path: root/README.md

# kickstart.nvim

https://github.com/kdheepak/kickstart.nvim/assets/1813121/f3ff9a2b-c31f-44df-a4fa-8a0d7b17cf7b

### Introduction

A starting point for Neovim that is:

* Small
* Single-file (with examples of moving to multi-file)
* Documented
* Modular

This repo is meant to be used by **YOU** to begin your Neovim journey; remove the things you don't use and add what you miss.

Kickstart.nvim targets *only* the latest ['stable'](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/tag/stable) and latest ['nightly'](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/tag/nightly) of Neovim. If you are experiencing issues, please make sure you have the latest versions.

Distribution Alternatives:
- [LazyVim](https://www.lazyvim.org/): A delightful distribution maintained by @folke (the author of lazy.nvim, the package manager used here)

### Installation

> **NOTE** 
> [Backup](#FAQ) your previous configuration (if any exists)

Requirements:
* Make sure to review the readmes of the plugins if you are experiencing errors. In particular:
  * [ripgrep](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep#installation) is required for multiple [telescope](https://github.com/nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim#suggested-dependencies) pickers.
* See [Windows Installation](#Windows-Installation) if you have trouble with `telescope-fzf-native`

Neovim's configurations are located under the following paths, depending on your OS:

| OS | PATH |
| :- | :--- |
| Linux | `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvim`, `~/.config/nvim` |
| MacOS | `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvim`, `~/.config/nvim` |
| Windows (cmd)| `%userprofile%\AppData\Local\nvim\` |
| Windows (powershell)| `$env:USERPROFILE\AppData\Local\nvim\` |

Clone kickstart.nvim:

- on Linux and Mac
```sh
git clone https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim.git "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"/nvim
```

- on Windows (cmd)
```
git clone https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim.git %userprofile%\AppData\Local\nvim\ 
```

- on Windows (powershell)
```
git clone https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim.git $env:USERPROFILE\AppData\Local\nvim\ 
```


### Post Installation

Start Neovim

```sh
nvim
```

The `Lazy` plugin manager will start automatically on the first run and install the configured plugins - as can be seen in the introduction video. After the installation is complete you can press `q` to close the `Lazy` UI and **you are ready to go**! Next time you run nvim `Lazy` will no longer show up.

If you would prefer to hide this step and run the plugin sync from the command line, you can use:

```sh
nvim --headless "+Lazy! sync" +qa
```

### Getting Started

See [Effective Neovim: Instant IDE](https://youtu.be/stqUbv-5u2s), covering the previous version. Note: The install via init.lua is outdated, please follow the install instructions in this file instead. An updated video is coming soon.

### Recommended Steps

[Fork](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/quickstart/fork-a-repo) this repo (so that you have your own copy that you can modify) and then installing you can install to your machine using the methods above.

> **NOTE**  
> Your fork's url will be something like this: `https://github.com/<your_github_username>/kickstart.nvim.git`

### Configuration And Extension

* Inside of your copy, feel free to modify any file you like! It's your copy!
* Feel free to change any of the default options in `init.lua` to better suit your needs.
* For adding plugins, there are 3 primary options:
  * Add new configuration in `lua/custom/plugins/*` files, which will be auto sourced using `lazy.nvim` (uncomment the line importing the `custom/plugins` directory in the `init.lua` file to enable this)
  * Modify `init.lua` with additional plugins.
  * Include the `lua/kickstart/plugins/*` files in your configuration.

You can also merge updates/changes from the repo back into your fork, to keep up-to-date with any changes for the default configuration.

#### Example: Adding an autopairs plugin

In the file: `lua/custom/plugins/autopairs.lua`, add:

```lua
-- File: lua/custom/plugins/autopairs.lua

return {
  "windwp/nvim-autopairs",
  -- Optional dependency
  dependencies = { 'hrsh7th/nvim-cmp' },
  config = function()
    require("nvim-autopairs").setup {}
    -- If you want to automatically add `(` after selecting a function or method
    local cmp_autopairs = require('nvim-autopairs.completion.cmp')
    local cmp = require('cmp')
    cmp.event:on(
      'confirm_done',
      cmp_autopairs.on_confirm_done()
    )
  end,
}
```


This will automatically install [windwp/nvim-autopairs](https://github.com/windwp/nvim-autopairs) and enable it on startup. For more information, see documentation for [lazy.nvim](https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim).

#### Example: Adding a file tree plugin

In the file: `lua/custom/plugins/filetree.lua`, add:

```lua
-- Unless you are still migrating, remove the deprecated commands from v1.x
vim.cmd([[ let g:neo_tree_remove_legacy_commands = 1 ]])

return {
  "nvim-neo-tree/neo-tree.nvim",
  version = "*",
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
    "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons", -- not strictly required, but recommended
    "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
  },
  config = function ()
    require('neo-tree').setup {}
  end,
}
```

This will install the tree plugin and add the command `:Neotree` for you. You can explore the documentation at [neo-tree.nvim](https://github.com/nvim-neo-tree/neo-tree.nvim) for more information.

