiting. – isAif