This was tested with vim 7.4.(1-398)
(Update: 2013-12-03 apparently you can’t build vim with support for both python 2 and python 3, so I had to update this tutorial a bit 🙂 )
(Update: 2014-08-09 Added three commands: “hg pull”, “hg update” and “hg status” to pull the latest version of the repo)
First of all install all the dependencies required when compiling Vim with additional options:
@:~> sudo apt-get install mercurial python python-dev python3 python3-dev ruby ruby-dev libx11-dev libxt-dev libgtk2.0-dev libncurses5 ncurses-dev
Then clone official vim repo, configure it with support for: X11 clipboard, ruby, python 2 or 3 and few other cool options 🙂
@:~> hg clone https://vim.googlecode.com/hg/ vim
## if you already had this repo cloned, then update it:
@:~> hg pull
@:~> hg update
## and then check if you definitely have the latest version:
@:~> hg summary
parent: 6121:913d16b4904c
Added tag v7-4-398 for changeset f62b2e76dd80
branch: default
commit: (clean)
update: 52 new changesets (update)
@:~> cd vim/src
##
## this will configure it with python 2
##
@:~> ./configure \
--enable-perlinterp \
--enable-pythoninterp \
--enable-rubyinterp \
--enable-cscope \
--enable-gui=auto \
--enable-gtk2-check \
--enable-gnome-check \
--with-features=huge \
--enable-multibyte \
--with-x \
--with-compiledby="Senor QA <senor@qa>" \
--with-python-config-dir=/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu
##
## and with python 3
##
@:~> ./configure \
--enable-perlinterp \
--enable-python3interp \
--enable-rubyinterp \
--enable-cscope \
--enable-gui=auto \
--enable-gtk2-check \
--enable-gnome-check \
--with-features=huge \
--enable-multibyte \
--with-x \
--with-compiledby="Senor QA <senor@qa>" \
--with-python3-config-dir=/usr/lib/python3.3/config-3.3m-x86_64-linux-gnu
Next step is to compile our setup:
@:~> make
Then if you want you can check if all the features were compiled properly:
VIM - Vi IMproved 7.4 (2013 Aug 10, compiled Aug 9 2014 15:37:52)
Included patches: 1-398
Compiled by Me <senor@qa>
Huge version with GTK2 GUI. Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl +farsi +mouse_netterm +syntax
+arabic +file_in_path +mouse_sgr +tag_binary
+autocmd +find_in_path -mouse_sysmouse +tag_old_static
+balloon_eval +float +mouse_urxvt -tag_any_white
+browse +folding +mouse_xterm -tcl
++builtin_terms -footer +multi_byte +terminfo
+byte_offset +fork() +multi_lang +termresponse
+cindent +gettext -mzscheme +textobjects
+clientserver -hangul_input +netbeans_intg +title
+clipboard +iconv +path_extra +toolbar
+cmdline_compl +insert_expand -perl +user_commands
+cmdline_hist +jumplist +persistent_undo +vertsplit
+cmdline_info +keymap +postscript +virtualedit
+comments +langmap +printer +visual
+conceal +libcall +profile +visualextra
+cryptv +linebreak +python +viminfo
+cscope +lispindent -python3 +vreplace
+cursorbind +listcmds +quickfix +wildignore
+cursorshape +localmap +reltime +wildmenu
+dialog_con_gui -lua +rightleft +windows
+diff +menu +ruby +writebackup
+digraphs +mksession +scrollbind +X11
+dnd +modify_fname +signs -xfontset
-ebcdic +mouse +smartindent +xim
+emacs_tags +mouseshape -sniff +xsmp_interact
+eval +mouse_dec +startuptime +xterm_clipboard
+ex_extra -mouse_gpm +statusline -xterm_save
+extra_search -mouse_jsbterm -sun_workshop -xpm
system vimrc file: "$VIM/vimrc"
user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
system gvimrc file: "$VIM/gvimrc"
user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/local/share/vim"
Compilation: gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_GTK -pthread -I/usr/include/gtk-2.0 -I/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gtk-2.0/include -I/usr/include/atk-1.0 -I/usr/include/cairo -I/usr/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/gio-unix-2.0/ -I/usr/include/freetype2 -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/include/pixman-1 -I/usr/include/libpng12 -I/usr/include/harfbuzz -g -O2 -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1
Linking: gcc -L. -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -Wl,-z,relro -L/build/buildd/ruby1.9.1-1.9.3.484/debian/lib -rdynamic -Wl,-export-dynamic -L/usr/local/lib -Wl,--as-needed -o vim -lgtk-x11-2.0 -lgdk-x11-2.0 -latk-1.0 -lgio-2.0 -lpangoft2-1.0 -lpangocairo-1.0 -lgdk_pixbuf-2.0 -lcairo -lpango-1.0 -lfontconfig -lgobject-2.0 -lglib-2.0 -lfreetype -lSM -lICE -lXt -lX11 -lXdmcp -lSM -lICE -lm -ltinfo -lnsl -ldl -L/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu -lpython2.7 -lpthread -ldl -lutil -lm -Xlinker -export-dynamic -Wl,-O1 -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -lruby-1.9.1 -lpthread -lrt -ldl -lcrypt -lm -L/usr/lib
Just to make sure it works as it should, launch newly compiled ./vim, and type:
:echo has("python")
It should return 1 if it was compiled properly 🙂
If you’re happy then install it 🙂
@:~> sudo make install
Then locate the vim command
@:~> which vim vim is /usr/local/bin/vim vim is /usr/bin/vim
As you can see, there are two installed on my system.
To make newly installed version “/usr/local/bin/vim” the default one, we’ll use “update-alternatives”.
@:~> sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/vim" "vim" "/usr/local/bin/vim" 1 @:~> sudo update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/vi" "vi" "/usr/local/bin/vim" 1
Then use “update-alternatives” to switch between installed versions 🙂
@:~> sudo update-alternatives --config vim There are 2 choices for the alternative vim (providing /usr/bin/vim). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ * 0 /usr/bin/vim.basic 30 auto mode 1 /usr/bin/vim.basic 30 manual mode 2 /usr/local/bin/vim 1 manual mode Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 2 @:~> @:~> # now let's change symbolic link for vi @:~> @:~> sudo update-alternatives --config vi There are 3 choices for the alternative vi (providing /usr/bin/vi). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ * 0 /usr/bin/vim.basic 30 auto mode 1 /usr/bin/vim.basic 30 manual mode 2 /usr/bin/vim.tiny 10 manual mode 3 /usr/local/bin/vim 1 manual mode Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 3 update-alternatives: using /usr/local/bin/vim to provide /usr/bin/vi (vi) in manual mode
Last thing to do is to check where the /usr/bin/vim points at:
@:~> ll /usr/bin/vim lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 21 Jun 7 11:29 /usr/bin/vim -> /etc/alternatives/vim*
Then check where the /etc/alternatives/vim points at.
If everything went fine, it should be pointing at: /usr/local/bin/vim
@:~> ll /etc/alternatives/vim lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 Nov 19 12:17 /etc/alternatives/vim -> /usr/local/bin/vim*
Happy Vimming 🙂
J
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