[](https://travis-ci.org/mhinz/neovim-remote)
[](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/neovim-remote)
neovim-remote
This package provides an executable called **nvr** which solves these cases:
- Controlling nvim processes from the shell. E.g. opening files in another
terminal window.
- Opening files from within `:terminal` without starting a nested nvim process.
---
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Theory](#theory)
- [First steps](#first-steps)
- [Typical use cases](#typical-use-cases)
- [Demos](#demos)
- [FAQ](#faq)
---
## Installation
pip3 install neovim-remote
If you encounter any issues, e.g. permission denied errors or you can't find the
`nvr` executable, read [INSTALLATION.md](INSTALLATION.md).
## Theory
**Nvim** always starts a server. Get its address with `:echo v:servername`. Or
specify an address at startup: `nvim --listen /tmp/nvimsocket`.
**nvr** (the client) will use any address given to it via `--servername`,
`$NVIM_LISTEN_ADDRESS` (obsolete in nvim but still supported in nvr), or
defaults to `/tmp/nvimsocket`.
If the targeted address does not exist, **nvr** starts a new process by running
"nvim". You can change the command by setting `$NVR_CMD`. _(This requires
forking, so it won't work on Windows.)_
## First steps
Start a nvim process (which acts as a server) in one shell:
nvim --listen /tmp/nvimsocket
And do this in another shell:
```sh
# nvr uses /tmp/nvimsocket by default, so we're good.
# Open two files:
nvr --remote file1 file2
# Send keys to the current buffer:
nvr --remote-send 'iabc'
# Enter insert mode, insert 'abc', and go back to normal mode again.
# Evaluate any VimL expression, e.g. get the current buffer:
nvr --remote-expr 'bufname("")'
README.md
```
click here to see all nvr options
```
$ nvr -h
usage: nvr [arguments]
Remote control Neovim processes.
If no process is found, a new one will be started.
$ nvr --remote-send 'iabc'
$ nvr --remote-expr 'map([1,2,3], "v:val + 1")'
Any arguments not consumed by options will be fed to --remote-silent:
$ nvr --remote-silent file1 file2
$ nvr file1 file2
All --remote options take optional commands.
Exception: --remote-expr, --remote-send.
$ nvr +10 file
$ nvr +'echomsg "foo" | echomsg "bar"' file
$ nvr --remote-tab-wait +'set bufhidden=delete' file
Open files in a new window from a terminal buffer:
$ nvr -cc split file1 file2
Use nvr from git to edit commit messages:
$ git config --global core.editor 'nvr --remote-wait-silent'
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--remote [ [ ...]]
Use :edit to open files. If no process is found, throw
an error and start a new one.
--remote-wait [ [ ...]]
Like --remote, but block until all buffers opened by
this option get deleted or the process exits.
--remote-silent [ [ ...]]
Like --remote, but throw no error if no process is
found.
--remote-wait-silent [ [ ...]]
Combines --remote-wait and --remote-silent.
--remote-tab [ [ ...]]
Like --remote, but use :tabedit.
--remote-tab-wait [ [ ...]]
Like --remote-wait, but use :tabedit.
--remote-tab-silent [ [ ...]]
Like --remote-silent, but use :tabedit.
--remote-tab-wait-silent [ [ ...]]
Like --remote-wait-silent, but use :tabedit.
--remote-send Send key presses.
--remote-expr Evaluate expression and print result in shell.
--servername Set the address to be used. This overrides the default
"/tmp/nvimsocket" and $NVIM_LISTEN_ADDRESS.
--serverlist Print the TCPv4 and Unix domain socket addresses of
all nvim processes.
-cc Execute a command before every other option.
-c Execute a command after every other option.
-d Diff mode. Use :diffthis on all to be opened buffers.
-l Change to previous window via ":wincmd p".
-o [ ...]
Open files via ":split".
-O [ ...]
Open files via ":vsplit".
-p [ ...]
Open files via ":tabedit".
-q Read errorfile into quickfix list and display first
error.
-s Silence "no server found" message.
-t Jump to file and position of given tag.
--nostart If no process is found, do not start a new one.
--version Show the nvr version.
Development: https://github.com/mhinz/neovim-remote
Happy hacking!
```
## Typical use cases
- **Open files from within `:terminal` without starting a nested nvim process.**
Easy-peasy! Just `nvr file`.
This works without any prior setup, because `$NVIM` is always set for all
children of the nvim process, including `:terminal`, and `nvr` will default
to that address.
I often work with two windows next to each other. If one contains the
terminal, I can use `nvr -l foo` to open the file in the other window.
