install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install vimpager

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install vimpager

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/vimpager/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#vimpager

nixpkgs package indexes · vimpager · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S vimpager

Arch Linux sync databases · vimpager · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Use ViM as PAGER

Project links

Commands and aliases

vimcat
vimpager

history

Project history and usage

vimpager is a small Unix-style pager wrapper that uses Vim as the interactive pager. Its README and vim.org script page describe it as a pager using less.vim with support for highlighted man pages and other features on Unix-like systems, Cygwin, and MSYS.

Project history

The project is maintained by Rafael Kitover and distributed both through its GitHub repository and the historical vim.org scripts catalog as script 1723. The vimpager script identifies itself as a shell script for using Vim as PAGER and notes that it is based on Bram Moolenaar's less.sh.

Adoption history

vimpager belongs to the long-running pattern of making terminal tools use a preferred editor's navigation model. Its vim.org script listing shows substantial historical script-catalog usage, and its packaging in systems such as Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and pacman reflects its role as a niche but recognizable tool for Vim-oriented shell users.

How it is used

Users set PAGER or aliases such as less to vimpager so command output, manual pages, and logs open inside a read-only Vim-driven pager. vimpager also ships vimcat, which uses Vim as a syntax-highlighting backend for cat-like output while falling back safely when output is not a terminal.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, vimpager is a classic composability package: it turns the shell's generic PAGER convention into a Vim interface, preserving syntax highlighting, search, movement, and familiar Vim customization in places normally handled by less.

Related projects

vimpager is related to Vim's less.vim, the historical less.sh script, vimcat, and other Vim-as-pager plugins such as vim-pager.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 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: ~/.vimpagerrc~/.vim/vimpagerrc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`vimcat`	cli	global executable
`vimpager`	cli	global executable

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 generated2026-07-08

manager version2.06

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected2.06

https://github.com/rkitover/vimpager

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:vimpager
Version	2.06
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/vimpager
Homepage	https://github.com/rkitover/vimpager
Repository	https://github.com/rkitover/vimpager
Upstream docs	https://github.com/rkitover/vimpager#readme
License	BSD-2-Clause
Source archive	https://github.com/rkitover/vimpager/archive/refs/tags/2.06.tar.gz
Build dependencies	pandoc
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared
Caveats	To use vimpager as your default pager, add `export PAGER=vimpager` to your shell configuration.

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	vimpager
Aliases	vimcat
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head 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.

Nix95%

vimpager

nix profile install nixpkgs#vimpager

normalized package name match
Matched by: Vimpager

nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: vimpager from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

pacman95%

vimpager 2.06-7

A vim-based script to use as a PAGER.

https://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1723

sudo pacman -S vimpager

License: custom:BSD
Architecture: any
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Vimpager

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: vimpager from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

vimpager

sudo port install vimpager

normalized package name match
Matched by: Vimpager

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/vimpager/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

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.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/vimpager.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
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

Install vimpager with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, pacman