How to install VIM on Linux when I don't have root permissions?

linux installation vim

20,186

Solution 1

make install DESTDIR=~/.local, then make a symlink in ~/bin to ~/.local/bin/vim.

Solution 2

I often install things with ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local && make && make install where I'm not root. That's the way to proceed.

This works with most software. Vim is in no way different here.

Note that in vim case, I actually configure with the following options (as well) --disable-perlinterp --enable-rubyinterp --enable-multibyte --enable-pythoninterp --with-features=huge as I like my version of Vim to be quite complete.

Solution 3

Create local user path:
```
mkdir -p ~/usr/local
```
Downloaded latest version of ncurses from here: http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/

Install ncurses:

cd <path_to_ncurses_downloaded_folder>
tar -xzvf <ncurses>.tar.gz
cd <ncurses_extracted_folder>
./configure --prefix=$HOME/usr/local
make
make install

Clone vim-repo with

git clone https://github.com/vim/vim.git

Install vim with:

cd vim/src
LDFLAGS=-L$HOME/usr/local/lib ./configure --prefix=$HOME/usr/local
make
make install

Set PATH with
```
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/usr/local/bin
```

20,186

SpawnST

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

SpawnST over 1 year

I've got some troubles when I try to install Vim on Linux while I don't have a root account. The error information is shown below:

How can I solve this? Can I install it in another directory other than /usr/local/bin/vim?
SpawnST almost 14 years

Do I need to create a fold named .local or it's just a normal name?
Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams almost 14 years

It is safest to create the destination directory yourself.
SpawnST almost 14 years

I got a vim diretory like /home/apache/.local/usr/local/share/vim/vim72 after finish the two steps.Anything wrong?
Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams almost 14 years

You'll need to pass a different --prefix option to configure as well then.
SpawnST almost 14 years

it would be greatly appreciated if you can write all steps down in the answer.
akira almost 14 years

./configure --prefix=~/.local && make install
Renato Prado about 4 years

After this step, I add my ~/local/bin to the PATH: export PATH="/home/youruser/.local/bin:$PATH"
axolotl almost 3 years

./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local --enable-multibyte --enable-pythoninterp --with-features=huge --enable-python3interp --enable-fail-if-missing I omitted the parts about PERL and Ruby (as I don't have Ruby on the target machine)
axolotl almost 3 years

this answer doesn't really work well with the standard convention of .local/bin and .local/share; instead making vim create its own hierarchy beyond that: .local/usr/loca/bin and so on. I would follow the answer by @luc-hermitte