I have a minimal setup of Lenny/Sid running in a VM. The idea being that I will learn more if I stay on the command line. The minimal install is missing the full version of some programs. Vim is one, but I have already installed vim, vim-runtime, vim-python according to synaptic.

I am learning Python. When opening file.py the editor does not indent properly or highlight syntax. In vim ":syntax enable" does not give full python syntax highlighting.

I followed this walkthrough, but there was no effect. Could it be because I installed Python3.0 from source? My .vimrc file is not created, do I need to point to the plugin files I install in ~/.vim/* ?

Try installing vim-full

OR, vim-common

I followed both suggestions. I had vim-common already, but added vim-full and a package that had to do with debugging c. I think.

This didn't solve the problem, so I'm going to delete the ~/.vim/... and .vimrc files and start from scratch. I remember having close to correct highlighting and indentation from scratch at one time.

Any hints will be appreciated, but I'll get it eventually.

After looking at it for a bit, I think it probably has to do with my environment. I have an eight-bit color terminal I am using, no x-windows, so maybe if I fix that.

I copied a plugin from the vim website to ~/.vim/syntax/python.vim shouldn't I expect vim to recognize *.py files (there is a line linking the script to *.py) and implying 'syntax enable'? Because I have to 'syntax on' to get highlighting.

Still irked.

Add 'syntax enable' to your .vimrc in your home dir.

PRism01,

I know this is replying to an old post, but it just helped me get vi/vim going again w/syntax recognition like it used to. Who would've thought "syntax on" & "syntax enable" do different things??

Thanks again,
Ron

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