Neovim

Now that we have our dotfiles in place, let’s install a text editor in case we need to edit some files. The text editor we are going to install and configure is Neovim.

Neovim is a Vim-based text editor, focusing on usability and extensibility. It enhances Vim by adding asynchronous processing, a powerful plugin architecture, and a robust API for better integration with modern development tools. Developed with community input, Neovim aims to modernize Vim’s user experience without sacrificing its core efficiency and flexibility, making it a favored choice for developers seeking a versatile text editor.

Install Dependencies

To install and configure Neovim you need the following packages:

user:~$ sudo apt install curl nodejs npm exuberant-ctags build-essential python3.11-venv zip

Note

This guide has been tested on a Debian 12 (Bookworm), Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish), and macOS Sequoia machines.

Install Neovim

To install Neovim follow the procedure below:

Change to root user:
```
user:~$ sudo su -
root:~#
```
Navigate to /opt. This is the location were we will install the Neovim Appimage:
```
root:~# cd /opt
```

Download the latest release. For example, we’re using the 0.10.2 release here:

root:/opt# wget https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/download/v0.10.2/nvim-linux64.tar.gz

Untar the package you downloaded:

root:/opt# tar xzf nvim-linux64.tar.gz && rm nvim-linux64.tar.gz

Press ctrl + D to return to your user.
```
user:~$
```
Add nvim binary to PATH:
```
user:~$ echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/nvim-linux64/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
```
Note

This repository’s .bashrc file already has the nvim binary path added to the PATH variable, so you can skip this step.

Configure Neovim with NvChad

We are using NvChad to enhance our Neovim installation. NvChad offers a blazing fast Neovim config providing solid defaults and a beautiful UI. To install it run the command below:

user:~$ git clone https://github.com/NvChad/starter ~/.config/nvim && nvim

Note

This repository offers a ready Neovim configuration in .config/nvim, so you can skip this step. The files in .config/nvim configure Neovim as a Python IDE with LSP support, and also provide a several other tools. For more information, check the nvim configuration repository.