VIM: How to set default color on search based syntax highlighting

Question

Currently my /etc/vimrc file is set to the following: (

if &t_Co > 2 || has("gui_running")
syntax on
set hlsearch
endif

filetype plugin on

 if &term=="xterm"
 set t_Co=8
 set t_Sb=^[[4%dm
 set t_Sf=^[[3%dm
 endif

My problem is that whenever I am in VIM and search for a string when it finds it it highlights it in a bright yellow block. This not not a problem unless I try to find text that is white, then it makes it very difficult to see. I have tried changing the line:

set hlsearch="another_color"

But I get an error when trying open back up the file after saving.

Error detected while processing /etc/vimrc:
line   51:
E474: Invalid argument: hlsearch=light

In this block of code something tells me this controls background and foreground colors, but I am not sure if that pertains to the "hlsearch" option.

if &term=="xterm"
 set t_Co=8
 set t_Sb=^[[5%dm
 set t_Sf=^[[6%dm
endif

I have tried changing the 5 and 6 to different numbers and that has no effect. I still have a yellow highlight box for searched text.

So my questions are:

1) Where is this "default" yellow color coming from?

2) How do I change it to something else?

Solution 1

All syntax colors, including the search highlight color, are set by changing a highlight group rather than an option. You set these groups with the :highlight command. For example I have changed search highlighting from yellow a bright turquoise:

:highlight Search guibg=Turquoise4

I have also changed the IncSearch color, which is the color when 'incsearch' is set:

:highlight IncSearch gui=underline,bold guifg=White guibg=Red3

See :help :highlight and :help highlight-groups.

Solution 2

Figured it out. In /etc/vimrc under the "syntax on" line add:

hi Search ctermbg=red
hi Search ctermfg=white

This example will give you a red block with white text while searching files with VIM. Inside VIM you can also do:

:highlight Search ctermfg=yellow 

To change it on the fly.