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Alejandro Londoño
Alejandro Londoño

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How to Set up Neovim for Windows and Linux with Lua and Packer

#vim #tutorial #beginners #productivity

Hello everyone!

In the last week, I decided to switch from vscode to Neovim as my main Code Editor, so in this article I will show you how I set up Neovim with Lua script and what you need to use this setup.

Note: All the code is on my Github profile and at the end of this article I put some resources if you want to investigate more about Neovim and Lua.

The first thing I did was learn the Lua script because I want to use it and I think it's a really good way to organize my setup. You can use Lua in neovim from version 0.7.0

Let´s code!

⚙ Requirements

To use this setup, you should have installed the following dependencies:

  • NerdFonts
  • Neovim ≥ 0.8.1
  • NodeJS with npm
  • Packer installed
  • A C compiler in your path and libstdc++ installed
  • Git

✨ Features

📚 Project Structure 

📂 ~/.config/nvim
├── 📂 lua/
│  └── 📂 configs/**plugin configs**
│  └── 🌑 plugins.lua
│  └── 🌑 settings.lua
│  └── 🌑 maps.lua
└── 🌑 init.lua
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📚 GitHub Repository

https://github.com/slydragonn/dotfiles

If you don’t have some requirements

Saving Settings

Before, we need to save the configuration in a particular place, so that neovim can recognize our configuration.

  • Windows C:\Users\%YOUR_USERNAME%\AppData\Local\nvim
  • Linux ~/.configs/nvim/

To set up neovim with lua, you should put the config files inside of lua folder and require all these settings in a file called init.lua like this:

📂 ~/.config/nvim
├── 📂 lua/**config files**
└── 🌑 init.lua
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Creating the files and folder structure

init.lua: It´s the main file and here is where all settings will load. We start with the settings file.

-- 🌑 init.lua

require("settings")
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Editor settings

Then in settings.lua we write the editor options:

-- 📂lua/🌑settings.lua

local global = vim.g
local o = vim.o

vim.scriptencoding = "utf-8"

-- Map <leader>

global.mapleader = " "
global.maplocalleader = " "

-- Editor options

o.number = true -- Print the line number in front of each line
o.relativenumber = true -- Show the line number relative to the line with the cursor in front of each line.
o.clipboard = "unnamedplus" -- uses the clipboard register for all operations except yank.
o.syntax = "on" -- When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded.
o.autoindent = true -- Copy indent from current line when starting a new line.
o.cursorline = true -- Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine.
o.expandtab = true -- In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a <Tab>.
o.shiftwidth = 2 -- Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent.
o.tabstop = 2 -- Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for.
o.encoding = "utf-8" -- Sets the character encoding used inside Vim.
o.fileencoding = "utf-8" -- Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
o.ruler = true -- Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a comma.
o.mouse = "a" -- Enable the use of the mouse. "a" you can use on all modes
o.title = true -- When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of 'titlestring'
o.hidden = true -- When on a buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed
o.ttimeoutlen = 0 -- The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key sequence to complete.
o.wildmenu = true -- When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced mode.
o.showcmd = true -- Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this option off if your terminal is slow.
o.showmatch = true -- When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one.
o.inccommand = "split" -- When nonempty, shows the effects of :substitute, :smagic, :snomagic and user commands with the :command-preview flag as you type.
o.splitbelow = "splitright" -- When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current one
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Add plugins

First, we should Install Packer in:

  • Linux: 
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wbthomason/packer.nvim\
 ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/packer/start/packer.nvim
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  • Windows Powershell: 
git clone https://github.com/wbthomason/packer.nvim "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim-data\site\pack\packer\start\packer.nvim"
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Then in the init.lua file we add the plugins file, like this:

-- 🌑 init.lua

require("settings")
require("plugins")
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And inside of plugins.lua file writes the next code:

-- 📂lua/🌑plugins.lua

-- Automatically run: PackerCompile
vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("BufWritePost", {
    group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup("PACKER", { clear = true }),
    pattern = "plugins.lua",
    command = "source <afile> | PackerCompile",
})

return require("packer").startup(function(use)
    -- Packer
    use("wbthomason/packer.nvim")

