Vim 8 packages, how do I overwrite a default package?

Question

I have installed Dr. Chip's netrw from his homepage, since it is newer and more often updated than the files that are part of the main Vim distribution.

Before Vim 8 I always sued the Vimball install method, by opening the .vba and running :source %. But, now that Vim 8 added the packages mechanism I decided to use that. I have my packages under:

~/.vim/pack/packages/start/
~/.vim/pack/packages/opt/

So to install NETRW as a package I did:

cd ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/
wget  http://www.drchip.org/astronaut/vim/vbafiles/netrw.vba.gz
mkdir netrw.vim
gunzip netrw.vba.gz
vim netrw.vba
:UseVimball ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/netrw.vim

And it installed correctly. But now when I edit a file and use a netrw command, say, :Lexplore I'm not sure which netrw is being used. If I do:

vim foo
:scriptnames
  1: /etc/vimrc
  2: /usr/share/vim/vimfiles/archlinux.vim
  3: ~/.vim/vimrc
  (...)
 20: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim
 21: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/rrhelper.vim
 22: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/spellfile.vim
 23: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/tarPlugin.vim
 24: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/tohtml.vim
 25: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/vimballPlugin.vim
 26: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/zipPlugin.vim
 27: ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/csv.vim/plugin/csv.vim
 28: ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/csv.vim/ftdetect/csv.vim
 29: ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/netrw.vim/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim
 30: /usr/share/vim/vim80/scripts.vim

So the distribution netrw runs first (20) and then runs the installed one (29). If I add packloadall to my vimrc the situation changes:

  1: /etc/vimrc
  2: /usr/share/vim/vimfiles/archlinux.vim
  3: ~/.vim/vimrc
  4: ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/csv.vim/plugin/csv.vim
  5: ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/netrw.vim/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim
  (...)
 19: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/gzip.vim
 20: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/logiPat.vim
 21: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/manpager.vim
 22: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/matchparen.vim
 23: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim

And the installed netrw in my directory runs first (5). Yet, the Vim distribution netrw still runs (23)!

• Which netrw will Vim use when I do, say, :Lexplore? It appears to use the new (Vimball installed one) for :Lexplore but I'm not sure since :h pi_netrw gives me the new document, but :h netrw gives me the old documentation (the one that comes with Vim).

• Running :helptags ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/netrw.vim/doc does not help with the documentation problem above (i.e. I get sometimes the new one and sometimes the old one). Is there something I'm doing wrong with this?

• Does Vim always give preference to plugins/scripts/autoload commands that are in $VIM (default ~/.vim) above the ones in $VIMRUNTIME?

Answer 1

If you look at netrwPlugin.vim you'll find:

if &cp || exists("g:loaded_netrwPlugin")
 finish
endif

So just set this in your .vimrc:

let g:loaded_netrwPlugin = 1

---

If they both use the same variable (g:loaded_netrwPlugin) then they only one can be loaded and it is sufficient to either use packloadall or source ~/.vim/pack/packages/start/netrw.vim/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim at the end of your .vimrc.