Linux Neovim Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to Neovim on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including installation, configuration, plugins, and modern Vim features.

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Table of Contents

1. Neovim Installation
2. Neovim Basics
3. Neovim Configuration
4. Plugins
5. Troubleshooting

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Neovim Installation

Install Neovim

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install Neovim
sudo pacman -S neovim

# Install Python support
sudo pacman -S python-neovim

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install neovim

Fedora:

sudo dnf install neovim

Launch Neovim

Start Neovim:

# Open file
nvim filename.txt

# Or
vim filename.txt

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Neovim Basics

Vim Compatibility

Neovim is Vim-compatible:

• Same commands: All Vim commands work
• Better defaults: Improved out of the box
• Modern features: Better terminal integration

Basic Usage

See Vim Guide for basic Vim commands.

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Neovim Configuration

Configuration File

Edit config:

# Create config directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/nvim

# Edit init file
vim ~/.config/nvim/init.vim

# Or Lua config
vim ~/.config/nvim/init.lua

Basic Configuration

init.vim:

" Enable line numbers
set number

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Set tab size
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4

" Enable mouse
set mouse=a

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Plugins

Plugin Managers

Install plugin manager:

# vim-plug
sh -c 'curl -fLo "${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}"/nvim/site/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \
       https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim'

Install Plugins

Add plugins:

" In init.vim
call plug#begin('~/.config/nvim/plugged')

Plug 'plugin-name'

call plug#end()

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Troubleshooting

Neovim Not Starting

Check installation:

# Check Neovim
which nvim
nvim --version

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S neovim

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Summary

This guide covered Neovim installation, configuration, and plugins for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Vim Guide - Vim basics
• Text Editors - Text editors
• Neovim: https://neovim.io/

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.