    -- Common utilities
    use("nvim-lua/plenary.nvim")

    -- Icons
    use("nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons")

    -- Colorschema
    use("rebelot/kanagawa.nvim")

    -- Statusline
    use({
        "nvim-lualine/lualine.nvim",
        event = "BufEnter",
        config = function()
            require("configs.lualine")
        end,
        requires = { "nvim-web-devicons" },
    })

    -- Treesitter
    use({
        "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
        run = function()
            require("nvim-treesitter.install").update({ with_sync = true })
        end,
        config = function()
            require("configs.treesitter")
        end,
    })

    use({ "windwp/nvim-ts-autotag", after = "nvim-treesitter" })

    -- Telescope
    use({
        "nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim",
        tag = "0.1.1",
        requires = { { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" } },
    })

    -- LSP
    use({
        "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
        config = function()
            require("configs.lsp")
        end,
    })

    use("onsails/lspkind-nvim")
    use({
        "L3MON4D3/LuaSnip",
        -- follow latest release.
        tag = "v<CurrentMajor>.*",
    })

    -- cmp: Autocomplete
    use({
        "hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",
        event = "InsertEnter",
        config = function()
            require("configs.cmp")
        end,
    })

    use("hrsh7th/cmp-nvim-lsp")

    use({ "hrsh7th/cmp-path", after = "nvim-cmp" })

    use({ "hrsh7th/cmp-buffer", after = "nvim-cmp" })

    -- LSP diagnostics, code actions, and more via Lua.
    use({
        "jose-elias-alvarez/null-ls.nvim",
        config = function()
            require("configs.null-ls")
        end,
        requires = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    })

    -- Mason: Portable package manager
    use({
        "williamboman/mason.nvim",
        config = function()
            require("mason").setup()
        end,
    })

    use({
        "williamboman/mason-lspconfig.nvim",
        config = function()
            require("configs.mason-lsp")
        end,
    })

    -- File manager
    use({
        "nvim-neo-tree/neo-tree.nvim",
        branch = "v2.x",
        requires = {
            "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
            "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons",
            "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
        },
    })

    -- Show colors
    use({
        "norcalli/nvim-colorizer.lua",
        config = function()
            require("colorizer").setup({ "*" })
        end,
    })

    -- Terminal
    use({
        "akinsho/toggleterm.nvim",
        tag = "*",
        config = function()
            require("configs.toggleterm")
        end,
    })

    -- Git
    use({
        "lewis6991/gitsigns.nvim",
        config = function()
            require("configs.gitsigns")
        end,
    })

    -- Markdown Preview
    use({
        "iamcco/markdown-preview.nvim",
        run = function()
            vim.fn["mkdp#util#install"]()
        end,
    })

    -- Auto pairs
    use({
        "windwp/nvim-autopairs",
        config = function()
            require("configs.autopairs")
        end,
    })

    -- Background Transparent
    use({
        "xiyaowong/nvim-transparent",
        config = function()
            require("transparent").setup({
                enable = true,
                extra_groups = {
                    "BufferLineTabClose",
                    "BufferlineBufferSelected",
                    "BufferLineFill",
                    "BufferLineBackground",
                    "BufferLineSeparator",
                    "BufferLineIndicatorSelected",
                },
                exclude = {},
            })
        end,
    })
end)
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Before of install the plugins, we should create the config files for the plugins that need them.

Note: First, create the configs folder inside of lua folder and here we put the plugins config.

