Vim 9 Ignoring Stuff on /usr/share/vim/vim90/

When using Vim 9, you may come across situations where you want to ignore certain files or directories located in the /usr/share/vim/vim90/ directory. This article will guide you through the process of ignoring stuff in Vim 9, providing easy-to-understand instructions for entry-level users.

Understanding the /usr/share/vim/vim90/ Directory

The /usr/share/vim/vim90/ directory is the location where Vim 9 stores its system-wide files. These files include various scripts, plugins, syntax highlighting rules, and other resources that Vim uses to enhance its functionality.

While these files are important for Vim to work properly, there may be situations where you want to exclude specific files or directories from being loaded or processed by Vim. This could be due to performance reasons, conflicts with other plugins, or simply because you don't need certain features.

Ignoring Files and Directories in Vim 9

Vim 9 provides a simple and flexible mechanism to ignore files and directories within the /usr/share/vim/vim90/ directory. This mechanism is based on a file called .vimrc, which allows you to customize Vim's behavior.

To start ignoring files or directories, follow these steps:

1. Create a .vimrc file if you don't already have one. This file should be located in your home directory.
2. Open the .vimrc file using a text editor.
3. Add the following line to the file to ignore a specific file or directory:
   set ignore+=/usr/share/vim/vim90/file_or_directory_name
4. Save the .vimrc file and exit the text editor.

By following these steps, you are telling Vim to ignore the specified file or directory when loading or processing system-wide files from the /usr/share/vim/vim90/ directory.

If you want to ignore multiple files or directories, simply repeat step 3 for each file or directory you want to exclude.

Verifying Ignored Files and Directories

After adding the ignore rules to your .vimrc file, you can verify whether Vim is correctly ignoring the specified files or directories. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Vim by typing vim in your terminal or command prompt.
2. Enter the following command within Vim:
   :scriptnames

This command will display a list of all the scripts that Vim has loaded. If the ignored files or directories are not listed in the output, it means Vim is successfully ignoring them.

Removing Ignore Rules

If you want to remove an ignore rule for a specific file or directory, you can simply edit your .vimrc file and remove the corresponding line. Save the file and restart Vim for the changes to take effect.

If you want to remove all ignore rules and revert to the default behavior of Vim, you can delete the entire .vimrc file. However, be cautious as this will remove all your customizations and settings.

Ignoring files and directories in Vim 9's /usr/share/vim/vim90/ directory is a useful feature that allows you to customize your Vim environment. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily exclude specific files or directories from being loaded or processed by Vim. Remember to always verify the ignore rules and make sure they are working as expected.

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