### Contribution

Pull-requests are welcome. The goal of this repo is not to create a Neovim configuration framework, but to offer a starting template that shows, by example, available features in Neovim. Some things that will not be included:

* Custom language server configuration (null-ls templates)
* Theming beyond a default colorscheme necessary for LSP highlight groups

Each PR, especially those which increase the line count, should have a description as to why the PR is necessary.

### FAQ

* What should I do if I already have a pre-existing neovim configuration?
  * You should back it up, then delete all files associated with it.
  * This includes your existing init.lua and the neovim files in `~/.local` which can be deleted with `rm -rf ~/.local/share/nvim/`
  * You may also want to look at the [migration guide for lazy.nvim](https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim#-migration-guide)
* Can I keep my existing configuration in parallel to kickstart?
  * Yes! You can use [NVIM_APPNAME](https://neovim.io/doc/user/starting.html#%24NVIM_APPNAME)`=nvim-NAME` to maintain multiple configurations. For example you can install the kickstart configuration in `~/.config/nvim-kickstart` and create an alias:
    ```
    alias nvim-kickstart='NVIM_APPNAME="nvim-kickstart" nvim'
    ```
    When you run Neovim using `nvim-kickstart` alias it will use the alternative config directory and the matching local directory `~/.local/share/nvim-kickstart`. You can apply this approach to any Neovim distribution that you would like to try out.
* What if I want to "uninstall" this configuration:
  * See [lazy.nvim uninstall](https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim#-uninstalling) information
* Why is the kickstart `init.lua` a single file? Wouldn't it make sense to split it into multiple files?
  * The main purpose of kickstart is to serve as a teaching tool and a reference
    configuration that someone can easily `git clone` as a basis for their own.
    As you progress in learning Neovim and Lua, you might consider splitting `init.lua`
    into smaller parts. A fork of kickstart that does this while maintaining the exact
    same functionality is available here:
    * [kickstart-modular.nvim](https://github.com/dam9000/kickstart-modular.nvim)
  * Discussions on this topic can be found here:
    * [Restructure the configuration](https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim/issues/218)
    * [Reorganize init.lua into a multi-file setup](https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim/pull/473)

### Windows Installation

Installation may require installing build tools, and updating the run command for `telescope-fzf-native`

See `telescope-fzf-native` documentation for [more details](https://github.com/nvim-telescope/telescope-fzf-native.nvim#installation)

This requires:

- Install CMake, and the Microsoft C++ Build Tools on Windows

```lua
{'nvim-telescope/telescope-fzf-native.nvim', build = 'cmake -S. -Bbuild -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release && cmake --build build --config Release && cmake --install build --prefix build' }
```

### Hints And Tips For New Neovimmers

Neovim is a very rich and powerful environment, but it can also feel a bit
intimidating for new users trying to find their way around, especially if
they're coming from other environments like Visual Studio Code or a traditional
IDE.

There's no way this README can provide you with everything you need to know, but
here are a few tips so you can learn how to learn.

### Use The Help, Luke!

Neovim's help system is incredibly thorough and extensive. You should really
take a moment to get comfortable navigating through help topics, going back and
forth, navigating the menus, etc. This won't just help you read the help, it
will empower you in the rest of your Neovim journey.

You can double click on a topic to drill down, and hit Ctrl-o (Hold down the
Control key and the 'o' key) to go back.

Read the first page you get when you run :help carefully. it will serve you
well.

You can also get help on a particular thing by typing ":help <topic>".

Like, let's say we want to learn more about folding, just type ":help folding".

### To The Telescope!

One of the more powerful features you get by installing this project is the
brilliant Telescope plugin co-written by @tjdevries.

Take a minute to browse through ":help telescope" and get a sense for all the
amazing superpowers you've gained.

In particular, there are two Telescope features that are incredible for helping
you understand how to do a particular thing or how to configure a particular
feature.

If you're not sure what to look for, try ":Telescope help_tags". Let's say we
want to configure Neovim to automatically word wrap. We might type ":Telescope
help_tags" and then type w, r, a, p. Notice how the list of results changes with
each new letter you type? When you're done you've got a screen full of topics
involving word wrap.

Another common question is "What keys do I hit to make a thing happen?". To get
an answer, one way is to use ":Telescope keymaps". You'll get the same list of
results that changes to adapt with each new key you press.

With these hints in mind you should be in good shape to get learning. Remember,
you are on a journey of discovery here, adapting your programming environment to
your needs. It will take effort, but the rewards are worth it! :)