Plugin configs

lualine 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑lualine.lua

local status, lualine = pcall(require, "lualine")
if not status then
    return
end

lualine.setup({
    options = {
        icons_enabled = true,
        theme = "powerline",
        component_separators = { left = "", right = "" },
        section_separators = { left = "", right = "" },
        disabled_filetypes = {
            statusline = {},
            winbar = {},
        },
        ignore_focus = {},
        always_divide_middle = true,
        globalstatus = false,
        refresh = {
            statusline = 1000,
            tabline = 1000,
            winbar = 1000,
        },
    },
    sections = {
        lualine_a = { "mode" },
        lualine_b = { "branch", "diff", "diagnostics" },
        lualine_c = { "filename" },
        lualine_x = { "encoding", "fileformat", "filetype" },
        lualine_y = { "progress" },
        lualine_z = { "location" },
    },
    inactive_sections = {
        lualine_a = {},
        lualine_b = {},
        lualine_c = { "filename" },
        lualine_x = { "location" },
        lualine_y = {},
        lualine_z = {},
    },
    tabline = {},
    winbar = {},
    inactive_winbar = {},
    extensions = {},
})
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treesitter 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑tresitter.lua

local status, ts = pcall(require, "nvim-treesitter.configs")
if not status then
    return
end

ts.setup({
    highlight = {
        enable = true,
        additional_vim_regex_highlighting = false,
    },
    context_commentstring = {
        enable = true,
        enable_autocmd = false,
    },
    ensure_installed = {
        "markdown",
        "tsx",
        "typescript",
        "javascript",
        "toml",
        "c_sharp",
        "json",
        "yaml",
        "rust",
        "css",
        "html",
        "lua",
    },
    rainbow = {
        enable = true,
        disable = { "html" },
        extended_mode = false,
        max_file_lines = nil,
    },
    autotag = { enable = true },
    incremental_selection = { enable = true },
    indent = { enable = true },
})

local parser_config = require("nvim-treesitter.parsers").get_parser_configs()
parser_config.tsx.filetype_to_parsername = { "javascript", "typescript.tsx" }
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autopairs 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑autopairs.lua

local status, autopairs = pcall(require, "nvim-autopairs")
if not status then
    return
end

autopairs.setup({
    disable_filetype = { "TelescopePrompt", "vim" },
})
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cmp 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑cmp.lua

local status, cmp = pcall(require, "cmp")
if not status then
    return
end

local lspkind = require("lspkind")

cmp.setup({
    snippet = {
        expand = function(args)
            require("luasnip").lsp_expand(args.body)
        end,
    },
    mapping = cmp.mapping.preset.insert({
        ["<C-d>"] = cmp.mapping.scroll_docs(-4),
        ["<C-f>"] = cmp.mapping.scroll_docs(4),
        ["<C-Space>"] = cmp.mapping.complete(),
        ["<C-e>"] = cmp.mapping.close(),
        ["<CR>"] = cmp.mapping.confirm({
            behavior = cmp.ConfirmBehavior.Replace,
            select = true,
        }),
    }),
    sources = cmp.config.sources({
        { name = "nvim_lsp" },
        { name = "buffer" },
    }),
})

vim.cmd([[
  set completeopt=menuone,noinsert,noselect
  highlight! default link CmpItemKind CmpItemMenuDefault
]])
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gitsigns 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑gitsigns.lua

local status, gitsigns = pcall(require, "gitsigns")

if not status then
    return
end

gitsigns.setup({
    signs = {
        add = { text = "│" },
        change = { text = "│" },
        delete = { text = "_" },
        topdelete = { text = "‾" },
        changedelete = { text = "~" },
        untracked = { text = "┆" },
    },
    signcolumn = true, -- Toggle with `:Gitsigns toggle_signs`
    numhl = false, -- Toggle with `:Gitsigns toggle_numhl`
    linehl = false, -- Toggle with `:Gitsigns toggle_linehl`
    word_diff = false, -- Toggle with `:Gitsigns toggle_word_diff`
    watch_gitdir = {
        interval = 1000,
        follow_files = true,
    },
    attach_to_untracked = true,
    current_line_blame = false, -- Toggle with `:Gitsigns toggle_current_line_blame`
    current_line_blame_opts = {
        virt_text = true,
        virt_text_pos = "eol", -- 'eol' | 'overlay' | 'right_align'
        delay = 1000,
        ignore_whitespace = false,
    },
    current_line_blame_formatter = "<author>, <author_time:%Y-%m-%d> - <summary>",
    sign_priority = 6,
    update_debounce = 100,
    status_formatter = nil, -- Use default
    max_file_length = 40000, -- Disable if file is longer than this (in lines)
    preview_config = {
        -- Options passed to nvim_open_win
        border = "single",
        style = "minimal",
        relative = "cursor",
        row = 0,
        col = 1,
    },
    yadm = {
        enable = false,
    },
})
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lsp 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑lsp.lua

