My customised Cygwin and gvim environment



Intro

One of the best things you can do to any Windows computer is install Cygwin and gvim - only then will it become sane and useful.


Windows: Installing Cygwin

Go to the Cygwin site and follow the installation instructions.

If your Windows admins are BOFH and have locked down your environment you may be lucky and the following may work.




Windows: Customising Cygwin

Cygwin will create your home directory the very first time you log in so click the Cygwin icon to get this chore out of the way.

mintty

I like to use mintty as my default shell so I create a shortcut on my desktop with the following target. 

C:\cygwin\bin\mintty.exe -i /Cygwin-Terminal.ico -

Run a mintty shell and right click on the title bar and choose "Options", then set the following:

NOTE: Choose a Window's font that is scaleable because mintty allows you to zoom in and out using the Ctrl + and Ctrl - keys. I prefer the look of Lucida Console 9pt.

Create a .minttyrc file in your home directory that looks like this: 

BoldAsFont=no
Columns=130
Rows=30
CursorType=block
OpaqueWhenFocused=yes
Transparency=medium
BackgroundColour=19,68,79



Windows: Installing gvim

Go to the Cygwin site and follow the installation instructions.

If your Windows admins are BOFH and have locked down your environment you may be lucky and the following may work.




Windows: Customising gvim

In Windows gvim uses a file called _vimrc to customise its start up behaviour. The _vimrc file can be found in two locations.

I personally don't bother with the local _vimrc (probably for historical reasons) so I make a backup copy of the system _vimrc and make my customisations to it instead.

Use this reference to edit your _vimrc file as you like it, please don't use this file directly as the control characters inside it don't translate well on this web page. 

"arthurguru's default GVIM .vimrc file.
"Note with gvim win32: Ctrl-V is now paste and old behaiviour is now Ctrl-Q
set nocompatible
source $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim
source $VIMRUNTIME/mswin.vim
behave mswin

set diffexpr=MyDiff()
function MyDiff()
  let opt = '-a --binary '
  if &diffopt =~ 'icase' | let opt = opt . '-i ' | endif
  if &diffopt =~ 'iwhite' | let opt = opt . '-b ' | endif
  let arg1 = v:fname_in
  if arg1 =~ ' ' | let arg1 = '"' . arg1 . '"' | endif
  let arg2 = v:fname_new
  if arg2 =~ ' ' | let arg2 = '"' . arg2 . '"' | endif
  let arg3 = v:fname_out
  if arg3 =~ ' ' | let arg3 = '"' . arg3 . '"' | endif
  if &sh =~ '\<cmd'
    silent execute '!""C:\Program Files\Vim\vim64\diff" ' . opt . arg1 . ' ' . arg2 . ' > ' . arg3 . '"'
  else
    silent execute '!C:\Program" Files\Vim\vim64\diff" ' . opt . arg1 . ' ' . arg2 . ' > ' . arg3
  endif
endfunction

