PlanetVim

PlanetVim is a GVim distribution for Linux and Windows, with discoverable menus for editing, projects, Git, SDK tools, testing, debugging, and writing. Linux is the primary platform. macOS, terminal Vim, and Neovim are outside this release's scope.

The current version is 0.1.0-rc.1. See the acceptance record for what has actually been exercised and what still needs platform or SDK validation. Menu actions are implemented and enabled; optional tools report their prerequisites when selected.

The first-party Vim runtime uses Vim9 compiled functions; bundled upstream plugins retain their original code. The minimum is GVim 9.1.0016.

Start from a checkout

Install GVim 9.1.0016 or newer with GUI, menus, terminal, jobs, channels, timers, and persistent undo, plus Python 3.10 or newer for the installer and project generators. Debugging additionally requires a working GVim +python3 provider using Python 3.10 or newer. Git history graphs require LuaJIT 2.1. You can inspect a build with gvim --version.

git clone https://github.com/fedorenchik/PlanetVim.git
cd PlanetVim
gvim -u scripts/planetvim.vim

On Windows, run the same GVim command from PowerShell or use the full path to gvim.exe. Use the private launcher below for normal use. Start with :PlanetDoctor and :help planetvim. :PlanetPlainMenus provides text menu labels if emoji rendering is poor.

Install, update, and remove

To make plain /usr/bin/gvim load PlanetVim on Linux:

make preview
make install
/usr/bin/gvim

This keeps the distribution in ~/.local/share/planetvim and installs a small loader at ~/.vimrc. An existing startup file or symlink is backed up first; make uninstall restores it. make update remembers this mode, and make restore undoes the most recent operation. Use PREFIX="/your/private/PlanetVim" with each command for a custom distribution location. Do not use your home itself as PREFIX.

The equivalent Python command is python3 scripts/install.py install. On Windows use py -3 scripts/install.py install; the loader is installed at $HOME/_vimrc (normally your user profile), or an existing .vimrc. An already managed PlanetVim installation is updated without replacing its original personal-config backup. Restart GVim after install or update. See home startup and recovery for customization and preservation behavior.

For a private installation that you launch separately on Linux:

make preview-private
make install-private
~/.local/share/planetvim/bin/planetvim

Windows PowerShell:

py -3 scripts/install.py install --private --dry-run
py -3 scripts/install.py install --private
& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\PlanetVim\bin\planetvim.cmd"

The distribution always lives in a private directory. Default installation manages the home startup file; install-private or --private keeps home startup unchanged. Your existing .vim/vimfiles directory is left alone in both modes. Use --prefix "/path with spaces/PlanetVim" to choose another location; pass the same prefix to later operations. Put its bin directory on PATH if you want a planetvim command. PLANETVIM_GVIM may name a particular GVim executable for that launcher.

From a newer checkout or extracted release:

python3 scripts/install.py update --dry-run
python3 scripts/install.py update
python3 scripts/install.py uninstall --dry-run
python3 scripts/install.py uninstall
python3 scripts/install.py restore

restore rolls back the latest transaction. The installer reports the backup directory, preserves locally modified files during uninstall, and retains backups for recovery. An update backs up replaced content. Keep customization in the private config directory rather than editing installed files. Windows uses py -3 in place of python3 in these examples.

Everyday use

The PlanetVim menu selects Easy, Standard, or Supercharged mode. Standard is the default. Easy starts in Insert mode and uses shifted arrow keys for selection. Supercharged remaps navigation keys; read the mode guide before choosing it. Mode changes and menu preferences persist.

• File creates projects/files, saves, exports exact selections, and changes directories.
• View opens the Fern file browser, LSP/tags views, quickfix, and window-bar controls.
• Build / Run / Debug / Test / Analyze operate on the GVim instance's project, rooted at its global working directory. Start GVim from the project root or use :cd /path/to/project; tabs share the same project.
• Git operates on the saved file's repository. Network, commit, deployment, and installation actions run only when selected.
• Writing / Spell Check provide Markdown/LaTeX builds, prose tools, translation, spelling, and grammar checking.
• Sessions automatically resumes and saves each folder's layout, supports custom session files, and lists recent sessions on the welcome screen. Home-directory launches stay unmanaged until you save or open a session.

Commands show output, working directory, and exit status in a GVim terminal buffer. :PlanetCommandResult describes the current output and :PlanetCommandCancel stops its job. Failed commands remain available for inspection.

First projects

For C++: select File → New Project → CMake, choose a new directory, then select Build → CMake → Create In-Tree Build Dir, Configure, and Build. The generated project includes a CTest test. Test → CTest runs it. Generate compile_commands.json from the CMake menu for clangd. Add a Run profile with native arguments, for example:

{"name":"hello","argv":["./build/hello"],"cwd":"."}

On Windows, use the actual .exe output path, including the configuration subdirectory for a multi-configuration generator. Run profiles belong to the instance's project and are stored in private state.

For Python: select File → New Project → Python, then open test_main.py and run :PlanetTest file. Install python-lsp-server[all] in your chosen Python environment for completion, diagnostics, and formatting; point g:PV_pylsp_argv to its executable. :PlanetDebugSetup python creates a reviewable .vimspector.json; install debugpy into the configured adapter's Python environment before launching.

For writing: save a Markdown document and run :PlanetMarkdownPreview with Pandoc installed. Save a LaTeX document and use :PlanetLatexBuild with latexmk and a TeX distribution. :PlanetWritingErrors opens source diagnostics. Personal spell words and generated previews live outside the project.

See integrated project workflows for shared settings, environments, task chains, diagnostics and CMake presets/targets. See the complete guide for configuration, language intelligence, debugging, writing, sessions, recovery, and troubleshooting. Development integrations describes SDK activation, packaging, analyzers, and their external prerequisites. The integration catalog includes the original Linux/Windows ecosystem: Anaconda/Conda, Arduino, Autotools, C++/CMake, Docker, Electron, Flutter, Godot/SCons, GTK, Make/Kbuild, Meson, Ninja, Node/Nuxt/Vue, PlatformIO, Python, Qt, ROS, Vim, WebAssembly, Yocto, and kernel tooling.

Contributing and validation

make test
python3 scripts/test.py --gui
python3 scripts/plugins.py inventory --check

The GUI suite needs a display; --xvfb /path/to/Xvfb creates a private Linux display. Tests use disposable config, state, repositories, and project files. CONTRIBUTING.md explains the code layout, integration contracts, and tests. Plugin maintenance records bundled sources and revisions. Third-party plugin source is not patched by this implementation.

PlanetVim's first-party code is licensed under MIT. Bundled plugins keep their own licenses and notices; see the plugin inventory. CHANGELOG.md records release changes, and TASKS.md tracks the original review work and acceptance limits.

The September 2026 plugin upgrade records all 118 upstream checks, exact selected versions, compatibility changes, and new menus. Native Clap/Maple acceleration remains optional; files, buffers, palettes, and ripgrep search work without it.