Nvim

Neovim

LazyVim + Claude Code workflow for non-Cursor open source coding

nvim dotfiles

Philosophy

Code manually in nvim (left pane) with subtle AI assistance, while Claude Code handles big refactors in a separate tmux pane (right). Robot edits files → nvim auto-reloads → review changes instantly.

┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ nvim (manual)   │ Claude Code     │
│ - Ghost text AI │ - Big refactors │
│ - Hot reload    │ - File edits    │
│ - Diffview      │ - Commits       │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┘

Why not Cursor?

• Nvim muscle memory preserved
• Complete control over AI integration
• No vendor lock-in
• tmux + ssh workflow stays intact
• Works on remote servers seamlessly
• OSC52 clipboard works over SSH

Hot Reload System

The killer feature. When Claude Code edits files, nvim reloads them automatically.

Files:

• lua/custom/directory-watcher.lua - Native fs_event monitoring
• lua/custom/hotreload.lua - Smart buffer reload logic
• lua/custom/git-diff-hotreload.lua - Diffview auto-refresh

How it works:

1. Claude Code edits a file in right pane
2. Directory watcher detects change (200ms debounce)
3. Nvim reloads visible buffers (only if unmodified)
4. Statusline shows green ⟳ for 5 seconds
5. Notification: "📝 File reloaded (Claude Code edit)"

Safety:

• Never reloads modified buffers (won't lose unsaved work)
• Skips special buffers (neo-tree, diffview, terminals)
• Ignores .git/, node_modules/, swap files

Triggers:

• FocusGained, TermLeave (switching from Claude Code pane)
• BufEnter, WinEnter (switching windows)
• CursorHold (idle cursor)
• Filesystem changes in project directory

Diffview Integration

Review all robot changes with one keystroke.

File: lua/plugins/claude-code-workflow.lua

Key	Action
<leader>gd	Open diffview (review all changes)
<leader>gh	File history
<leader>gc	Close diffview
]c / [c	Jump between changes
Tab	Cycle through files

Auto-refresh: When Claude Code commits, diffview refreshes automatically via git-diff-hotreload watching .git/ directory.

Inline Git Diff

Plugin: mini.diff - shows deleted lines inline

Key	Action
gh	Apply hunk
gH	Reset hunk
[h / ]h	Navigate hunks
<leader>go	Toggle diff overlay

Uses ▎ signs for additions/changes, clean minimal look.

Inline AI (Ghost Text)

File: lua/plugins/copilot-inline.lua

Ghost text suggestions, not popup completions:

Key	Action
Tab	Accept full suggestion
]s / [s	Cycle through suggestions
C-Right	Accept one word
C-l	Accept one line
C-]	Dismiss

Why inline > popup: Ghost text for AI, completion menu for LSP. No fighting between them.

LSP & Formatting

conform.nvim handles formatting with Prettier (respects project .prettierrc)

Statusline shows active LSPs:

• Vue, TypeScript, ESLint, Python, Rust, Lua icons
• Copilot filtered from display (but still active)

Diagnostics: Error/warning/hint counts in statusline (E/W/H format)

Yank With Context

Share code with Claude Code including file path:

• <leader>yr → Yank with relative path
• <leader>ya → Yank with absolute path

Output format:

src/components/Button.tsx:15-23
```tsx
import { useState } from 'react'
// selected code here
```

Claude Code sees exact file + line numbers = perfect context.

Statusline Indicators

File: lua/plugins/minimal-statusline.lua

Symbol	Color	Meaning
●	Red	Unsaved changes
⟳	Green	Just reloaded by Claude Code (5 sec)
AI	Gray	Copilot attached
Δ	Blue	Diffview open

Also shows: file path (last 2 dirs + filename), line count, diagnostics, LSP icons.

CLI Aliases

v     # Just nvim
n     # nvim . (open with oil.nvim)
vs    # Fuzzy find files with bat preview
vg    # Grep contents, fuzzy find, open file
o     # Obsidian vault fuzzy finder (sorted by recency)
r     # Recent files across ALL ~/code projects
tip   # Random tip from ~/tips.txt

Plugin Stack

Core:

• LazyVim (base, most defaults disabled)
• oil.nvim (filesystem as buffer)
• telescope (fuzzy finding)
• diffview + mini.diff (git visualization)
• harpoon (quick file switching)

AI:

• copilot.lua (ghost text)
• Claude Code CLI (separate terminal)

Visual:

• ayu theme (dark, easy on eyes)
• twilight (dims inactive code)
• zen-mode (distraction-free)

Workflow:

• vim-tmux-navigator (seamless pane switching)
• surround, hardtime, vimbegood

The Magic Moment

Robot edits 5 files → nvim shows green ⟳ → all files refresh → <leader>gd → review everything in diffview → back to coding.

No manual steps. Just flow.

See Also

• Dotfiles
• CLI
• VPS
• SSH