Vim

A file that contains initialization commands is called a "vimrc" file. Each line in a vimrc file is executed as an Ex command line. It is sometimes also referred to as "exrc" file. They are the same type of file, but "exrc" is what Vi always used, "vimrc" is a Vim specific name. Also see |vimrc-intro|.

Places for your personal initializations:

Unix            $HOME/.vimrc or $HOME/.vim/vimrc
OS/2            $HOME/.vimrc, $HOME/vimfiles/vimrc
                or $VIM/.vimrc (or _vimrc)
MS-Windows      $HOME/_vimrc, $HOME/vimfiles/vimrc
                or $VIM/_vimrc
Amiga           s:.vimrc, home:.vimrc, home:vimfiles:vimrc
                or $VIM/.vimrc

The files are searched in the order specified above and only the first one that is found is read.

RECOMMENDATION: Put all your Vim configuration stuff in the $HOME/.vim/ directory ($HOME/vimfiles/ for MS-Windows). That makes it easy to copy it to another system.

If Vim was started with "-u filename", the file "filename" is used. All following initializations until 4. are skipped. $MYVIMRC is not set.

"vim -u NORC" can be used to skip these initializations without reading a file. "vim -u NONE" also skips loading plugins. |-u|

If Vim was started in Ex mode with the "-s" argument, all following initializations until 4. are skipped. Only the "-u" option is interpreted.