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[https://neovim.io Neovim] is a fork of [[Vim]] aiming to improve the codebase, allowing for easier implementation of APIs, improved user experience and plugin implementation.
<languages/>
{{infobox application
  |name=Neovim
  |image=Neovim-mark.svg
  |type=Text Editor
  |developer=Neovim Core Team & Community
  |firstRelease=November 1, 2015
  |latestRelease=Nvim 0.11.2 (May 30, 2025)
  |status=Active
  |license=[https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Apache 2.0] (with parts under Vim license)
  |os=Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)
  |platform=Desktop
  |programmingLanguage=C, Lua, Vim Script
  |website=[https://neovim.io/ neovim.io]
  |github=neovim/neovim
  |bugTracker=[https://github.com/neovim/neovim/issues GitHub Issues]
  |documentation=[https://neovim.io/doc/ Official Documentation]
}}
<translate>
<!--T:1-->
:''See also: [[Vim]]''
[https://neovim.io/ Neovim]<ref>Neovim Team, "Home - Neovim", Neovim Official Website, Last updated March 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://neovim.io/</ref> is a highly extensible and open source text editor that aims to improve upon and modernize the popular [[Vim]]<ref>NixOS Wiki Community, "Vim", NixOS Wiki, Last edited 24 February 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Vim</ref> editor. It's designed to be a drop-in replacement for Vim, maintaining compatibility with most Vim plugins and configurations while offering additional features and improvements. Neovim focuses on extensibility, usability, and performance.


Due to the large number of plugins, it is possible to extend and configure neovim to fit the exact needs of the user. Many users start working with neovim with a preconfigured neovim distribution (such as [https://www.lazyvim.org/ LazyVim], [https://astronvim.com/ AstroVim], [https://nvchad.com/ NVChad]) or use the preconfigured NixOS package for [[LunarVim]]. This way you can learn what is possible. Experienced users often advise to familiarize themselves with neovim and then create their own configuration from scratch.
<!--T:2-->
It introduces a powerful plugin architecture that allows for asynchronous plugin execution, which can significantly improve performance for certain operations. It also includes a built-in terminal emulator, allowing users to run shell commands directly within the editor. The project emphasizes code quality and maintainability, with a clean, well-documented codebase that makes it easier for developers to contribute.


For people who like the modal text editors in a terminal but don't want to spend so much time configuring it, the [[Helix]] editor might be the right choice.
== Installation == <!--T:3-->


== Installation ==
==== Shell ====


=== System-wide ===
To temporarily use Neovim in a shell environment without modifying your system configuration, you can run:
{{code|lang=bash|line=no|1=$ nix-shell -p neovim}}
This makes the Neovim editor available in your current shell. You can then launch Neovim by typing <code>neovim</code>.


If you do not use Home Manager, you can use the following code in your NixOS configuration:
==== System setup ====


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
To install Neovim system-wide, making it available to all users, add the following to your configuration:
programs.neovim = {
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=# Example for /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
   enable = true;
environment.systemPackages = [
   defaultEditor = true;
   pkgs.neovim
};
];
</syntaxhighlight>
 
# User-specific installation (in ~/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix)
home.packages = [
   pkgs.neovim
];}}
After rebuilding your system with <code>nixos-rebuild switch</code> or <code>home-manager switch</code>, Neovim will be installed and accessible.


You can also manually add Neovim to your packages. This should only be used if the two version above do not work for you.


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
== Configuration == <!--T:7-->
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.neovim ];
</syntaxhighlight>


=== With Home Manager ===
==== Basic ==== <!--T:8-->


[[Home Manager]] has a module for Neovim, which can be enabled via
</translate>
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=<translate>
<!--T:39-->
# Global Configuration
</translate>
programs.neovim = {
  enable = true;
  defaultEditor = true;
};


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<translate>
<!--T:40-->
# Home Configuration
</translate>
programs.neovim = {
programs.neovim = {
   enable = true;
   enable = true;
Line 34: Line 71:
     set number relativenumber
     set number relativenumber
   '';
   '';
};
};}}
</syntaxhighlight>
<translate>
 
More information about the module can be found here: [https://nix-community.github.io/home-manager/options.xhtml#opt-programs.neovim.enable Home Manager Manual].


