spf13-vim Deployment and Usage Guide

Prerequisites

• Vim (version 7.0 or higher)
• Git (for cloning the repository)
• Internet connection (for downloading plugins and dependencies)

Installation

1. Backup existing Vim configuration (optional but recommended):

   mv ~/.vim ~/.vim.backup
   mv ~/.vimrc ~/.vimrc.backup
   mv ~/.gvimrc ~/.gvimrc.backup
   

2. Clone the repository and run the installer:

   git clone https://github.com/spf13/spf13-vim.git ~/.spf13-vim
   cd ~/.spf13-vim
   ./bootstrap.sh
   

3. Alternative one-liner installation (for quick setup):

   sh <(curl https://j.mp/spf13-vim3 -L)
   

Configuration

• Main configuration file: ~/.vimrc
• Custom configurations: Add your customizations to ~/.vimrc.local
• Plugin-specific configurations: Add to ~/.vimrc.bundles.local
• Gvim-specific configurations: Add to ~/.gvimrc.local

Environment Variables:

• No specific environment variables are required for spf13-vim

Build & Run

spf13-vim is a Vim distribution, not a buildable application. To use it:

1. Start Vim:

   vim
   

2. Install plugins (first-time setup):

   • Open Vim and run :PluginInstall to install all configured plugins
   • This will download and install all plugins listed in the configuration

3. Update plugins:

   :PluginUpdate
   

4. Clean unused plugins:

   :PluginClean
   

Deployment

spf13-vim is a personal development environment configuration, not a server application. Deployment considerations:

• Local development: Install on your local machine using the installation steps above
• Multiple machines: Clone the repository to each machine and run the installer
• Version control: Keep your custom configurations in ~/.vimrc.local and ~/.vimrc.bundles.local under version control for easy synchronization across machines

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Plugin installation fails:

   • Ensure you have an active internet connection
   • Check that Git is installed and accessible
   • Run :PluginInstall in Vim to retry plugin installation

2. Vim startup is slow:

   • Check for conflicting plugins in ~/.vimrc.bundles.local
   • Use :PluginClean to remove unused plugins
   • Consider disabling heavy plugins if not needed

3. Syntax highlighting not working:

   • Ensure you have the correct file type detection: :set filetype=on
   • Check that the syntax plugin is installed: :echo has('syntax')

4. Key mappings not working:

   • Check for conflicts in ~/.vimrc.local
   • Verify that plugins are loaded correctly: :scriptnames
   • Check for mode-specific issues (normal vs. insert mode)

5. Color scheme issues:

   • Ensure your terminal supports 256 colors: :set t_Co=256
   • Check that the color scheme is correctly specified in your config
   • Try a different color scheme to isolate the issue

Getting Help

• Documentation: Run :help spf13-vim inside Vim
• Issues: Report problems at https://github.com/spf13/spf13-vim/issues
• Community: Join the discussion on the spf13-vim Google Group