local status, nvim_lsp = pcall(require, "lspconfig")
if not status then
    return
end

local protocol = require("vim.lsp.protocol")

local on_attach = function(client, bufnr)
    -- format on save
    if client.server_capabilities.documentFormattingProvider then
        vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("BufWritePre", {
            group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup("Format", { clear = true }),
            buffer = bufnr,
            callback = function()
                vim.lsp.buf.formatting_seq_sync()
            end,
        })
    end
end

local capabilities = require("cmp_nvim_lsp").default_capabilities()

-- TypeScript
nvim_lsp.tsserver.setup({
    on_attach = on_attach,
    capabilities = capabilities,
})

-- CSS
nvim_lsp.cssls.setup({
    on_attach = on_attach,
    capabilities = capabilities,
})

-- Tailwind
nvim_lsp.tailwindcss.setup({
    on_attach = on_attach,
    capabilities = capabilities,
})
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mason-lsp 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑mason-lsp.lua
local status, masonlsp = pcall(require, "mason-lspconfig")

if not status then
    return
end

masonlsp.setup({
    automatic_installation = true,
    ensure_installed = {
        "cssls",
        "eslint",
        "html",
        "jsonls",
        "tsserver",
        "pyright",
        "tailwindcss",
    },
})
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null-ls 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑null-ls.lua

local status, nls = pcall(require, "null-ls")

if not status then
    return
end

local augroup = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup("LspFormatting", {})

local fmt = nls.builtins.formatting
local dgn = nls.builtins.diagnostics
local cda = nls.builtins.code_actions

nls.setup({
    sources = {

        -- Formatting
        fmt.prettierd,
        fmt.eslint_d,
        fmt.prettier.with({
            filetypes = { "html", "json", "yaml", "markdown", "javascript", "typescript" },
        }),
        fmt.stylua,
        fmt.rustfmt,

        -- Diagnostics
        dgn.eslint_d,
        dgn.shellcheck,
        dgn.pylint.with({
            method = nls.methods.DIAGNOSTICS_ON_SAVE,
        }),

        -- Code Actions
        cda.eslint_d,
        cda.shellcheck,
    },
    on_attach = function(client, bufnr)
        if client.supports_method("textDocument/formatting") then
            vim.api.nvim_clear_autocmds({ group = augroup, buffer = bufnr })
            vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("BufWritePre", {
                group = augroup,
                buffer = bufnr,
                callback = function()
                    vim.lsp.buf.format({ bufnr = bufnr })
                end,
            })
        end
    end,
})
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toggleterm 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑toggleterm.lua

local status, toggleterm = pcall(require, "toggleterm")

if not status then
    return
end

toggleterm.setup({
    size = 10,
    open_mapping = [[<F7>]],
    shading_factor = 2,
    direction = "float",
    float_opts = {
        border = "curved",
        highlights = {
            border = "Normal",
            background = "Normal",
        },
    },
})
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kanagawa 

-- 📂lua/📂configs/🌑kanagawa.lua

local status, kanagawa = pcall(require, "kanagawa")

if not status then
    return
end

kanagawa.setup({
    undercurl = true, -- enable undercurls
    commentStyle = { italic = true },
    functionStyle = {},
    keywordStyle = { italic = true },
    statementStyle = { bold = true },
    typeStyle = {},
    variablebuiltinStyle = { italic = true },
    specialReturn = true, -- special highlight for the return keyword
    specialException = true, -- special highlight for exception handling keywords
    transparent = false, -- do not set background color
    dimInactive = false, -- dim inactive window `:h hl-NormalNC`
    globalStatus = false, -- adjust window separators highlight for laststatus=3
    terminalColors = true, -- define vim.g.terminal_color_{0,17}
    colors = {},
    overrides = {},
    theme = "default", -- Load "default" theme or the experimental "light" theme
})
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Inside of init.lua we put the color scheme config

