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1 *usr_90.txt* For Vim version 7.1. Last change: 2006 Apr 24
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7
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2
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3 VIM USER MANUAL - by Bram Moolenaar
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4
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5 Installing Vim
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6
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7 *install*
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8 Before you can use Vim you have to install it. Depending on your system it's
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9 simple or easy. This chapter gives a few hints and also explains how
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10 upgrading to a new version is done.
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11
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12 |90.1| Unix
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13 |90.2| MS-Windows
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14 |90.3| Upgrading
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15 |90.4| Common installation issues
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16 |90.5| Uninstalling Vim
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17
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18 Previous chapter: |usr_45.txt| Select your language
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19 Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt|
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20
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21 ==============================================================================
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22 *90.1* Unix
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23
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24 First you have to decide if you are going to install Vim system-wide or for a
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25 single user. The installation is almost the same, but the directory where Vim
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26 is installed in differs.
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27 For a system-wide installation the base directory "/usr/local" is often
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28 used. But this may be different for your system. Try finding out where other
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29 packages are installed.
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30 When installing for a single user, you can use your home directory as the
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31 base. The files will be placed in subdirectories like "bin" and "shared/vim".
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32
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33
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34 FROM A PACKAGE
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35
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36 You can get precompiled binaries for many different UNIX systems. There is a
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37 long list with links on this page:
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38
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39 http://www.vim.org/binaries.html ~
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40
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41 Volunteers maintain the binaries, so they are often out of date. It is a
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42 good idea to compile your own UNIX version from the source. Also, creating
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43 the editor from the source allows you to control which features are compiled.
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44 This does require a compiler though.
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45
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46 If you have a Linux distribution, the "vi" program is probably a minimal
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47 version of Vim. It doesn't do syntax highlighting, for example. Try finding
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48 another Vim package in your distribution, or search on the web site.
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49
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50
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51 FROM SOURCES
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52
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53 To compile and install Vim, you will need the following:
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54
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55 - A C compiler (GCC preferred)
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56 - The GZIP program (you can get it from www.gnu.org)
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57 - The Vim source and runtime archives
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58
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59 To get the Vim archives, look in this file for a mirror near you, this should
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60 provide the fastest download:
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61
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62 ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/MIRRORS ~
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63
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64 Or use the home site ftp.vim.org, if you think it's fast enough. Go to the
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65 "unix" directory and you'll find a list of files there. The version number is
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66 embedded in the file name. You will want to get the most recent version.
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67 You can get the files for Unix in two ways: One big archive that contains
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68 everything, or four smaller ones that each fit on a floppy disk. For version
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69 6.1 the single big one is called:
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70
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71 vim-6.1.tar.bz2 ~
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72
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73 You need the bzip2 program to uncompress it. If you don't have it, get the
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74 four smaller files, which can be uncompressed with gzip. For Vim 6.1 they are
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75 called:
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76
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77 vim-6.1-src1.tar.gz ~
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78 vim-6.1-src2.tar.gz ~
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79 vim-6.1-rt1.tar.gz ~
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80 vim-6.1-rt2.tar.gz ~
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81
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82
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83 COMPILING
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84
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85 First create a top directory to work in, for example: >
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86
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87 mkdir ~/vim
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88 cd ~/vim
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89
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90 Then unpack the archives there. If you have the one big archive, you unpack
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91 it like this: >
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92
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93 bzip2 -d -c path/vim-6.1.tar.bz2 | tar xf -
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94
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95 Change "path" to where you have downloaded the file. >
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96
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97 gzip -d -c path/vim-6.1-src1.tar.gz | tar xf -
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98 gzip -d -c path/vim-6.1-src2.tar.gz | tar xf -
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99 gzip -d -c path/vim-6.1-rt1.tar.gz | tar xf -
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100 gzip -d -c path/vim-6.1-rt2.tar.gz | tar xf -
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101
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102 If you are satisfied with getting the default features, and your environment
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103 is setup properly, you should be able to compile Vim with just this: >
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104
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105 cd vim61/src
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106 make
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107
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108 The make program will run configure and compile everything. Further on we
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109 will explain how to compile with different features.
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110 If there are errors while compiling, carefully look at the error messages.
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111 There should be a hint about what went wrong. Hopefully you will be able to
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112 correct it. You might have to disable some features to make Vim compile.
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113 Look in the Makefile for specific hints for your system.
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114
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115
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116 TESTING
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117
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118 Now you can check if compiling worked OK: >
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119
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120 make test
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121
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122 This will run a sequence of test scripts to verify that Vim works as expected.
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123 Vim will be started many times and all kinds of text and messages flash by.
