install vim-plug

vim-plug: How to Install (Vim and Neovim)

What is vim-plug?

vim-plug is a lightweight plugin manager for Vim and Neovim. It simplifies adding, updating, and removing plugins in your editor without manual downloads or complicated setups.

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Installation Process

Step 1: Install Neovim (if not already installed)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install neovim -y

Step 2: Install curl (if not installed)

sudo apt install curl -y

Step 3: Download and Install vim-plug

curl -fLo ~/.local/share/nvim/site/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

• vim-plug will be stored in ~/.local/share/nvim/site/autoload/plug.vim.

Step 4: Configure vim-plug

1. Create or edit the Neovim configuration file:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/nvim
   nano ~/.config/nvim/init.vim
   

2. Add the following lines to initialize vim-plug:

call plug#begin('~/.local/share/nvim/plugged')

" Example plugin
Plug 'preservim/nerdtree'

call plug#end()

• call plug#begin() initializes vim-plug and specifies the plugin installation directory.
• Plug '<plugin-repo>' specifies a plugin from its GitHub repository.
• call plug#end() ends the plugin section.

Step 5: Install Plugins

1. Open Neovim:

   nvim
   

2. Run the following command to install the plugins listed in init.vim:

   :PlugInstall
   

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How vim-plug Works

Plugin Management

• vim-plug uses Git to fetch plugins from their repositories.
• Installed plugins are stored in ~/.local/share/nvim/plugged/.

Commands

Command	Description
:PlugInstall	Installs all plugins listed in the configuration file.
:PlugUpdate	Updates all installed plugins.
:PlugClean	Removes plugins not listed in your configuration file.
:PlugStatus	Displays the current status of plugins.
:PlugDiff	Shows Git changes in installed plugins.

On-demand Loading

Plugins can be lazily loaded to improve startup time. Example:

Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'on': 'Files' }

This loads the plugin only when the :Files command is run.

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Example Workflow

1. Add a Plugin

1. Update your init.vim:

   call plug#begin('~/.local/share/nvim/plugged')
   
   Plug 'tpope/vim-surround'  " Adds surround text editing functionality
   
   call plug#end()
   

2. Save the file and run:

   :PlugInstall
   

2. Update Plugins

Run the following command to update plugins:

:PlugUpdate

3. Remove a Plugin

1. Delete the plugin line from init.vim.
2. Run:

   :PlugClean
   

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Why Use vim-plug?

Ease of Use

Simplifies managing plugins with intuitive commands.

Performance

Supports parallel installation for faster downloads.

Flexibility

Allows on-demand loading for improved startup times.