Я в шоке... Не знаю даже куда копать. Старый-добрый vim не переключается в visual mode.
Буду благодарен тому, кто ткнет носом в грабли.

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[mver@rgsu mver]$ uname -a
Linux rgsu.blabla.ru 2.4.20-8 #1 Thu Mar 13 17:54:28 EST 2003 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

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[mver@rgsu mver]$ vi --version
VIM - Vi IMproved 6.1 (2002 Mar 24, compiled Feb 12 2003 07:44:25)
Included patches: 1, 3-15, 17-18, 20-22, 24-34, 36-43, 45-49, 51-72, 74-75, 77-83, 85-87, 89-92, 94-99, 101-118, 120-146, 150, 152-153, 157-183, 185-189, 191-195, 197, 200-201, 203-227, 231-239, 241-242, 244-252, 254-258, 260-289, 293-295, 297-299, 301-302, 305-310, 312-320
Compiled by <bugzilla@redhat.com>
Tiny version without GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
-autocmd -balloon_eval -browse +builtin_terms -byte_offset -cindent
-clientserver -clipboard -cmdline_compl -cmdline_hist -cmdline_info -comments
-cryptv -cscope -dialog -diff -digraphs -ebcdic -emacs_tags -eval -ex_extra
-extra_search -farsi -file_in_path -find_in_path -folding -footer +fork()
-gettext -hangul_input +iconv -insert_expand -jumplist -keymap -langmap
-libcall -linebreak -lispindent -listcmds -localmap -menu -mksession
-modify_fname -mouse -mouse_dec -mouse_gpm -mouse_jsbterm -mouse_netterm
-mouse_xterm +multi_byte -multi_lang -osfiletype -path_extra -perl -printer
-python -quickfix -rightleft -ruby -scrollbind -signs -smartindent -sniff
-statusline -sun_workshop -syntax -tag_binary -tag_old_static -tag_any_white
-tcl +terminfo -termresponse -textobjects -title -toolbar -user_commands
-vertsplit -virtualedit -visual -viminfo -vreplace +wildignore -wildmenu
-windows +writebackup -X11 -xfontset -xim -xterm_clipboard -xterm_save
   system vimrc file: "/usr/share/vim/vim61/macros/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/share/vim"
Compilation: gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H     -O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686 -g -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -fno-strength-reduce
Linking: gcc   -L/usr/local/lib -o vim       -ltermcap -lacl -ldl

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[mver@rgsu mver]$ set
BASH=/bin/bash
BASH_VERSINFO=([0]="2" [1]="05b" [2]="0" [3]="1" [4]="release" [5]="i386-redhat-linux-gnu")
BASH_VERSION='2.05b.0(1)-release'
COLORS=/etc/DIR_COLORS.xterm
COLUMNS=80
DIRSTACK=()
EUID=500
GROUPS=()
G_BROKEN_FILENAMES=1
HISTFILE=/home/mver/.bash_history
HISTFILESIZE=1000
HISTSIZE=1000
HOME=/home/mver
HOSTNAME=rgsu.blabla.ru
HOSTTYPE=i386
IFS=$' \t\n'
INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
LESSOPEN='|/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s'
LINES=24
LOGNAME=mver
LS_COLORS='no=00:fi=00:di=00;34:ln=00;36:pi=40;33:so=00;35:bd=40;33;01:cd=40;33;01:or=01;05;37;41:mi=01;05;37;41:ex=00;32:*.cmd=00;32:*.exe=00;32:*.com=00;32:*.btm=00;32:*.bat=00;32:*.sh=00;32:*.csh=00;32:*.tar=00;31:*.tgz=00;31:*.arj=00;31:*.taz=00;31:*.lzh=00;31:*.zip=00;31:*.z=00;31:*.Z=00;31:*.gz=00;31:*.bz2=00;31:*.bz=00;31:*.tz=00;31:*.rpm=00;31:*.cpio=00;31:*.jpg=00;35:*.gif=00;35:*.bmp=00;35:*.xbm=00;35:*.xpm=00;35:*.png=00;35:*.tif=00;35:'
MACHTYPE=i386-redhat-linux-gnu
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/mver
MAILCHECK=60
OPTERR=1
OPTIND=1
OSTYPE=linux-gnu
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/mver/bin
PIPESTATUS=([0]="0")
PPID=2893
PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${USER}@${HOSTNAME%%.*}:${PWD/#$HOME/~}\007"'
PS1='[\u@\h \W]\$ '
PS2='> '
PS4='+ '
PWD=/home/mver
SHELL=/bin/bash
SHELLOPTS=braceexpand:emacs:hashall:histexpand:history:interactive-comments:monitor
SHLVL=1
SSH_CLIENT='192.168.5.253 2102 22'
SSH_CONNECTION='192.168.5.253 2102 XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX 22'
SSH_TTY=/dev/pts/0
SUPPORTED=en_US.UTF-8:en_US:en
TERM=xterm
UID=500
USER=mver
_=USERNAME