version 6.0
if &cp | set nocp | endif
let s:cpo_save=&cpo
set cpo&vim
cnoremap <C-F4> ^V^C^V^Wc
inoremap <C-F4> ^V^O^V^Wc
cnoremap <C-Tab> ^V^C^V^Ww
inoremap <C-Tab> ^V^O^V^Ww
cmap <S-Insert> ^V^R+
map! <xHome> <Home>
map! <xEnd> <End>
map! <S-xF4> <S-F4>
map! <S-xF3> <S-F3>
map! <S-xF2> <S-F2>
map! <S-xF1> <S-F1>
map! <xF4> <F4>
map! <xF3> <F3>
map! <xF2> <F2>
map! <xF1> <F1>
imap <S-Insert> ^V^V
imap <C-PageDown> ^V^OL^V^O$
imap <C-PageUp> ^V^OH
noremap ^V^A gggH^V^OG
vnoremap ^V^C "+y
noremap ^V^Q ^V^V
vnoremap ^V^S ^V^C:update^V^M
nnoremap ^V^S :update^V^M
onoremap ^V^S :update^V^M
nmap ^V^V "+gP
omap ^V^V "+gP
vnoremap ^V^X "+x
noremap ^V^Y ^V^R
noremap ^V^Z u
cnoremap ^V  ^V^C:simalt ~^V^M
inoremap ^V  ^V^O:simalt ~^V^M
map Q gq
map q :q^M
noremap <C-F4> ^V^Wc
noremap <C-Tab> ^V^Ww
vmap <S-Insert> ^V^V
vnoremap <BS> d
map <xHome> <Home>
map <xEnd> <End>
map <S-xF4> <S-F4>
map <S-xF3> <S-F3>
map <S-xF2> <S-F2>
map <S-xF1> <S-F1>
map <xF4> <F4>
map <xF3> <F3>
map <xF2> <F2>
map <xF1> <F1>
vmap <C-Del> "*d
vnoremap <S-Del> "+x
vnoremap <C-Insert> "+y
nmap <S-Insert> "+gP
omap <S-Insert> "+gP
nmap <C-PageDown> L$
vmap <C-PageDown> L$
nmap <C-PageUp> H
vmap <C-PageUp> H
cnoremap ^V^A ^V^CgggH^V^OG
inoremap ^V^A ^V^Ogg^V^OgH^V^OG
inoremap ^V^S ^V^O:update^V
cmap ^V^V ^V^R+
inoremap ^V^Y ^V^O^V^R
inoremap ^V^Z ^V^Ou
noremap ^V  :simalt ~^V
let &cpo=s:cpo_save
unlet s:cpo_save
set noautoindent
set nocindent
set nosmartindent
set shiftwidth=2
set expandtab
set tabstop=4
set showmode
set background=dark
set backspace=indent,eol,start
set nobackup
set diffexpr=MyDiff()
set guifont=Courier_New:h9:cANSI
set guioptions=gmrLt
set helplang=En
set history=50
set hlsearch
set incsearch
set keymodel=startsel,stopsel
set ruler
set selection=exclusive
set selectmode=mouse,key
set whichwrap=b,s,<,>,[,]
colorscheme arthur

The above file has a reference to a colourscheme called "arthur", so now we need to create a file in the gvim system area called "C:\Program Files (noadmin)\Vim\Vim64\colors\arthur.vim.
NOTE: Use the same colour file as described in the puppet section below.


Windows: Customising gvim in Cygwin

Run a mintty shell and change to your home directory.

Create a .vimrc file in your home directory that looks like this: 

map q :q^M
NOTE: I have inserted a carriage return in after the :q so I can easily close and exit an unmodified file by just pressing the letter q.

Create a file called .vifm/colorschemes in your home directory that looks like this: 

# You can edit this file by hand.
# The # character at the beginning of a line comments out the line.
# Blank lines are ignored.

# The Default color scheme is used for any directory that does not have
# a specified scheme.  A color scheme set for a base directory will also
# be used for the sub directories.

# The standard ncurses colors are:
# Black = 0
# Red = 1
# Green = 2
# Yellow = 3
# Blue = 4
# Magenta = 5
# Cyan = 6
# White = 7

# COLORSCHEME=OneWordDescription
# DIRECTORY=/Full/Path/To/Base/Directory
# COLOR=Window_name=foreground_color_number=background_color_number


COLORSCHEME=Default
DIRECTORY=/
COLOR=MENU=white=black
COLOR=BORDER=black=white
COLOR=WIN=white=black
COLOR=STATUS_BAR=white=black
COLOR=CURR_LINE=white=blue
COLOR=DIRECTORY=cyan=black
COLOR=LINK=yellow=black
COLOR=SOCKET=magenta=black
COLOR=DEVICE=red=black
COLOR=EXECUTABLE=green=black
COLOR=SELECTED=magenta=black
COLOR=CURRENT=blue=black



Unix: Customising gvim

As a systems administrator of many Unix/Linux systems, I prefer to be able to use the same colour scheme across all my systems so I use puppet to push out my gvim configurations to all Unix/Linux systems.