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124 If it is alright you will finally see:
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125
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126 test results: ~
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127 ALL DONE ~
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128
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129 If there are one or two messages about failed tests, Vim might still work, but
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130 not perfectly. If you see a lot of error messages or Vim doesn't finish until
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131 the end, there must be something wrong. Either try to find out yourself, or
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132 find someone who can solve it. You could look in the |maillist-archive| for a
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133 solution. If everything else fails, you could ask in the vim |maillist| if
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134 someone can help you.
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135
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136
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137 INSTALLING
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138 *install-home*
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139 If you want to install in your home directory, edit the Makefile and search
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140 for a line:
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141
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142 #prefix = $(HOME) ~
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143
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144 Remove the # at the start of the line.
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145 When installing for the whole system, Vim has most likely already selected
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146 a good installation directory for you. You can also specify one, see below.
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147 You need to become root for the following.
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148
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149 To install Vim do: >
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150
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151 make install
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152
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153 That should move all the relevant files to the right place. Now you can try
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154 running vim to verify that it works. Use two simple tests to check if Vim can
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155 find its runtime files: >
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156
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157 :help
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158 :syntax enable
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159
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160 If this doesn't work, use this command to check where Vim is looking for the
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161 runtime files: >
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162
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163 :echo $VIMRUNTIME
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164
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165 You can also start Vim with the "-V" argument to see what happens during
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166 startup: >
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167
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168 vim -V
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169
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170 Don't forget that the user manual assumes you Vim in a certain way. After
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171 installing Vim, follow the instructions at |not-compatible| to make Vim work
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172 as assumed in this manual.
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173
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174
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175 SELECTING FEATURES
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176
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177 Vim has many ways to select features. One of the simple ways is to edit the
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178 Makefile. There are many directions and examples. Often you can enable or
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179 disable a feature by uncommenting a line.
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180 An alternative is to run "configure" separately. This allows you to
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181 specify configuration options manually. The disadvantage is that you have to
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182 figure out what exactly to type.
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183 Some of the most interesting configure arguments follow. These can also be
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184 enabled from the Makefile.
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185
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186 --prefix={directory} Top directory where to install Vim.
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187
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188 --with-features=tiny Compile with many features disabled.
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189 --with-features=small Compile with some features disabled.
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190 --with-features=big Compile with more features enabled.
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191 --with-features=huge Compile with most features enabled.
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192 See |+feature-list| for which feature
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193 is enabled in which case.
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194
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195 --enable-perlinterp Enable the Perl interface. There are
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196 similar arguments for ruby, python and
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197 tcl.
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198
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199 --disable-gui Do not compile the GUI interface.
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200 --without-x Do not compile X-windows features.
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201 When both of these are used, Vim will
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202 not connect to the X server, which
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203 makes startup faster.
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204
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205 To see the whole list use: >
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206
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207 ./configure --help
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208
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209 You can find a bit of explanation for each feature, and links for more
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210 information here: |feature-list|.
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211 For the adventurous, edit the file "feature.h". You can also change the
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212 source code yourself!
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213
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214 ==============================================================================
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215 *90.2* MS-Windows
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216
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217 There are two ways to install the Vim program for Microsoft Windows. You can
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218 uncompress several archives, or use a self-installing big archive. Most users
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219 with fairly recent computers will prefer the second method. For the first
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220 one, you will need:
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221
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222 - An archive with binaries for Vim.
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223 - The Vim runtime archive.
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224 - A program to unpack the zip files.
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225
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226 To get the Vim archives, look in this file for a mirror near you, this should
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227 provide the fastest download:
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228
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229 ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/MIRRORS ~
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230
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231 Or use the home site ftp.vim.org, if you think it's fast enough. Go to the
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232 "pc" directory and you'll find a list of files there. The version number is
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233 embedded in the file name. You will want to get the most recent version.
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234 We will use "61" here, which is version 6.1.
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235
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236 gvim61.exe The self-installing archive.
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237
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238 This is all you need for the second method. Just launch the executable, and
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239 follow the prompts.
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240
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241 For the first method you must chose one of the binary archives. These are
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242 available:
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243
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244 gvim61.zip The normal MS-Windows GUI version.
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245 gvim61ole.zip The MS-Windows GUI version with OLE support.
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246 Uses more memory, supports interfacing with
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247 other OLE applications.
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248 vim61w32.zip 32 bit MS-Windows console version. For use in
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249 a Win NT/2000/XP console. Does not work well
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250 on Win 95/98.
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251 vim61d32.zip 32 bit MS-DOS version. For use in the
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252 Win 95/98 console window.
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253 vim61d16.zip 16 bit MS-DOS version. Only for old systems.
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254 Does not support long filenames.
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255
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256 You only need one of them. Although you could install both a GUI and a
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257 console version. You always need to get the archive with runtime files.
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258
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259 vim61rt.zip The runtime files.
