Shell – Suggested setup for an ultra-lightweight text-based programming environment in linux

gnu-screenlightweightshellvim

I am looking for suggestions for a setup for my particular needs. I haven't done much linux since college and want to get back into it as a hobby. I have some not-too-powerful hardware (512 MB ram, single core). I want to do everything via text-based shells and editors, such as vim. My goal is to never touch the mouse.

I need the ability to have multiple shells open at once, one running a web server, one running vim, one running my application build pipeline, another one for ad-hoc shell commands such as wget, grepping and untarring, etc. I need to be able to open new shells and switch between shells quickly with the keyboard.

But even though I want multiple shells, I do not want a graphical desktop environment. I don't ever want to be tempted to use the mouse; part of my purpose is to force myself to learn the command-line way of doing various tasks.

I also want to be able to take advantage of my large monitor, running vim with a couple hundred columns dipslayed.

Is this possible?

Best Answer

I read through your questions several times before I realized that I definitely have a recommendation for you: vim with tmux: http://tmux.sourceforge.net/

tmux is a screen 'multiplexor' that lets you have several windows and panes 'within 1'

It is a successor to the venerable 'screen' program, long a staple of many cli coders. One of its original winning features over vim was the ability to do split windows vertically as well as horizontally. However screen has moved forward and can now do that too.

Example:

enter image description here

Another part of the setup that I would recommend is a good set of aliases. These will make your typing and interaction a lot easier and quicker

Some of my favorites are shown here as examples:

alias gcv='git commit'
alias gg='git grep ' # for searching (add parameter)
alias gst='git status -sb' # I must use this 100 times a day!!!
alias h='history | tail'
alias hg='history | grep' # for searching my history (add parameter)
alias l='ls -alFtrG'
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
alias mv='mv -i'
alias p='pwd'# at least 200 times a day! so 2 chrs saved * 200 = 400 less characters to type ;)

Aliases can be setup in a .bash_aliases file that is called from .bashrc with: # Alias definitions. if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then . ~/.bash_aliases fi

Chances are you already have that code, so just your own .bash_aliases file.

Both these options work on a Mac and that is an important consideration for myself (a mostly Ubuntu user).

Most folks using tmux remap the keys to make it easier. The default bindings are just not that good. Here are my settings:

$ cat ~/tmux.conf

# mdd tmux settings
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Reloaded!"  # Reload with ctrl-r
set -g prefix C-a         # prefix from ctrl-b to ctrl-a
unbind C-b                # allow ctrl-b for other things
set -sg escape-time 1     # quicker responses
bind C-a send-prefix      # Pass on ctrl-a for other apps
set -g base-index 1        # Numbering of windows
setw -g pane-base-index 1  # Numbering of Panes
# bind | split-window -h    # Split panes horizontal
bind \ split-window -h    # Split panes horizontal
bind - split-window -v    # Split panes vertically
bind h select-pane -L     # Switch to Pane Left
bind j select-pane -D     # Switch to Pane Down
bind k select-pane -U     # Switch to Pane Up
bind l select-pane -R     # Switch to Pane Right
bind -r C-h select-window -t :-  # Quick Pane Selection
bind -r C-l select-window -t :+  # Quick Pane Selection
bind -r H resize-pane -L 5       # Switch to Pane Left
bind -r J resize-pane -D 5       # Switch to Pane Down
bind -r K resize-pane -U 5       # Switch to Pane Up
bind -r L resize-pane -R 5       # Switch to Pane Right
setw -g mode-mouse off           # Mouse Off
set -g mouse-select-pane off     # Mouse Off  
set -g mouse-resize-pane off     # Mouse Off
set -g mouse-select-window off   # Mouse Off
#set -g  default-terminal "screen-256color"
setw -g monitor-activity on      # Activity Alerts
set -g visual-activity on
set -g status-fg white           # Status line Colors
set -g status-bg black
setw -g window-status-fg cyan    # Window list color
setw -g window-status-bg default
setw -g window-status-attr dim
setw -g window-status-current-fg white     # Active Window Color
setw -g window-status-current-bg red
setw -g window-status-current-attr bright
set -g pane-border-fg green      # Pane colors
set -g pane-border-bg black 
set -g pane-active-border-fg white 
set -g pane-active-border-bg yellow
set -g message-fg white          # Command/Message Line.
set -g message-bg black
set -g message-attr bright
set -g status-left-length 40     # Status Line, left side
set -g status-left "#[fg=white]Session: #S #[fg=yellow]#I #[fg=cyan]#P"
set -g status-utf8 on            # Status Line, right side
set -g status-right "-------"
set -g status-interval 60        # frequency of status line updates
set -g status-justify centre     # center window list
setw -g mode-keys vi             # vi keys to move 
unbind v                         # Open panes in same directory as tmux-panes script
unbind n
bind v send-keys " ~/tmux-panes -h" C-m
bind n send-keys " ~/tmux-panes -v" C-m
unbind Up                        # Maximizing and Minimizing...
bind Up new-window -d -n tmp \; swap-pane -s tmp.1 \; select-window -t tmp
unbind Down
bind Down last-window \; swap-pane -s tmp.1 \; kill-window -t tmp
bind P pipe-pane -o "cat >>~/#W.log" \; display "Toggled logging to ~/#W.log"
# Make keys for copy mode be like vi
unbind [
bind Escape copy-mode
unbind p
bind p paste-buffer
bind -t vi-copy 'v' begin-selection
bind -t vi-copy 'y' copy-selection

