FreeBSD install VIM text editor

How do I install VIM text editor for my FreeBSD server? I like vim as it is a highly configurable text editor and efficient one. Currently it has old version of vi. How can I install vim text editor on a FreeBSD server or desktop?

VIM (Vi IMproved ) is not installed by default under FreeBSD. Vim is a text editor that is upwards compatible to Vi. It can be used to edit all kinds of plain text.

It is especially useful for editing programs or config files. You can install vim binary package system or use FreeBSD’s ports system.

Task: Install vim binary package

Type the following command to install vim lite version on older version of FreeBSD:
# pkg_add -r -v vim-lite
On the latest version of FreeBSD use the pkg command:
# pkg install vim-lite
Sample outputs:

Updating FreeBSD repository catalogue...
FreeBSD repository is up to date.
All repositories are up to date.
The following 1 package(s) will be affected (of 0 checked):

New packages to be INSTALLED:
	vim-lite: 8.0.0642

Number of packages to be installed: 1

The process will require 23 MiB more space.
5 MiB to be downloaded.

Proceed with this action? [y/N]: y
[backup] [1/1] Fetching vim-lite-8.0.0642.txz: 100%    5 MiB 394.4kB/s    00:14    
Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting)
[backup] [1/1] Installing vim-lite-8.0.0642...
[backup] Extracting vim-lite-8.0.0642: 100%

You can also use FreeBSD ports system to install vim:
# cd /usr/ports/editors/vim-lite/ # make install clean

To start vim type command:
$ vim

You can also create a alias using alias command:
$ alias vi='vim'

Add above alias to your shell start up file such as ~/.bashrc / ~/.cshrc

Task: Setup global vimrc file

You need to copy default vimrc file from /usr/local/share/vim/vim71/vimrc_example.vim to /usr/local/share/vim:
# cp /usr/local/share/vim/vim71/vimrc_example.vim /usr/local/share/vimrc
OR for vim 8.x on FreeBSD 11 stable:
# cp -v /usr/local/share/vim/vim80/vimrc_example.vim /usr/local/share/vimrc
Sample outputs:

usr/local/share/vim/vim80/vimrc_example.vim -> /usr/local/share/vimrc

Task: Personal ~/.vimrc file

You can customize ~/.vimrc as per your requirements. Here is my own file:
$ cat ~/.vimrc
Sample output:

set nocompatible " must be the first line
filetype on
filetype indent on
filetype plugin on
set laststatus=2
set statusline=%<%f\%h%m%r%=%-20.(line=%l\ \ col=%c%V\ \ totlin=%L%)\ \ \%h%m%r%=%-40(bytval=0x%B,%n%Y%)\%P

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. He has worked with global clients and in various industries, including IT, education, defense and space research, and the nonprofit sector. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

2 comment

create a softlink between vim and vi would easy.

# whereis vim
vim: /usr/local/bin/vim /usr/local/man/man1/vim.1.gz /usr/ports/editors/vim
# whereis vi
vi: /usr/bin/vi /usr/share/man/man1/vi.1.gz
# mv /usr/bin/vi /usr/bin/vi.bak
# ln -s /usr/local/bin/vim /usr/bin/vi

Reply Report comment

In ‘Task: Setup global vimrc file’ it should be
# cp /usr/local/share/vim/vim71/vimrc_example.vim /usr/local/share/vim/vimrc
instead of
# cp /usr/local/share/vim/vim71/vimrc_example.vim /usr/local/share/vimrc