Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install vim-classic with Homebrew, apk

Vim 8 long term support version with no LLM-generated code. Version 8.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. Also installable with apk: sudo apk add gvim-classic.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install vim-classic

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Vim 8 long term support version with no LLM-generated code

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

history

Project history and usage

Vim Classic is a 2026 fork of Vim 8.x that presents itself as long-term support for the pre-Vim9 line of Vim. Its own homepage describes the project as a stable, dependable Vim 8.x fork maintained entirely by humans, and its first release announcement frames it as a fork maintained without generative AI tools.

Project history

Drew DeVault announced the fork in March 2026 after deciding he did not want to use Vim and Neovim codebases that accepted LLM-assisted development. He chose Vim 8.2.0148 as the base because it was the patch immediately before Vim9 Script entered upstream Vim, making Vim Classic intentionally compatible with older Vim plugins and workflows while avoiding the newer Vim9 language line.

The first public release, Vim Classic 8.3.0, was announced on June 2, 2026. The release was based on Vim 8.2.0148 with selected upstream bug fixes and security patches conservatively backported, and the announcement explicitly warned that the fork had not reviewed every upstream patch since that base.

Adoption history

Vim Classic is an early-stage fork rather than a broad replacement for upstream Vim. Its adoption story is mostly ideological and compatibility-driven: it targets users who want Vim 8 behavior, legacy plugin compatibility, and a maintenance policy that rejects generative AI assistance.

How it is used

In daily use, Vim Classic is meant to be used like Vim: the editor keeps Vim's modal editing model, command-line commands, help system, vimrc conventions, and vi/Vim muscle memory. The project documentation points users to the normal Vim help model, including reading help inside the editor.

Why package nerds care

For package maintainers and terminal-editor users, Vim Classic is notable less as a new editor interface and more as a policy fork: it freezes around a Vim 8-era compatibility point, backports selected fixes, and creates a packageable alternative for users who object to LLM-assisted upstream development.

Timeline

  • 2026-03-25: Drew DeVault publicly describes forking Vim and choosing Vim 8.2.0148 as the base.
  • 2026-06-02: Vim Classic 8.3.0 is released as the first stable long-term-support fork release.

Related projects

  • Vim Classic is directly derived from Vim, deliberately stopping before Vim9 Script. It is also discussed in contrast with Neovim, another major Vim-family fork, and with upstream Vim's continuing post-Bram maintenance.

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for vim-classic. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 3 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
~/.vimrc~/.vim/vimrc$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vim/vimrc
Windows
~/_vimrc~/vimfiles/vimrc$VIM/_vimrc

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
No executable data was present.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-25
manager version8.3.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://vim-classic.org/

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:vim-classic
Version8.3.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/vim-classic
Homepagehttps://vim-classic.org/
Repositoryhttps://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic
Upstream docshttps://vim-classic.org/doc
LicenseVim
Source archivehttps://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/archive/v8.3.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-22T14:06:34-07:00
Pulseupdated
Dependenciesgettext
Build dependenciesgettext, lua, python@3.14
Uses from macOSncurses
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared
CaveatsAdditional features can be enabled by installing: lua, python@3.14

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namevim-classic
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Conflicts With
  • ex-vi
  • macvim
  • vim
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

apk95%

gvim-classic 8.3.0-r0

Fork of Vim 8.x text editor for long-term maintenance (GTK GUI)

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add gvim-classic
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gvim-classic from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

vim-classic 8.3.0-r0

Fork of Vim 8.x text editor for long-term maintenance

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add vim-classic
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vim-classic from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

vim-classic-common 8.3.0-r0

Fork of Vim 8.x text editor for long-term maintenance (common files)

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add vim-classic-common
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vim-classic-common from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

vim-classic-doc 8.3.0-r0

Fork of Vim 8.x text editor for long-term maintenance (documentation)

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add vim-classic-doc
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vim-classic-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

vim-classic-tutor 8.3.0-r0

Fork of Vim 8.x text editor for long-term maintenance (interactive tutorial)

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add vim-classic-tutor
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vim-classic-tutor from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

vim-classic-xxd 8.3.0-r0

Tool to make and reverse a hex dump

https://vim-classic.org

sudo apk add vim-classic-xxd
  • License: Vim
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: vim-classic
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Vim Classic
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vim-classic-xxd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • gettextRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • luaBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • python@3.14Build dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • vimShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, vi, vim.
  • adShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, vi.
  • neatviShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, vi.
  • openviShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, vi.
  • vileShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, vi.
  • ampShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment