Quick Start¶

Get up and running with your Neovim environment in just a few minutes.

30-Second Setup¶

git clone https://github.com/clintonsteiner/nvim.git ~/dotfiles/nvim
cd ~/dotfiles/nvim
python3 install.py
# Answer 'y' to each prompt
nvim  # Launch Neovim

Your Neovim configuration is now ready!

First Launch¶

When you launch Neovim for the first time, you’ll see:

Plugin installation - Press y to install all plugins
Treesitter parsers - The script will offer to install language parsers
LSP activation - The LSP will activate automatically for Python files

Check that everything is working:

:checkhealth

Essential Keybindings¶

Press <leader> (space by default) and wait to see all available commands. Here are the most useful ones:

File Navigation:

<C-f> - Find files
<C-b> - Switch between open buffers
<C-g> - Search git files

Python Development:

<leader>t - Run tests on current file
<leader>f - Format code with darker
gd - Go to definition
gr - Find all references

Text Editing:

<leader>w - Toggle line wrapping
<leader>d - Toggle diagnostic messages

For a complete list, see Keybindings.

Opening a Python Project¶

To work on a Python project:

cd /path/to/your/python/project
nvim

The LSP will automatically activate and provide:

Code completion
Go to definition
Find references
Inline diagnostics
Code formatting

Running Tests¶

To run tests on your current Python file:

<leader>t

Or to run a specific test function:

<leader>T

The output appears in a floating terminal at the bottom of the screen.

Formatting Code¶

Format your current Python file with:

<leader>f

Darker preserves your line length and style preferences. Configuration is in pyproject.toml.

Finding Things with FZF¶

FZF is deeply integrated for fast searching:

<C-f> - Search files by name
<C-b> - Search open buffers
<C-g> - Search git files
<leader>r - Search file contents

Type to filter, use arrow keys to navigate, press Enter to select.

Next Steps¶

After your initial setup, consider:

Customize keybindings - Edit lua/plugin/which-key.lua
Add language servers - Edit lua/lsp/lsp.lua for other languages
Configure plugins - Modify files in lua/plugin/
Read the full documentation - See Customization for detailed options

Need Help?¶

If something doesn’t work:

Run :checkhealth in Neovim
Check the Troubleshooting guide
Review the README.md in the repository

Common Issues and Fixes¶

LSP not working:

~/.virtualenvs/nvim/bin/python -m pip install zuban

FZF commands not responding:

brew install fzf ripgrep

Missing syntax highlighting:

:TSInstall python lua comment

See Troubleshooting for more detailed solutions.