On your puppet server create a puppet/modules/vim/manifests/init.pp file that looks like this 

######################################################
## vim Master
######################################################
class vim {
  # Master class mainly exists to provide hierachy for sub classes.
}

######################################################
## /usr/share/vim/vimfiles/colors/arthur.vim
######################################################
class vim::colors inherits vim {
  # Handy for vimdiff sake when run as user root :colors arthur
  file { "/usr/share/vim/vimfiles/colors/arthur.vim": 
         ensure => present,
         source => "puppet:///modules/vim/colors/arthur.vim",
         owner  => "root",
         group  => "root",
         mode   => "0644"
  }
}

On your puppet server create a puppet/modules/vim/files/colors/arthur.vim file that looks like this 

" Vim color file

" cool help screens
" :he group-name
" :he highlight-groups
" :he cterm-colors

set background=dark
if version > 580
    " no guarantees for version 5.8 and below, but this makes it stop
    " complaining
    hi clear
    if exists("syntax_on")
	syntax reset
    endif
endif
let g:colors_name="arthur"

hi Normal	guifg=White guibg=#004050

" highlight groups
hi Cursor	guibg=khaki guifg=slategrey
"hi CursorIM
"hi Directory
"hi DiffAdd
"hi DiffChange
"hi DiffDelete
"hi DiffText
"hi ErrorMsg
hi VertSplit	guibg=#c2bfa5 guifg=grey50 gui=none
hi Folded	guibg=grey30 guifg=gold
hi FoldColumn	guibg=grey30 guifg=tan
hi IncSearch	guifg=slategrey guibg=khaki
"hi LineNr
hi ModeMsg	guifg=goldenrod
hi MoreMsg	guifg=SeaGreen
hi NonText	guifg=LightBlue guibg=grey30
hi Question	guifg=springgreen
hi Search	guibg=peru guifg=wheat
hi SpecialKey	guifg=slategrey
hi StatusLine	guibg=#c2bfa5 guifg=black gui=none
hi StatusLineNC	guibg=#c2bfa5 guifg=grey50 gui=none
hi Title	guifg=tan
hi Visual	gui=none guifg=khaki guibg=olivedrab
"hi VisualNOS
hi WarningMsg	guifg=salmon
"hi WildMenu
"hi Menu
"hi Scrollbar
"hi Tooltip

" syntax highlighting groups
hi Comment	guifg=olivedrab
hi Constant	guifg=grey70
hi Identifier	guifg=white
hi Statement	guifg=khaki
hi PreProc	guifg=navajowhite
hi Type		guifg=darkkhaki
hi Special	guifg=navajowhite
"hi Underlined
hi Ignore	guifg=grey40
"hi Error
hi Todo		guifg=orangered guibg=yellow2

" color terminal definitions
hi SpecialKey	ctermfg=darkgreen
hi NonText	cterm=bold ctermfg=darkblue
hi Directory	ctermfg=cyan
hi ErrorMsg	cterm=bold ctermfg=7 ctermbg=1
hi IncSearch	cterm=NONE ctermfg=white ctermbg=green
hi Search	cterm=NONE ctermfg=yellow ctermbg=darkred
hi MoreMsg	ctermfg=darkgreen
hi ModeMsg	cterm=NONE ctermfg=brown
hi LineNr	ctermfg=3
hi Question	ctermfg=green
hi StatusLine	cterm=bold,reverse
hi StatusLineNC cterm=reverse
hi VertSplit	cterm=reverse
hi Title	ctermfg=5
hi Visual	cterm=reverse
hi VisualNOS	cterm=bold,underline
hi WarningMsg	ctermfg=1
hi WildMenu	ctermfg=0 ctermbg=3
hi Folded	ctermfg=darkgrey ctermbg=NONE
hi FoldColumn	ctermfg=darkgrey ctermbg=NONE
hi DiffAdd	ctermbg=4
hi DiffChange	cterm=bold ctermfg=9 ctermbg=NONE
hi DiffDelete	cterm=bold ctermfg=4 ctermbg=8
hi DiffText	cterm=bold ctermfg=7 ctermbg=1
hi Comment	ctermfg=darkgreen
hi Constant	ctermfg=darkyellow
hi Special	ctermfg=5
hi Identifier	ctermfg=darkyellow
hi Statement	ctermfg=darkcyan
hi PreProc	ctermfg=5
hi Type		ctermfg=2
hi Underlined	cterm=underline ctermfg=5
hi Ignore	cterm=bold ctermfg=7
hi Ignore	ctermfg=darkgrey
hi Error	cterm=bold ctermfg=7 ctermbg=1


"vim: sw=4