- **Open files always in the same nvim process no matter which terminal you're in.**
Just `nvr -s` starts a new nvim process with the server address set to
`/tmp/nvimsocket`.
Now, no matter which terminal you are in, `nvr file` will always work on
that nvim process. That is akin to `emacsclient` from Emacs.
- **Use nvr in plugins.**
Some plugins rely on the `--remote` family of options from Vim. Nvim had to
remove those when they switched to outsource a lot of manual code to libuv.
These options are [planned to be added back](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/issues/1750), though.
In these cases nvr can be used as a drop-in replacement. E.g.
[vimtex](https://github.com/lervag/vimtex) can be configured to use nvr to
jump to a certain file and line: [read](https://github.com/lervag/vimtex/blob/80b96c13fe9edc5261e9be104fe15cf3bdc3173d/doc/vimtex.txt#L1702-L1708).
- **Use nvr as git editor.**
Imagine Neovim is set as your default editor via `$VISUAL` or `$EDITOR`.
Running `git commit` in a regular shell starts a nvim process. But in a
terminal buffer (`:terminal`), a new nvim process starts as well. Now you
have one nvim nested within another.
If you do not want this, put this in your vimrc:
```vim
if has('nvim')
let $GIT_EDITOR = 'nvr -cc split --remote-wait'
endif
```
That way, you get a new window for inserting the commit message instead of a
nested nvim process. But git still waits for nvr to finish, so make sure to
delete the buffer after saving the commit message: `:w | bd`.
If you don't like using `:w | bd` and prefer the good old `:wq` (or `:x`),
put the following in your vimrc:
```vim
autocmd FileType gitcommit,gitrebase,gitconfig set bufhidden=delete
```
To use nvr from a regular shell as well:
$ git config --global core.editor 'nvr --remote-wait-silent'
- **Use nvr as git mergetool.**
If you want to use nvr for `git difftool` and `git mergetool`, put this in
your gitconfig:
```
[diff]
tool = nvr
[difftool "nvr"]
cmd = nvr -s -d $LOCAL $REMOTE
[merge]
tool = nvr
[mergetool "nvr"]
cmd = nvr -s -d $LOCAL $BASE $REMOTE $MERGED -c 'wincmd J | wincmd ='
```
`nvr -d` is a shortcut for `nvr -d -O` and acts like `vim -d`, thus it uses
`:vsplit` to open the buffers. If you want them to be opened via `:split`
instead, use `nvr -d -o`.
When used as mergetool and all four buffers got opened, the cursor is in the
window containing the $MERGED buffer. We move it to the bottom via `:wincmd
J` and then equalize the size of all windows via `:wincmd =`.
- **Use nvr for scripting.**
You might draw some inspiration from [this Reddit
thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/neovim/comments/aex45u/integrating_nvr_and_tmux_to_use_a_single_tmux_per).
## Demos
_(Click on the GIFs to watch them full-size.)_
Using nvr from another shell: 
Using nvr from within `:terminal`: 
## FAQ
- **How to open directories?**
`:e /tmp` opens a directory view via netrw. Netrw works by hooking into certain
events, `BufEnter` in this case (see `:au FileExplorer` for all of them).
Unfortunately Neovim's API doesn't trigger any autocmds on its own, so simply
`nvr /tmp` won't work. Meanwhile you can work around it like this:
$ nvr /tmp -c 'doautocmd BufEnter'
- **Reading from stdin?**
Yes! E.g. `echo "foo\nbar" | nvr -o -` and `cat file | nvr --remote -` work just
as you would expect them to work.
- **Exit code?**
If you use a [recent enough
Neovim](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/commit/d2e8c76dc22460ddfde80477dd93aab3d5866506), nvr will use the same exit code as the linked nvim.
E.g. `nvr --remote-wait ` and then `:cquit` in the linked nvim will make
nvr return with 1.
- **How to send a message to all waiting clients?**
If you open a buffer with any of the _wait_ options, that buffer will get a
variable `b:nvr`. The variable contains a list of channels wheres each
channel is a waiting nvr client.
Currently nvr only understands the `Exit` message. You could use it to
disconnect all waiting nvr clients at once:
```vim
command! DisconnectClients
\ if exists('b:nvr')
\| for client in b:nvr
\| silent! call rpcnotify(client, 'Exit', 1)
\| endfor
\| endif
```
- **Can I have auto-completion for bash/fish?**
If you want basic auto-completion for bash, you can source [this
script](contrib/completion.bash) in your .bashrc.
This also completes server names with the `--servername` option.
If you want auto-completion for fish, you can add [this
file](contrib/completion.fish) to your fish completions dir.