source: postlfs/config/vimrc.xml@ bbdb0ff4

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
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   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
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<sect1 id="postlfs-config-vimrc" xreflabel="The vimrc Files">
  <?dbhtml filename="vimrc.html"?>

  <sect1info>
    <othername>$LastChangedBy$</othername>
    <date>$Date$</date>
  </sect1info>

  <title>The /etc/vimrc and ~/.vimrc Files</title>

  <indexterm zone="postlfs-config-vimrc">
    <primary sortas="e-etc-vimrc">/etc/vimrc</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <indexterm zone="postlfs-config-vimrc">
    <primary sortas="e-AA.vimrc">~/.vimrc</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <para>The LFS book installs <application>Vim</application>
  as its text editor.  At this point we should state that there are a
  <emphasis>lot</emphasis> of different editing applications out there including
  <application>Emacs</application>, <application>nano</application>,
  <application>Joe</application> and many more.  Anyone who has been around the
  Internet (especially usenet) for a short time will certainly have observed at
  least one flame war, usually involving <application>Vim</application> and
  <application>Emacs</application> users!</para>

  <para>The LFS book gives a basic <filename>vimrc</filename> file.  Here, we 
  attempt to enhance this file.  At startup, <command>vim</command> reads 
  <filename>/etc/vimrc</filename> and <filename>~/.vimrc</filename> (i.e., the 
  global <filename>vimrc</filename> and the user-specific one.).  Note that this is
  only true if you compiled <application>vim</application> using LFS-3.1 onwards.
  Prior to this, the global <filename>vimrc</filename> was 
  <filename>/usr/share/vim/vimrc</filename>.</para>

  <para>Here is a slightly expanded <filename>.vimrc</filename> that you can 
  put in <filename>~/.vimrc</filename> to provide user specific effects. Of 
  course, if you put it into <filename>/etc/skel/.vimrc</filename> instead, it 
  will be made available to users you add to the system later. You can also copy
  the file from <filename>/etc/skel/.vimrc</filename> to the home directory of 
  users already on the system, like root. Be sure to set permissions, owner, and 
  group if you do copy anything directly from 
  <filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename>.</para>

<screen><literal>" Begin .vimrc

set columns=80
set wrapmargin=8
set ruler

" End .vimrc</literal></screen>

  <para>A FAQ on the LFS mailing lists regards the comment tags in 
  <filename>vimrc</filename>.  Note that they are " instead of the more 
  usual # or //.  This is correct, the syntax for 
  <filename>vimrc</filename> is slightly unusual.</para>

  <para>We'll run through a quick explanation of what each of the
  options in this example file means here:</para>

  <itemizedlist>
    <!-- 
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set nocompatible</option> : This option
      stops <command>vim</command> from behaving in a strongly <command>vi
      </command>-compatible way. It should be at the start of any <filename>vimrc
      </filename> file as it can affect lots of other options which you may want to
      override.</para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set bs=2</option>: This influences the behavior 
      of the backspace option.  It is fairly complex so see <command>:help 'bs'
      </command> for more details.</para>
    </listitem>
    -->
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set columns=80</option>: This simply sets the 
      number of columns used on the screen.</para>
    </listitem>
    <!-- 
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set background=dark</option>: This tells
      <command>vim</command> to use colors which look good on a dark 
      background.</para>
    </listitem>
    -->
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set wrapmargin=8</option>: This is the number of 
      characters from the right window border where wrapping starts.</para>
    </listitem>
    <!-- 
    <listitem>
      <para><option>syntax on</option>: Enables
      <command>vim</command>'s syntax highlighting.</para>
    </listitem>
    -->
    <listitem>
      <para><option>set ruler</option>: This makes <command>vim</command>
      show the current row and column at the bottom right of the screen.</para>
    </listitem>
  </itemizedlist>

  <para>More information on the <emphasis>many</emphasis>
  <command>vim</command> options can be found by reading the help 
  inside <command>vim</command> itself.  Do this by typing 
  <command>:</command><option>help</option> in 
  <command>vim</command> to get the general help, or by typing 
  <command>:</command><option>help usr_toc.txt</option> to view 
  the User Manual Table of Contents.</para>

</sect1>