== Configuration ==
==== Advanced ==== <!--T:10-->


Neovim shares most of its configuration with Vim. See the [[Vim|Vim page]] for more details on the use of both.
</translate>
=== System-wide ===
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=<translate>
 
<!--T:41-->
The NixOS module does not have an <code>extraConfig</code> option as the Home Manager module does.
# Global Configuration
Instead, you can use the <code>programs.neovim.configure</code> option as described [https://search.nixos.org/options?show=programs.neovim.configure&type=packages&query=neovim here].
</translate>
 
The following example configures RC commands and enables the plugin <code>ctrlp</code> to support fuzzy file search (see [https://github.com/ctrlpvim/ctrlp.vim homepage] on how to use it)
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
programs.neovim = {
programs.neovim = {
   enable = true;
   enable = true;
  defaultEditor = true;
  viAlias = true;
  vimAlias = true;
   configure = {
   configure = {
     customRC = ''
     customRC = ''
Line 67: Line 101:
   };
   };
};
};
</syntaxhighlight>


To set Neovim as your default editor:
<translate>
<!--T:42-->
# Home Configuration
# You have to add the line below to set it as the default editor:
</translate>
environment.variables.EDITOR = "nvim";}}
<translate>
 
== Tips and Tricks == <!--T:12-->
{{expand}}


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
==== Package Variations ==== <!--T:15-->
programs.neovim = {
 
  defaultEditor = true;
Have a look at the [https://github.com/nix-community/neovim-nightly-overlay Neovim Nightly Overlay]<ref>Nix Community, "neovim-nightly-overlay", GitHub, Last updated June 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://github.com/nix-community/neovim-nightly-overlay</ref> to install the most recent current nightly version of Neovim.
};
You can run the master version via the following command:
</syntaxhighlight>
{{code|lang=bash|line=no|1=$ nix run "github:nix-community/neovim-nightly-overlay"}}
 
==== Plugin Management ==== <!--T:21-->


Further, the NixOS module does also expose options to automatically add <code>vi</code> and <code>vim</code> aliases.
</translate>
To use them, add the following to your NixOS configuration:
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=plugins = [
<translate>
  <!--T:49-->
# Example Plugin: nvim-tree-lua
</translate>
  pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-tree-lua


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<translate>
programs.neovim = {
   <!--T:50-->
   viAlias = true;
# Example Plugin: vim-startify with configuration
  vimAlias = true;
</translate>
};
  {
</syntaxhighlight>  
    plugin = pkgs.vimPlugins.vim-startify;
=== With Home Manager ===
    config = "let g:startify_change_to_vcs_root = 0";
  }


The Home Manager module does not expose many configuration options. Therefore, the easiest way to get started is to use the [https://nix-community.github.io/home-manager/options.html#opt-programs.neovim.extraConfig extraConfig] option.
<translate>
You can copy your old config or directly load your default Neovim config via:
  <!--T:51-->
# Example Plugin: nvim-colorizer-lua with Lua config
  # Due to how the runtimepath for Lua modules is processed, your configuration may require
  # packadd! plugin-name to require a module. A home-manager example:
</translate>
  {
    plugin = pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-colorizer-lua;
    config = ''
      packadd! nvim-colorizer.lua
      lua << END
        require 'colorizer'.setup {
          '*';<translate> <!--T:52--> -- Highlight all files, but customize some others.</translate>
          '!vim';<translate> <!--T:53--> -- Exclude vim from highlighting.</translate>
        }
      END
    '';
  }