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260
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261 Use your un-zip program to unpack the files. For example, using the "unzip"
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262 program: >
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263
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264 cd c:\
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265 unzip path\gvim61.zip
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266 unzip path\vim61rt.zip
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267
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268 This will unpack the files in the directory "c:\vim\vim61". If you already
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269 have a "vim" directory somewhere, you will want to move to the directory just
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270 above it.
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271 Now change to the "vim\vim61" directory and run the install program: >
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272
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273 install
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274
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275 Carefully look through the messages and select the options you want to use.
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276 If you finally select "do it" the install program will carry out the actions
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277 you selected.
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278 The install program doesn't move the runtime files. They remain where you
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279 unpacked them.
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280
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281 In case you are not satisfied with the features included in the supplied
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282 binaries, you could try compiling Vim yourself. Get the source archive from
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283 the same location as where the binaries are. You need a compiler for which a
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284 makefile exists. Microsoft Visual C works, but is expensive. The Free
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285 Borland command-line compiler 5.5 can be used, as well as the free MingW and
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286 Cygwin compilers. Check the file src/INSTALLpc.txt for hints.
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287
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288 ==============================================================================
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289 *90.3* Upgrading
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290
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291 If you are running one version of Vim and want to install another, here is
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292 what to do.
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293
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294
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295 UNIX
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296
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297 When you type "make install" the runtime files will be copied to a directory
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298 which is specific for this version. Thus they will not overwrite a previous
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299 version. This makes it possible to use two or more versions next to
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300 each other.
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301 The executable "vim" will overwrite an older version. If you don't care
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302 about keeping the old version, running "make install" will work fine. You can
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303 delete the old runtime files manually. Just delete the directory with the
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304 version number in it and all files below it. Example: >
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305
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306 rm -rf /usr/local/share/vim/vim58
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307
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308 There are normally no changed files below this directory. If you did change
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309 the "filetype.vim" file, for example, you better merge the changes into the
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310 new version before deleting it.
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311
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312 If you are careful and want to try out the new version for a while before
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313 switching to it, install the new version under another name. You need to
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314 specify a configure argument. For example: >
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315
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316 ./configure --with-vim-name=vim6
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317
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318 Before running "make install", you could use "make -n install" to check that
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319 no valuable existing files are overwritten.
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320 When you finally decide to switch to the new version, all you need to do is
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321 to rename the binary to "vim". For example: >
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322
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323 mv /usr/local/bin/vim6 /usr/local/bin/vim
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324
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325
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326 MS-WINDOWS
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327
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328 Upgrading is mostly equal to installing a new version. Just unpack the files
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329 in the same place as the previous version. A new directory will be created,
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330 e.g., "vim61", for the files of the new version. Your runtime files, vimrc
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331 file, viminfo, etc. will be left alone.
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332 If you want to run the new version next to the old one, you will have to do
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333 some handwork. Don't run the install program, it will overwrite a few files
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334 of the old version. Execute the new binaries by specifying the full path.
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335 The program should be able to automatically find the runtime files for the
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336 right version. However, this won't work if you set the $VIMRUNTIME variable
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337 somewhere.
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338 If you are satisfied with the upgrade, you can delete the files of the
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339 previous version. See |90.5|.
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340
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341 ==============================================================================
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342 *90.4* Common installation issues
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343
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344 This section describes some of the common problems that occur when installing
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345 Vim and suggests some solutions. It also contains answers to many
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346 installation questions.
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347
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348
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349 Q: I Do Not Have Root Privileges. How Do I Install Vim? (Unix)
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350
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351 Use the following configuration command to install Vim in a directory called
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352 $HOME/vim: >
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353
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354 ./configure --prefix=$HOME
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355
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356 This gives you a personal copy of Vim. You need to put $HOME/bin in your
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357 path to execute the editor. Also see |install-home|.
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358
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359
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360 Q: The Colors Are Not Right on My Screen. (Unix)
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361
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362 Check your terminal settings by using the following command in a shell: >
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363
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364 echo $TERM
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365
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366 If the terminal type listed is not correct, fix it. For more hints, see
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367 |06.2|. Another solution is to always use the GUI version of Vim, called
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368 gvim. This avoids the need for a correct terminal setup.
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369
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370
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371 Q: My Backspace And Delete Keys Don't Work Right
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372
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373 The definition of what key sends what code is very unclear for backspace <BS>
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374 and Delete <Del> keys. First of all, check your $TERM setting. If there is
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375 nothing wrong with it, try this: >
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376
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377 :set t_kb=^V<BS>
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378 :set t_kD=^V<Del>
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379
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380 In the first line you need to press CTRL-V and then hit the backspace key.
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381 In the second line you need to press CTRL-V and then hit the Delete key.