Finally (to close the loop), here's my .vimrc settings themselves that I like having to make the shell easier to use:

" mdd specific stuff --- start
set hlsearch
set incsearch
set number
" more3 mdd stuff - set tabs to be spaces and length of 2 characters.
set smartindent
set tabstop=2
set shiftwidth=2
set expandtab
" mdd specific stuff --- end
"
" Forget being compatible with good ol' vi
set nocompatible

" Get that filetype stuff happening
filetype on
filetype plugin on
filetype indent on

" Turn on that syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Why is this not a default
set hidden

" Don't update the display while executing macros
set lazyredraw

" At least let yourself know what mode you're in
set showmode

" Enable enhanced command-line completion. Presumes you have compiled
" with +wildmenu.  See :help 'wildmenu'
set wildmenu

" Let's make it easy to edit this file (mnemonic for the key sequence is
" 'e'dit 'v'imrc)
nmap <silent> ,ev :e $MYVIMRC<cr>

" And to source this file as well (mnemonic for the key sequence is
" 's'ource 'v'imrc)
nmap <silent> ,sv :so $MYVIMRC<cr>

highlight ExtraWhitespace ctermbg=red guibg=red
match ExtraWhitespace /\s\+$/
autocmd BufWinEnter * match ExtraWhitespace /\s\+$/
autocmd InsertEnter * match ExtraWhitespace /\s\+\%#\@<!$/
autocmd InsertLeave * match ExtraWhitespace /\s\+$/
autocmd BufWinLeave * call clearmatches()

Finally I make a few changes to my .bashrc file For example with shopt -s autocd when I type a directory name (that exists) my shell cd's into that directory immediately. Nifty! So here's my .bashrc changes:

# Automatic cd'ing
shopt -s autocd

# Have cd show directory info ('cos my shell doesn't show full directory path in $PS1 prompt (intended).
cd() {
      builtin cd "$@" && pwd 
  }

# enable programmable completion features
if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ] && ! shopt -oq posix; then
    . /etc/bash_completion
fi

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/.rvm/bin # Add RVM to PATH for scripting
[[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && . "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm"  # Load RVM into a shell session *as a function*

# mdd Terminal Multiplexor 6/15/2012
if [[ ! $TERM =~ screen ]]; then
    exec tmux
fi

[ -z "$TMUX" ] && export TERM=xterm-256color

export EDITOR=vim

git config --global --add color.ui true
Related Question