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<translate>
programs.neovim.extraConfig = lib.fileContents ../path/to/your/init.vim;
  <!--T:54-->
</syntaxhighlight>
# Example Plugin: nvim-treesitter with Lua config
</translate>
  {
    plugin = pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-treesitter;
    config = ''
      packadd! nvim-treesitter
      lua <<EOF
        require'nvim-treesitter.configs'.setup {
          highlight = {
            enable = true,              <translate><!--T:55--> -- false will disable the whole extension</translate>
            disable = {},              <translate><!--T:56--> -- list of languages that will be disabled</translate>
          },
          incremental_selection = {
            enable = true,
            keymaps = {
              init_selection = "gnn",
              node_incremental = "grn",
              scope_incremental = "grc",
              node_decremental = "grm",
            },
          },
          textobjects = {
            select = {
              enable = true,
              lookahead = true,
              keymaps = {
                ["af"] = "@function.outer",
                ["if"] = "@function.inner",
                ["ac"] = "@class.outer",
                ["ic"] = "@class.inner",
              },
            },
          },
        }
      EOF
    '';
  }


To use Neovim as your default editor, you can set the <code>EDITOR</code> [https://search.nixos.org/options?show=environment.variables&type=packages&query=environment.variables environmental variable] to "nvim" by adding the following to your NixOS configuration:
<translate>
  <!--T:57-->
# Installing grammars for tree-sitter
  # Option 1: Install all grammar packages
  pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-treesitter.withAllGrammars
 
  # Option 2: Install specific grammar packages
  # (pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-treesitter.withPlugins (p: [ p.c p.java ]))


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
  <!--T:58-->
environment.variables.EDITOR = "nvim";
# Option 3: Installing grammars without Nix
</syntaxhighlight>
  # Installing grammar packages through the built-in command can lead to errors.
  # The following Neovim command will install syntax highlighting for the C programming language: :TSInstall c
</translate>
];}}
<translate>


The Home Manager module does also expose options to automatically add <code>vi</code> and <code>vim</code> aliases.
==== Frameworks ==== <!--T:18-->
To use them, add the following to your Home Manager configuration:


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<!--T:45-->
programs.neovim = {
If you prefer not to configure your system manually, NixOS offers several predefined configurations and community-supported options. Here are a few of them:
  viAlias = true;
  vimAlias = true;
};
</syntaxhighlight>


==== Installing Plugins ====
<!--T:19-->
* [https://www.lazyvim.org/ LazyVim]<ref>LazyVim Team, "Getting Started", LazyVim Official Website, © 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://www.lazyvim.org/</ref>


Plugins can be installed using the <code>programs.neovim.plugins</code> option.
<!--T:46-->
You can add only the plugin, or the plugin with its corresponding config:
* [https://astronvim.com/ AstroNvim]<ref>AstroNvim Team, "AstroNvim", AstroNvim Official Website, N/A, Accessed June 2025. https://astronvim.com/</ref>


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<!--T:47-->
programs.neovim.plugins = [
* [https://nvchad.com/ NVChad]<ref>Siduck, "NvChad", NvChad Official Website, © 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://nvchad.com/</ref>
  pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-tree-lua
  {
    plugin = pkgs.vimPlugins.vim-startify;
    config = "let g:startify_change_to_vcs_root = 0";
  }
];
</syntaxhighlight>


If you only add the plugin, you can add the configuration as described above.
<!--T:48--> ==== FHS wrapper ====


An index of official packages can be found in on [https://search.nixos.org/packages?from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=vimPlugins search.nixos.org].
You can create a custom neovim FHS wrapper
In addition to the official packages, there are several user maintained repositories, such as [https://github.com/m15a/flake-awesome-neovim-plugins awesome-neovim-plugins] or [https://github.com/NixNeovim/NixNeovimPlugins NixNeovimPlugins]. Plugins which are
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
not available in any of these repositories may be integrated using the <code>vimUtils.buildVimPlugin</code> function from Nixpkgs:
{
  buildFHSEnv,
  writeShellScript,
  neovim,
}:
buildFHSEnv {
  name = "nvim-fhs";
  targetPkgs = pkgs: [ neovim ];


