NvChad

Sources:

NvChad
NvChad --- Rocky Linux
Dreams of Code’s NvChad playlist
BrunoKrugel’s Github repo

Note: This article will only focus on NvChad itself. If you want to simply copy my computer configs (ALL OF THEM), you can refer to How to Set Up on A New Machine.

How to install

—> NvChad Installation Doc

Install NvChad

git clone https://github.com/NvChad/NvChad ~/.config/nvim --depth 1 && nvim

Set environment variable in ~/.zshrc for convience:

export NVIM_CUSTOM_HOME="$DOT_FILE_HOME/nvchad_custom"

Install NvChad. Detete its default custom file. Use a symbol link, which is to my custom file in the dotfile, to replace it.
```
ln -s  $NVIM_CUSTOM_HOME/ ~/.config/nvim/lua/custom
```

Components

Treesitter

Nvim-treesitter plugin is used to suport syntax highlighting in NvChad. It can be used for various things such as auto indent etc too.

For knowing correct parser names, do check nvim-treesitter docs
You can also get a list of all available languages and their installation status with :TSInstallInfo
```
TSInstallInfo
```
To install parsers:
```
TSInstall <parser>
```
Example:

TSInstall lua html

But this may be tedious when you have so many parsers to install and you’d have to repeat this step if you’re re-installing nvchad with your old custom settings.

Telescope

FInd finds in current peoject (aka directory):

<leader> + ff

FInd finds in current buffer:

<leader> + fz

FInd finds in all buffers:

<leader> + fb

Functionalitoes

Cheet sheet:
```
<Ctrl> + ch
```

Window Management

window —> buffer

tab —> buffer

Nagivate windows:
```
<Ctrl> + [hjkl]
```
Navigate tabs:
```
<Tab>
```
Close current buffer:
```
<leader> + x
```
Split windows:
```
:vsp
```
(vertical split)

Terminal

Open terminal horizontally:
```
<leader> + h
```
vertically
```
<leader> + v
```

LSP

neovim/nvim-lspconfig

In custom/plugins.lua:

-- In order to modify the \`lspconfig\` configuration:
 
{
 
  "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
 
   config = function()
 
      require "plugins.configs.lspconfig"
 
      require "custom.configs.lspconfig"
 
   end,
 
},

This controls the behavior of LSP.

The file plugins/configs/lspconfi.lua is thr system config, we shouldn’t change it. What we need to modify is custom/configs/lspconfig.lua. We can see its content:

local on_attach = require("plugins.configs.lspconfig").on_attach
 
local capabilities = require("plugins.configs.lspconfig").capabilities
 
local lspconfig = require("lspconfig")
 
-- if you just want default config for the servers then put them in a table
 
local servers = { "html", "cssls", "tsserver", "clangd", "pyright" }
 
-- Add attach and capabilities to every lspconfig[<lsp_server>]
 
for _, lsp in ipairs(servers) do
 
  lspconfig[lsp].setup {
 
    on_attach = on_attach,
 
    capabilities = capabilities,
 
  }
 
end

It’s clear that the function for loop for _, lsp in ipairs(servers) do ... end add the on_attach and capabilities attributes to every lsp server defined in the list servers.

So if we have a new lsp server, it has to be added to the servers list.

Mason.nvim

The mason.nvim plugin is used to install LSP servers, formatters, linters, and debug adapters.

Note: Packages are installed in Neovim’s data directory (:h standard-path) by default. In Unix, it’s under ~/.local/share/nvim

You can mannualy install lsp packages using :Mason, that will open a window.

However, It’s better to list all your required packages in the config file so they automatically install when running MasonInstallAll command.

As you can see in the custom/plugins.lua:

-- override plugin configs
 
{
 
  "williamboman/mason.nvim",
 
  opts = overrides.mason
 
},

It reads the mason part of the override config file custom/configs/overrides.lua:

M.mason = {
 
  ensure_installed = {
 
    -- lua stuff
 
    "lua-language-server",
 
    "stylua",
 
    -- web dev stuff
 
    "css-lsp",
 
    "html-lsp",
 
    "typescript-language-server",
 
    "deno",
 
    "prettier",
 
    -- c/cpp stuff
 
    "clangd",
 
    "clang-format",
 
    -- python stuff
 
    "pyright",
 
  },
 
}

Format & Lint

It is recommended that you install null-ls to manage formatting & linting. It hae s been installed as a dependency of neovim/nvim-lspconfig.

-- In "custom/plugins.lua"
 
{
 
   "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
 
   dependencies = {
 
     -- format & linting
 
     {
 
       "jose-elias-alvarez/null-ls.nvim",
 
       config = function()
 
         require "custom.configs.null-ls" -- null-ls.nvim!!!
 
       end,
 
     },
 
   },
 
   -- .....
 
 },

As before, if we want to customize, we need to modify file custom.configs.null-ls.

DAP

All custimzation should be made in the custom file.

There are 2 important files in custom dir which extend NvChad:

custom/chadrc.lua meant to override that table in default_config.lua file
custom/init.lua runs in the main init.lua, its meant to have vim options, globals, autocmds, commands etc.

The download of nvim-dap-ui may be slow. If you didn’t see the UI when debugging, please install this plugin mannually.

Customization

The config dir is ~/.config/nvim/lua, with total structure

.
 
├── LICENSE
 
├── init.lua
 
├── lazy-lock.json
 
└── lua
 
    ├── core
 
    │   ├── bootstrap.lua
 
    │   ├── default_config.lua
 
    │   ├── init.lua
 
    │   ├── mappings.lua
 
    │   └── utils.lua
 
    ├── custom
 
    │   ├── README.md
 
    │   ├── chadrc.lua
 
    │   ├── configs
 
    │   ├── highlights.lua
 
    │   ├── init.lua
 
    │   ├── mappings.lua
 
    │   └── plugins.lua
 
    └── plugins
 
        ├── configs
 
        └── init.lua

init.lua - runs whole config
core/default_config - returns a table of default options in NvChad.
core/mappings - default mappings
core/init - default globals, nvim options, commands, autocmds
core/utils - helpful functions

How to add LSP server

First, to install a lsp server, we need to add lsp config in the mason part of custom/configs/overrides.lua. For instance, we add a lsp server “pyright” to it.

M.mason = {
  ensure_installed = {
    -- Other servers
        -- ....
        
    -- python stuff
    "pyright",
  },
}

Next, we need to add this server to the servers list in custom/configs/lspconfig.lua. For instance, since we already have a pyright server, we add it in the list:
```
-- In "custom/configs/lspconfig.lua"
local servers = { "html", "cssls", "tsserver", "clangd", "pyright" }
```
config this server so that it can apply to python files. In we h

Other Plugins

olimorris/persisted.nvim
Zeioth/compiler.nvim
akinsho/toggleterm.nvim
nvim-neotest/neotest
folke/noice.nvim: colorful floating notice message

CPP

By default, clang-format is K&R style. You can change the format by putting a .clang-format file in the project.

For instance, if you want to use Google clang style:

clang-format --style Google --dump-config > .clang-format

Then save and format.

Plugins

Project Manager

The following table shows all available operations

`<CR>`	Opens the project under the cursor
`<C-a>`	Adds a project through an interactive procedure
`<C-d>`	Delete a project
`<C-e>`	Change project settings
`<C-q>`	Close buffer

To add your first project you will need to use the combination Ctrl + a which will open an interactive menu in the statusline.

Run

Don’t need to <leader> +dus

Rust

RustDebuggales

Quartz 5

Explorer