![](images/demo_look.jpg)

# Introduction

This is my Neovim configuration for all the platforms I use. `init.vim` is for
terminal Neovim and `ginit.vim` is for GUI client for Neovim (currently I am
using [neovim-qt](https://github.com/equalsraf/neovim-qt)) on Windows.

# How to Install Neovim

## Linux

Just follow the official guide and download the appimage from the [release
page](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/nightly).

For some Linux systems, you may not be able to run the appimage. You can
directly download the tar ball from
[here](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/download/nightly/nvim-linux64.tar.gz)
and extract it.

## Windows

The easiest way to install Neovim on Windows is via
[chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/install). First, install chocolatey. Then
you can install neovim easily with

```
# install latest version of neovim
# choco install neovim --pre

choco install neovim
```

To keep up-to-date with the latest features of Neovim, you may download the
latest release from GitHub and extract it.

## Mac

It is recommended to install neovim via [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) on maxOS.
Simply run the following command:

```
# if you want to install latest version of neovim
# brew install --HEAD neovim

brew install neovim
```

After Neovim is installed, you may need to add the directory where the neovim
executable (`nvim` on Linux and Mac, `nvim.exe` on Windows) resides to your
system `PATH`.

Make sure that you can call `nvim` from the command line after all these setup.

# Other tools to install

## Python

Neovim supports both Python2 and Python3. But Python3 is preferable. Neovim
will automatically detect the Python version you use.

## pynvim

Neovim relies on [pynvim](https://github.com/neovim/pynvim) to communiate with
plugins which utilizes its Python binding.

## Git

Git is used by plugin managers vim-plug to download plugins from Github or
other Git repositories.

Since Git is usually pre-installed on Linux and Mac, you do not need to worry
if you are on these two platforms. For Windows, install [Git for
Windows](https://git-scm.com/download/win) and make sure you can call `git`
from command line.

## ctags

In order to use tags related plugins such as
[tagbar](/github.com/majutsushi/tagbar) and
[gutentags](https://github.com/ludovicchabant/vim-gutentags), you need to
install a ctags distribution. Universal ctags is preferred.

To install ctags on Mac, [use
Homebrew](https://github.com/universal-ctags/homebrew-universal-ctags). To
install it Windows, [use
chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/packages/universal-ctags):

```
choco install universal-ctags
```

To install it on Linux, you need to build it yourself. See
[here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/796408/installing-and-using-universal-ctags-instead-of-exuberant-ctags/836521#836521).
Set its PATH properly and make sure you can call `ctags` from command line.

## Ripgrep

Ripgrep is fast greping tool available for both Linux, Windows and Mac. It is
used by several searching plugins for Vim.

For Windows and Mac, you can install it via chocolatey and homebrew. For Linux,
you can download from the [release
page](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/releases) and install it.


## Linters

A linter is a tool to check your code for possible issues or errors. Based on
your programming languages, you may need to install various linters.

+ Python: [pylint](https://github.com/PyCQA/pylint) and
[flake8](https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8).
+ Vim script: [vint](https://github.com/Kuniwak/vint) (You may need to install
the pre-release versions because of [this issue](https://github.com/Kuniwak/vint/issues/290)).

For other linters, please consult the linting plugin documentation. For Neomake
(which is the linting plugin I currently use), a list of makers (i.e., linters)
for different languages is listed
[here](https://github.com/neomake/neomake/wiki/Makers).

# Settings

## Where to put the configuration file

On Windows, put it under `$HOME/AppData/Local/nvim`[^1]. On Linux and Mac, put
it under `~/.config/nvim`.

## Further reading

+ [Config nvim on Linux for Python development](https://jdhao.github.io/2018/12/24/centos_nvim_install_use_guide_en/)

+ [Nvim config on Windows 10](https://jdhao.github.io/2018/11/15/neovim_configuration_windows/)

+ [Nvim-qt config on Windows 10](https://jdhao.github.io/2019/01/17/nvim_qt_settings_on_windows/)

[^1]: Use `echo %userprofile%` to see where your `$HOME` is.