GitHub - panyam/myvim: My vim configs to start off on a new machine

Portable Vim Configuration

A modular, portable Vim configuration system designed for software development. This setup keeps your Vim configuration organized, version-controlled, and easily transferable across machines.

Key Features

Fully Portable: Clone to ~/.vim/ and you're ready to go
Modular Design: Organized configuration files by purpose
Language Support: Pre-configured for Go, Python, JavaScript, Rust
Debugging Built-in: Vimspector integration for visual debugging
Profile System: Switch between language environments
Project-Specific Settings: Support for per-project .vimrc files

Quick Start

Fresh Installation

# Clone directly to ~/.vim
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/panyam/myvim .vim

# Install vim-plug (if not already installed)
curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \
    https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

# Open Vim and install plugins
vim +PlugInstall +qall

Updating Your Configuration

cd ~/.vim
git pull
vim +PlugUpdate +qall

Backup Existing Configuration

# Backup existing config
mv ~/.vim ~/.vim.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)
mv ~/.vimrc ~/.vimrc.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d) 2>/dev/null || true

Directory Structure

~/.vim/
├── vimrc                     # Main configuration (loads everything)
├── README.md                 # This file
├── core/                     # Core configuration files
│   ├── plugins.vim          # Plugin declarations (vim-plug)
│   ├── settings.vim         # General Vim settings
│   ├── mappings.vim         # Key mappings
│   ├── ale.vim              # ALE (linter) configuration
│   ├── spelunker.vim        # Spell checker configuration
│   ├── vimspector.vim       # Debugging configuration
│   └── profiles.vim         # Profile/workspace management
├── lang/                     # Language-specific configurations
│   ├── go.vim
│   ├── javascript.vim
│   ├── python.vim
│   ├── rust.vim
│   └── tex.vim
├── ftplugin/                # Auto-loaded by filetype
│   ├── go.vim
│   ├── javascript.vim
│   ├── python.vim
│   ├── rust.vim
│   └── tex.vim
└── sessions/                # Vim session files (optional)

Note: Vim automatically looks for ~/.vim/vimrc (no dot prefix) if ~/.vimrc doesn't exist. This keeps everything self-contained in the ~/.vim/ directory.

Configuration Files Explained

Core Files

File	Purpose
`core/plugins.vim`	All plugin declarations using vim-plug
`core/settings.vim`	General Vim settings (line numbers, tabs, etc.)
`core/mappings.vim`	Global key mappings and shortcuts
`core/ale.vim`	Linter and fixer configurations
`core/vimspector.vim`	Debugging setup and key mappings
`core/profiles.vim`	Profile switching and auto-detection

Language Files

File	Purpose
`lang/<language>.vim`	Language-specific commands and functions
`ftplugin/<language>.vim`	Auto-loaded settings when opening files of that type

Plugin Documentation

This configuration includes several powerful plugins. See detailed guides for each:

VIMSPECTOR.md - Visual debugging for Go, Python, and more
ALE.md - Asynchronous linting and code fixing
PLUGINS.md - Complete plugin list with tips and tricks
CUSTOMIZATION.md - UI customization and layout options

Language Guides

LaTeX Setup Guide - Prerequisites and usage for LaTeX/TeX editing with VimTeX

Language Profiles

Switching Profiles Manually

:Profile go           " Load Go profile
:Profile javascript   " Load JavaScript profile
:Profile python       " Load Python profile
:Profile rust         " Load Rust profile

Auto-Detection

The system can auto-detect your project type based on files:

go.mod or main.go → Go profile
package.json → JavaScript profile
requirements.txt → Python profile
Cargo.toml → Rust profile

Note: Auto-detection is commented out by default in core/profiles.vim.

Common Tasks

Install New Plugin

Edit ~/.vim/core/plugins.vim
Add: Plug 'author/plugin-name'
In Vim: :source ~/.vimrc then :PlugInstall

Change Key Mapping

Edit ~/.vim/core/mappings.vim (global) or
Edit ~/.vim/lang/go.vim (language-specific)
In Vim: :source ~/.vimrc

Disable a Plugin

Edit ~/.vim/core/plugins.vim
Comment out the line: " Plug 'author/plugin-name'
In Vim: :source ~/.vimrc then :PlugClean

Add New Language Support

See PLUGINS.md for a complete guide.

Project-Specific Configuration

Local .vimrc Files

You can have project-specific settings:

In your project root, create .vimrc:

" Project-specific settings
set textwidth=100
let g:project_name = "myproject"

When you open Vim in that directory, it auto-loads.

Security: Only safe commands are allowed (:set secure is enabled).

Example Project Setup

~/myproject/
├── .vimrc                    # Project-specific settings
├── .vimspector.json         # Debugging configuration
├── main.go
└── go.mod

Viewing Error Messages

If you see an error flash by too quickly to read:

:messages         " View all recent messages and errors
,m                " Quick shortcut to view messages

Customization

Adding Your Own Settings

Edit ~/.vim/vimrc and add customizations at the bottom:

" Custom Project Settings (at the end of ~/.vim/vimrc)
" ============================================================================

" Your custom mappings
nnoremap <leader>t :terminal<CR>

" Your custom settings
set relativenumber

" Your custom commands
command! MyCommand echo "Hello!"

These override anything in the modular configs.

Troubleshooting

Plugins Not Loading

:PlugStatus           " Check plugin status
:PlugInstall          " Install missing plugins
:PlugUpdate           " Update all plugins

Settings Not Applied

Check load order in ~/.vim/vimrc
Verify file exists: :echo filereadable(expand('~/.vim/core/settings.vim'))
Reload: :source ~/.vimrc

Language Config Not Loading

Check filetype is detected: :set filetype?
Enable filetype: :filetype plugin indent on
Check if file exists: :echo filereadable(expand('~/.vim/ftplugin/go.vim'))

Debug Configuration Issues

:scriptnames          " See all loaded scripts
:verbose set tabstop? " See where setting was last set
:messages             " View recent messages

Updating and Maintenance

Update Vim Configuration

Pull latest changes from the repository:

cd ~/.vim
git pull
vim +PlugUpdate +qall

Update Plugins

Or interactively in Vim:

When to update: Monthly, or when you need a specific bug fix or feature from a plugin.

Check Plugin Health

:PlugStatus           " View status of all plugins
:PlugClean            " Clean up unused plugins

Maintenance Schedule

Monthly:

Update plugins: :PlugUpdate
Check for vim config updates: cd ~/.vim && git pull

Quarterly:

Update debug adapters (see VIMSPECTOR.md)
Review and update language-specific configs

As Needed:

After adding new plugins: Run :PlugInstall
When debugging fails: See VIMSPECTOR.md

Getting Help

:help myvim                   " This configuration's help
:help myvim-go-debugging      " Go debugging help
:help vimspector              " Vimspector help
:help ale                     " ALE help
:help ftplugin                " Filetype plugin help
:help vim-plug                " Vim-Plug help

Quick Reference

PROFILES
  :Profile go              Switch to Go profile
  :ProfileShow             Show current profile

DEBUGGING
  See VIMSPECTOR.md for complete debugging guide

PLUGIN MANAGEMENT
  :PlugInstall             Install plugins
  :PlugUpdate              Update all plugins
  :PlugClean               Remove unused plugins
  :PlugStatus              Check plugin status

MESSAGES
  :messages                View all messages and errors
  ,m                       Quick shortcut to view messages

Last Updated: 2025-12-03 Configuration Version: 1.1