# How to correctly install \`julia-vim\`?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-correctly-install-julia-vim/82260>\
**Category:** Tooling\
**Tags:** vim\
**Created:** [June 5, 2022, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-correctly-install-julia-vim/82260 "2022-06-05T05:36:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thudjx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/thudjx/32/15231_2.png) [@thudjx](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/thudjx)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2022, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-correctly-install-julia-vim/82260/1 "2022-06-05T05:36:36Z")

</div>

I am trying to install the `julia-vim` plugin into vim.  
I tried to use the [built-in-package-management](https://github.com/JuliaEditorSupport/julia-vim/blob/master/INSTALL.md#using-built-in-package-management) to install the package, as this is the most easy one.  
But It seemed that nothing happend to my vim. When opening a `.jl` file, there is no julia style highlights, and the latex-to-unicode substitutiong does not work either.  
I am not an export in vim, so I really have no clue what is going on here and how to trouble-shoot.  
Here is the info returned by `:version` in vim:

```julia
VIM - Vi IMproved 8.1 (2018 May 18, compiled Feb 01 2022 09:16:32)
Included patches: 1-2269, 3612, 3625, 3669, 3741
Modified by team+vim@tracker.debian.org
Compiled by team+vim@tracker.debian.org
Huge version without GUI. Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl +cmdline_compl +emacs_tags +insert_expand +modify_fname +netbeans_intg -ruby +termguicolors +visualextra
+arabic +cmdline_hist +eval +job +mouse +num64 +scrollbind +terminal +viminfo
+autocmd +cmdline_info +ex_extra +jumplist -mouseshape +packages +signs +terminfo +vreplace
+autochdir +comments +extra_search +keymap +mouse_dec +path_extra +smartindent +termresponse +wildignore
-autoservername +conceal -farsi +lambda +mouse_gpm -perl +sound +textobjects +wildmenu
-balloon_eval +cryptv +file_in_path +langmap -mouse_jsbterm +persistent_undo +spell +textprop +windows
+balloon_eval_term +cscope +find_in_path +libcall +mouse_netterm +postscript +startuptime +timers +writebackup
-browse +cursorbind +float +linebreak +mouse_sgr +printer +statusline +title -X11
++builtin_terms +cursorshape +folding +lispindent -mouse_sysmouse +profile -sun_workshop -toolbar -xfontset
+byte_offset +dialog_con -footer +listcmds +mouse_urxvt -python +syntax +user_commands -xim
+channel +diff +fork() +localmap +mouse_xterm +python3 +tag_binary +vartabs -xpm
+cindent +digraphs +gettext -lua +multi_byte +quickfix -tag_old_static +vertsplit -xsmp
-clientserver -dnd -hangul_input +menu +multi_lang +reltime -tag_any_white +virtualedit -xterm_clipboard
-clipboard -ebcdic +iconv +mksession -mzscheme +rightleft -tcl +visual -xterm_save
   system vimrc file: "$VIM/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
 2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
       defaults file: "$VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/share/vim"
Compilation: gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -Wdate-time -g -O2 -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/vim-9EpYYi/vim-8.1.2269=. -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -D_REENT
RANT -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1
Linking: gcc -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -Wl,-z,relro -Wl,-z,now -Wl,--as-needed -o vim -lm -ltinfo -lnsl -lselinux -lcanberra -lacl -lattr -lgpm -ldl -L/usr/lib/python3.8/conf
ig-3.8-x86_64-linux-gnu -lpython3.8 -lcrypt -lpthread -ldl -lutil -lm -lm

```

Any help is welcomed. Thanks in advance!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![oheil](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/oheil/32/220745_2.png) [@oheil](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oheil)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2022, 11:06am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-correctly-install-julia-vim/82260/2 "2022-06-05T11:06:07Z")

</div>

After installing following the built-in-package-management procedure I had also to switch syntax highlighting on with  
`:syntax on`  
or system wide in  
`/etc/vim/vimrc`  
`~/vimrc` will work too.

The Tab-completion did work without any changes just after installing as described (checked with `\alpha`).

But what I can’t get to work is `:help julia-vim` I get `E149: Sorry, no help for julia-vim`  
`:version`  
VIM - Vi IMproved 8.1 (2018 May 18, compiled Dec 25 2021 15:48:51)

`:scriptnames` gives:

```julia
...
 20: ~/.vim/pack/plugins/start/julia-vim/ftdetect/julia.vim
 21: /usr/share/vim/vim81/syntax/lisp.vim
 22: ~/.vim/pack/plugins/start/julia-vim/autoload/LaTeXtoUnicode.vim
 23: ~/.vim/pack/plugins/start/julia-vim/autoload/julia_latex_symbols.vim
 24: ~/.vim/pack/plugins/start/julia-vim/syntax/julia.vim
 25: /usr/share/vim/vim81/syntax/vim.vim

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thudjx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/thudjx/32/15231_2.png) [@thudjx](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/thudjx)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 6:24am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-correctly-install-julia-vim/82260/3 "2022-06-16T06:24:53Z")

</div>

Well, I finally moved to `neovim`, whose unpack-and-use version works quite fine.  
As for your problem, have you tried `:helptags ALL`?