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
  runScript = writeShellScript "nvim-fhs.sh" ''
pkgs.vimUtils.buildVimPlugin {
    exec ${neovim}/bin/nvim "$@"
  pname = "whatever";
   '';
  version = "whatever";
  src = builtins.fetchGit {
    url = "https://github.com/example/whatever.git";
    ref = "whatever";
   };
  buildScript = ":";
}
}
</syntaxhighlight>
}}


<!--T:FHS_WRAPPER_SOURCE-->
This FHS wrapper example is based on a contribution to nixpkgs<ref name="nixpkgs-pr-334032">NixOS, "Feature: Custom Neovim FHS Wrapper" (Pull Request #334032), GitHub, 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/334032</ref>.
For an extended configuration that includes setting up `mason.nvim` with a similar FHS environment, see this [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/281219#issuecomment-2284713258 NixOS/nixpkgs issue comment].


== Troubleshooting == <!--T:59-->
{{expand}}


== Tips and tricks ==
==== lua-language-server: Dynamically linked executable error ====


=== Build Neovim using Nix ===
In your <code>~/.local/state/nvim/lsp.log</code>, you have the following error:


You can also compile Neovim using nix. For this, the Neovim GitHub page has more information on this:
{{code|lang=text|line=no|1=[ERROR][2025-06-07 23:13:15] ...p/_transport.lua:36 "rpc" "lua-language-server" "stderr" "Could not start dynamically linked executable: /home/incogshift/.local/share/nvim/mason/packages/lua-language-server/libexec/bin/lua-language-server\nNixOS cannot run dynamically linked executables intended for generic\nlinux environments out of the box. For more information, see:\nhttps://nix.dev/permalink/stub-ld\n"}}
[https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/Building-Neovim#nixos--nix Neovim Guide].
 
The Neovim repository also contains a flake.
You can run the master version via the following command:


nix run "github:neovim/neovim?dir=contrib"
<!--T:LUA_LS_SO_REF-->
A solution for this issue can be found on Stack Overflow<ref name="so-lua-ls-dynlink">Stack Overflow Contributor, "Answer to 'Could not start dynamically linked executable... on NixOS'", Stack Overflow, 2025, Accessed June 2025. https://stackoverflow.com/a/78215911/27134695</ref>.


Finally, there is a [https://github.com/nix-community/neovim-nightly-overlay Neovim Nightly Overlay].
== References == <!--T:27-->


=== Note on Lua plugins  ===
== See also ==


Due to how the `runtimepath` for Lua modules is [https://github.com/nanotee/nvim-lua-guide#a-note-about-packages processed], your configuration may require <code>packadd! plugin-name</code> to require a module. A home-manager example:
* [[Home Manager]] – For declarative Neovim configuration at the user level: [https://nix-community.github.io/home-manager/options.html#opt-programs.neovim.enable Neovim module in Home Manager]
* [https://neovim.io/doc/ Official Documentation] – Official Neovim documentation.
* [https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=programs.neovim NixOS options for Neovim] – System-level Neovim configuration.
* [https://discourse.nixos.org/search?q=neovim Neovim discussions on NixOS Discourse] – Community tips, troubleshooting, and use cases.
* [https://github.com/nix-community/neovim-overlay Neovim Overlay on Nixpkgs] – For nightly builds and additional Neovim packages.


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
== References ==
programs.neovim = {
  plugins = [
    {
      plugin = pkgs.vimPlugins.nvim-colorizer-lua;
      config = ''
        packadd! nvim-colorizer.lua
        lua << END
require 'colorizer'.setup {
  '*'; -- Highlight all files, but customize some others.
  '!vim'; -- Exclude vim from highlighting.
}
END
      '';
    }
  ];
}
</syntaxhighlight>


== See Also ==
</translate>
* [[Vim]]
* [[Treesitter|Treesitter for Neovim]]


[[Category:Applications]]
[[Category:Applications]]
[[Category:CLI Applications]]
[[Category:Text Editor]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Neovim"