How to install a plugin in Vim using Vundle.

If you don’t have vim install, then use either sudo apt install vim or sudo dnf install vim or on mac I bet brew is still around.

Clone the Vundle repo to the .vim directory.

git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

If you don’t have a vim config file, then create one with either touch .vimrc or vim .vimrc.

When editing a .vimrc always source it while inside vim with :so % otherwise sourcing in bash with source .vimrc might show errors.

Edit the .vimrc file and add these lines:

set nocompatible
filetype off
" set the runtime path to include Vundle and initialize
set rtp+=~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim
call vundle#begin()

" let Vundle manage Vundle, required
Plugin 'VundleVim/Vundle.vim'

" All of your Plugins must be added before the following line
call vundle#end()            " required
filetype plugin indent on    " required

Install a Vim Plugin

  1. Go to a plugin that says you can install using Vundle.
  2. For instance. This plugin auto saves when you are editing a file: auto-save.
  3. The Github project should have a directory called plugin.
  4. Add the user/project from Github to your .vimrc file. In the auto-save example. The user is 907th and the project is vim-auto-save. Then add this line to .vimrc file: Plugin '907th/vim-auto-save'
  5. Save vimrc. Then source it with :so %.
  6. List all Vundle plugins while inside Vim: :PluginList. Make sure the Plugin is listed. You can do :q to exit this view.
  7. Then install using :PluginInstall. This will install recently added Plugins.

When adding a Vim plugin while inside Vim, always list and install using these commands. The cursor will move down the list installing each new plugin:

:PluginList
:PluginInstall

This particular Plugin for auto-save had a few more lines that had to be added. Depending on the Plugin readme page, please follow those specific instructions.

For auto-save. You need to add these lines to the .vimrc file:

let g:auto_save = 1
let g:auto_save_in_insert_mode = 0

These are Vim plugins I installed:

Markdown with correct code highlight

Plugin 'plasticboy/vim-markdown'

A better JSON for Vim as seen on:

Plugin 'elzr/vim-json'

Color schemes

Plugin 'flazz/vim-colorschemes'

File Tree

Plugin 'preservim/nerdtree'

Autosave files after exiting insert mode:

Plugin '907th/vim-auto-save'
let g:auto_save = 1
let g:auto_save_in_insert_mode = 0