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3.3 Vim Configuration and Plugins (Optional)

By default, Vim works well for editing text, but you can customize it extensively through a configuration file called .vimrc (stored in your home directory: ~/.vimrc). This file lets you define preferences, key mappings, and load plugins.

Basic .vimrc Example​

Here’s a simple beginner-friendly configuration:

" Enable line numbers
set number

" Highlight search results
set hlsearch
set incsearch

" Use spaces instead of tabs
set expandtab
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Enable mouse support
set mouse=a

Save this as ~/.vimrc to enable it automatically each time Vim starts.

Plugin Management with vim-plug​

Vim doesn’t come with a plugin manager by default. A popular choice is vim-plug.

Install vim-plug

curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \
     https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

Example with Plugins in .vimrc

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')

" File explorer
Plug 'preservim/nerdtree'

" Dracula color scheme
Plug 'dracula/vim', { 'as': 'dracula' }

" Nord color scheme
Plug 'arcticicestudio/nord-vim'

" Enhanced status bar
Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline'

call plug#end()

After editing .vimrc, open Vim and run:

:PlugInstall

to install the plugins.

For the full documentation and troubleshooting, always refer to: https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug

  • NERDTree → File browsing
  • fzf → Fuzzy finding files and commands
  • vim-airline → Improved status bar
  • vim-surround → Easy manipulation of surrounding characters like brackets
  • gruvbox, dracula → Popular color schemes

For more plugins, visit Vim Awesome.