-- 🌑init.lua

require("settings")
require("plugins")

-- colorscheme config: kanagawa
local themeStatus, kanagawa = pcall(require, "kanagawa")

if themeStatus then
    vim.cmd("colorscheme kanagawa")
else
    return
end
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✅ When the config files are all right, we write the command:

:PackerSync
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or

nvim +PackerSync
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⌨ Editor key bindings

Inside of init.lua file requires the key bindings configs:

-- 🌑init.lua

require("settings")
require("plugins")
require("maps") -- key mappings

-- colorscheme config: kanagawa
local themeStatus, kanagawa = pcall(require, "kanagawa")

if themeStatus then
    vim.cmd("colorscheme kanagawa")
else
    return
end
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maps 

-- 📂lua/🌑maps.lua

local function map(mode, lhs, rhs)
    vim.keymap.set(mode, lhs, rhs, { silent = true })
end

local status, telescope = pcall(require, "telescope.builtin")
if status then
    -- Telescope
    map("n", "<leader>ff", telescope.find_files)
    map("n", "<leader>fg", telescope.live_grep)
    map("n", "<leader>fb", telescope.buffers)
    map("n", "<leader>fh", telescope.help_tags)
    map("n", "<leader>fs", telescope.git_status)
    map("n", "<leader>fc", telescope.git_commits)
else
    print("Telescope not found")
end

-- Save
map("n", "<leader>w", "<CMD>update<CR>")

-- Quit
map("n", "<leader>q", "<CMD>q<CR>")

-- Exit insert mode
map("i", "jk", "<ESC>")

-- Windows
map("n", "<leader>ñ", "<CMD>vsplit<CR>")
map("n", "<leader>p", "<CMD>split<CR>")

-- NeoTree
map("n", "<leader>e", "<CMD>Neotree toggle<CR>")
map("n", "<leader>o", "<CMD>Neotree focus<CR>")

-- Buffer
map("n", "<TAB>", "<CMD>bnext<CR>")
map("n", "<S-TAB>", "<CMD>bprevious<CR>")

-- Terminal
map("n", "<leader>th", "<CMD>ToggleTerm size=10 direction=horizontal<CR>")
map("n", "<leader>tv", "<CMD>ToggleTerm size=80 direction=vertical<CR>")

-- Markdown Preview
map("n", "<leader>m", "<CMD>MarkdownPreview<CR>")
map("n", "<leader>mn", "<CMD>MarkdownPreviewStop<CR>")

-- Window Navigation
map("n", "<C-h>", "<C-w>h")
map("n", "<C-l>", "<C-w>l")
map("n", "<C-k>", "<C-w>k")
map("n", "<C-j>", "<C-w>j")

-- Resize Windows
map("n", "<C-Left>", "<C-w><")
map("n", "<C-Right>", "<C-w>>")
map("n", "<C-Up>", "<C-w>+")
map("n", "<C-Down>", "<C-w>-")
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✨ With this, you should have the neovim editor as an IDE and ready for hacking!

📚 Resources

Top comments (5)

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izaias_correaizaias_2f profile image
Izaias Correa (Izaias) •

so good, man!

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axiomaabsurdo profile image
Matias Mortara •

Thanks for your detailed tutorial. Works really fine for me.

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drsimplegraffiti profile image
Abayomi Ogunnusi •

This is one of the finest tutorial I have ever seen on neovim configuration. Thank you so much

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aixuexi profile image
FelixLee •

This tutorial is so helpful , thanks!

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alejandrofnadal profile image
Alejandro Nadal •

Hey, excellent guide. One detail:
For everyone doing this, update the tag from telescope to 0.1.5, the 0.1.1 has quite some issues. The tag is in the plugins.lua

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