To get sublime text up-and-running and usable for a vim addict, following steps can help:

  • Install and buy sublime text 3. Yes, just buy it, poor developers have to eat as well.

  • Install package control:

    • Open the console via Ctrl+`
    • Paste the installation script:

    import urllib.request,os,hashlib; h = ‘2915d1851351e5ee549c20394736b442’ + ‘8bc59f460fa1548d1514676163dafc88’; pf = ‘Package Control.sublime-package’; ipp = sublime.installed_packages_path(); urllib.request.install_opener( urllib.request.build_opener( urllib.request.ProxyHandler()) ); by = urllib.request.urlopen( ‘http://packagecontrol.io/’ + pf.replace(‘ ‘, ‘%20’)).read(); dh = hashlib.sha256(by).hexdigest(); print(‘Error validating download (got %s instead of %s), please try manual install’ % (dh, h)) if dh != h else open(os.path.join( ipp, pf), ‘wb’ ).write(by)

    • Restart sublime text 3.

  • Install Vintageous via package control:

    • Open the palette via Ctrl+Shift+p.
    • Select Package Control: Install Package.
    • Select Vintageous.
    • Restart sublime text 3, you should have vi keybindings now.

  • Add save on focus lost:

    • Copy the save_on_focus_lost settings line from Preferences->Settings Default.
    • Paste it in Preferences->Settings User, set it to true and save it, making sure there is no JSON mistake with respect to the comma.
    • Restart sublime text 3: changing to another app should save your work, except for new files; you still have to save these the first time.

  • Change color scheme: the SpaceCadet is nice, but I find it hard to see the cursor (caret). To change its color for sublime text 3, do the following:

    • Install PackageResourceViewer via the Package Control.
    • Select PackageResourceViewer: Open Resource via the palette.
    • Select Color Scheme - Default->SpaceCadet.tmTheme.
    • Adjust the color for selection from #40002F to e.g., #2eaa40.