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382 You can put these lines in your vimrc file, see |05.1|. A disadvantage is
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383 that it won't work when you use another terminal some day. Look here for
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384 alternate solutions: |:fixdel|.
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385
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386
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387 Q: I Am Using RedHat Linux. Can I Use the Vim That Comes with the System?
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388
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389 By default RedHat installs a minimal version of Vim. Check your RPM packages
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390 for something named "Vim-enhanced-version.rpm" and install that.
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391
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392
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393 Q: How Do I Turn Syntax Coloring On? How do I make plugins work?
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394
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395 Use the example vimrc script. You can find an explanation on how to use it
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396 here: |not-compatible|.
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397
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398 See chapter 6 for information about syntax highlighting: |usr_06.txt|.
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399
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400
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401 Q: What Is a Good vimrc File to Use?
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402
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403 See the www.vim.org Web site for several good examples.
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404
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405
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406 Q: Where Do I Find a Good Vim Plugin?
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407
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408 See the Vim-online site: http://vim.sf.net. Many users have uploaded useful
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409 Vim scripts and plugins there.
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410
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411
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412 Q: Where Do I Find More Tips?
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413
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414 See the Vim-online site: http://vim.sf.net. There is an archive with hints
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415 from Vim users. You might also want to search in the |maillist-archive|.
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416
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417 ==============================================================================
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418 *90.5* Uninstalling Vim
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419
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420 In the unlikely event you want to uninstall Vim completely, this is how you do
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421 it.
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422
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423
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424 UNIX
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425
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426 When you installed Vim as a package, check your package manager to find out
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427 how to remove the package again.
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428 If you installed Vim from sources you can use this command: >
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429
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430 make uninstall
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431
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432 However, if you have deleted the original files or you used an archive that
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433 someone supplied, you can't do this. Do delete the files manually, here is an
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434 example for when "/usr/local" was used as the root: >
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435
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436 rm -rf /usr/local/share/vim/vim61
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437 rm /usr/local/bin/eview
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438 rm /usr/local/bin/evim
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439 rm /usr/local/bin/ex
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440 rm /usr/local/bin/gview
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441 rm /usr/local/bin/gvim
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442 rm /usr/local/bin/gvim
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443 rm /usr/local/bin/gvimdiff
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444 rm /usr/local/bin/rgview
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445 rm /usr/local/bin/rgvim
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446 rm /usr/local/bin/rview
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447 rm /usr/local/bin/rvim
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448 rm /usr/local/bin/rvim
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449 rm /usr/local/bin/view
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450 rm /usr/local/bin/vim
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451 rm /usr/local/bin/vimdiff
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452 rm /usr/local/bin/vimtutor
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453 rm /usr/local/bin/xxd
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454 rm /usr/local/man/man1/eview.1
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455 rm /usr/local/man/man1/evim.1
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456 rm /usr/local/man/man1/ex.1
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457 rm /usr/local/man/man1/gview.1
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458 rm /usr/local/man/man1/gvim.1
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459 rm /usr/local/man/man1/gvimdiff.1
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460 rm /usr/local/man/man1/rgview.1
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461 rm /usr/local/man/man1/rgvim.1
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462 rm /usr/local/man/man1/rview.1
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463 rm /usr/local/man/man1/rvim.1
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464 rm /usr/local/man/man1/view.1
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465 rm /usr/local/man/man1/vim.1
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466 rm /usr/local/man/man1/vimdiff.1
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467 rm /usr/local/man/man1/vimtutor.1
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468 rm /usr/local/man/man1/xxd.1
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469
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470
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471 MS-WINDOWS
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472
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473 If you installed Vim with the self-installing archive you can run
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474 the "uninstall-gui" program located in the same directory as the other Vim
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475 programs, e.g. "c:\vim\vim61". You can also launch it from the Start menu if
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476 installed the Vim entries there. This will remove most of the files, menu
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477 entries and desktop shortcuts. Some files may remain however, as they need a
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478 Windows restart before being deleted.
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479 You will be given the option to remove the whole "vim" directory. It
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480 probably contains your vimrc file and other runtime files that you created, so
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481 be careful.
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482
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483 Else, if you installed Vim with the zip archives, the preferred way is to use
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484 the "uninstal" program (note the missing l at the end). You can find it in
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485 the same directory as the "install" program, e.g., "c:\vim\vim61". This
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486 should also work from the usual "install/remove software" page.
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487 However, this only removes the registry entries for Vim. You have to
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488 delete the files yourself. Simply select the directory "vim\vim61" and delete
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489 it recursively. There should be no files there that you changed, but you
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490 might want to check that first.
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491 The "vim" directory probably contains your vimrc file and other runtime
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492 files that you created. You might want to keep that.
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493
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494 ==============================================================================
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495
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496 Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt|
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497
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498 Copyright: see |manual-copyright| vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
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