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### 5.29 How do I repeat a command as many times as possible?

As of Emacs 20.3, there is indeed a `repeat` command (`C-x z`) that repeats the last command. If you preface it with a prefix argument, the prefix arg is applied to the command.

You can also type `C-x ESC ESC` (`repeat-complex-command`) to reinvoke commands that used the minibuffer to get arguments. In `repeat-complex-command` you can type `M-p` and `M-n` (and also up-arrow and down-arrow, if your keyboard has these keys) to scan through all the different complex commands you’ve typed.

To repeat a set of commands, use keyboard macros. Use `C-x (` and `C-x )` to make a keyboard macro that invokes the command and then type `C-x e`. See Keyboard Macros in The GNU Emacs Manual.

If you’re really desperate for the `.` command in `vi` that redoes the last insertion/deletion, use VIPER, a `vi` emulation mode which comes with Emacs, and which appears to support it.