Settings and plugins when root (`sudo vim`)?

Question

It's really frustrating when I need to edit a file as root and use sudo vim somefile.conf and I can't use any of my keybindings and settings and plugins.

Is there a way to get all my customizations when I need to edit as root?

I am using vim-plug for my plugins.

Answer 1

Rather than opening vim as root, you can simply save as root by redirecting to tee. Here is an example:

:w !sudo tee % > /dev/null

This may be useful to alias in your .vimrc, I use :Sw:

command! -nargs=0 Sw w !sudo tee % > /dev/null

Answer 2

Two things:

1. Use $ sudo -e file to edit file with $EDITOR. Add export EDITOR=/path/to/vim if $EDITOR is not already set.

2. Going vanilla is an excellent way to fight your plugin addiction.

Answer 3

It looks like all you have to do is symlink root's ~/.vimrc and ~/.vim/ to your's.

Just run as root:

ln -s /home/<user>/.vimrc /root/.vimrc
ln -s /home/<user>/.vim/ /root/.vim/

And that should do it!

^{(P.S. I figured this out just now and wanted to share with any other noobs. Please let me know if there's a better way.)}

Answer 4

If you know ahead of time that you need to be editing a file as root, using the commands sudoedit <file> or sudo -e <file> will get you setup in a special environment for doing so with your usual editor preferences. A copy of the file is made and your editor is launched to edit it (as your user). When you exit the file is copied back to it's original location as root.

That is the safest and recommended way, but in the event that a) you don't realize ahead of time you will need to write as root or b) want to edit and save incremental changes in-place, you will need something else. To this end the solution using sudo tee proposed by smpl is definitely on the right track, but there are some minor improvements that can be made to handle edge cases. Notably the difference in handling the sudo password prompt in a GUI vs. console interfaces is worth some attention.

An easier way to set this up is to use the vim-eunuch plugin. It has this particular issue and a few other handy things rolled up into a handy package. Usage is as simple as calling :SudoWrite. I even use a slightly handier access mapping:

cmap w!! call SudoWrite()

That should get you the ability to write a any file as root using :w!!.

Answer 5

You can install the plugins and settings you need as root globally.

Check the installed system vimrc file. On Ubuntu 22.04, it's at /etc/vim/vimrc. At the bottom you see this code:

" Source a global configuration file if available
if filereadable("/etc/vim/vimrc.local")
    source /etc/vim/vimrc.local
endif

This tells you there's an option for a global configuration file at /etc/vim/vimrc.local. If you don't already have that file, create it.

I use Vundle for my plugin manager, so I install Vundle under vim's system directory with this command:

 sudo git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git /usr/share/vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

You can now edit the global configuration file.

set nocompatible "required for Vundle installation

" Set the runtime path to include Vundle
set rtp+=/usr/share/vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

" Initialize Vundle and pass a path where global plugins 
" should be installed
call vundle#begin('/usr/share/vim/bundle')

" let Vundle manage Vundle, required
Plugin 'VundleVim/Vundle.vim'

" Install my custom fork of Solarized color scheme
Plugin 'codealfa/vim-colors-solarized'

call vundle#end()  "required
filetype plugin indent on "required

" Set my color scheme globally
colorscheme solarized

" Any other settings I want all users on the system to use for vim
set statusline=%<%f\ b%n\ n%L\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%)\ %P

Save file :w, source :so %, then install plugins :PluginInstall. Source the file again to apply the changes immediately. These settings and plugins are now available when you open vim as root sudo vim file.

You can still install plugins or configure settings for your user only by editing $HOME/.vimrc.

" Call Vundle without specifying a path to install plugins in 
" `$HOME/.vim/bundle`, or specify some other path under your home directory
call vundle#begin()

" Install whatever plugin you want for your user
Plugin 'vim-vdebug/vdebug'

call vundle#end()

" I also add the command given in the accepted answer in case I'm editing 
" a system file and forgot to open vim as root user
command! -nargs=0 Sw w !sudo tee % > /dev/null

Same procedure as above for installing plugins. These are only available for your user.

Answer 6

Another option is to run sudo -E vim somefile.conf to edit, which will preserve your environment, hence your .vimrc and plugins will be used.