Short guides.Sharpened tools.
The setup fixes and reference cards we wish someone had handed us on day one. Read the guide, then practice the motions in Vim Sensei.
Remap Caps Lock for the Vim-pilled.
Caps Lock is in the best position on your keyboard and does the worst job. We're going to fix that — one key that acts as Control when held and Escape when tapped.
Install Vim and Neovim in 60 seconds.
One command per OS gets you both editors. Vim Sensei runs real Vim — but you'll want Neovim too the moment you start configuring an IDE setup. Get them both now.
Set Space as your Leader Key.
The leader key is the gateway to every custom shortcut you'll ever build. The default — backslash — is in a terrible position. Use Space instead. It's right under your thumb and does nothing useful in normal mode.
Why also use Neovim?
You just learned Vim. Why are we switching engines for Row 2? Short version — Vim is your everywhere editor, Neovim is your IDE. They're the same muscle memory, two different jobs. Here's the case for keeping both.
Why Neovim needs a Plugin Manager.
Vanilla Neovim with no plugin manager is a chore. A manager replaces git-clone-and-pray with a single Lua file you own. Here's why one exists, and why this curriculum picked lazy.nvim out of the field.
Bootstrap lazy.nvim.
One Lua snippet turns a bare Neovim into a plugin-ready editor. Here's the exact bootstrap code, where it goes, and how to confirm it's alive — before you write a single plugin spec.
Install the LazyVim distro.
One clone turns a bare Neovim into a fully configured IDE. Here's what LazyVim actually is, how it differs from hand-rolling your own lazy.nvim config, and how to install and verify it — before you touch a single keybinding.
New keybinding → new muscle memory.
Reading only gets you so far. Your fingers need reps.