Backward search with terminal macvim and skim

[ZachariahPang]

I was able to get backward search work with GUI macvim with Skim using the settings described in vimtex-faq-skimviewer. But, I haven't been able to figure out how to do this with mvim in terminal, which requires /usr/local/bin/mvim -v. I tried to put /usr/local/bin/mvim -v under the Command of Skim but it didn't work.

[lervag]

I'm sorry, but I don't know much about Macs/OSX. Did you try to include the -v in the Args, that is:

     Command: /usr/local/bin/mvim
     Args:    -v --remote-silent +"%line" "%file"

Perhaps @clason has a better suggestion, he's been able to help with OSX related issues before.

[clason]

No, that's the suggestion I would have made as well.

What is mvim? Is that the shim to launch the GUI MacVim from the command line? In this case, are you sure you need the -v? Skim has a built-in preset for MacVim (which doesn't use the -v), so if that no longer works, you should open an issue with the Skim developer. (If you want to open vim -- not mvim, there's no "mvim in a terminal" -- that's a different issue.)

In either case, this is not a vimtex issue but purely between Skim and MacVim -- there's nothing that vimtex can do here (apart from adapting the FAQ if it turns out to be wrong; maybe it's best to change this anyway to refer to the preset instead of a manual configuration?)

(I'm not using vim or MacVim anymore myself since switching to neovim.)

[lervag]

@clason Thanks, I'll consider updating the FAQ after settling the issue. And thanks for pitching in both here and at the other issue!

[ZachariahPang]

Both manual configuration and the built-in MacVim option works for me.

I thought mvim -v opens up MacVim within the terminal as I have been using it that way for a long time. I was hoping to somehow still use the MacVim in the terminal as the normal vim on Mac has some problems for other things I do.

Anyhow, the reverse search only works with the GUI MacVim for me after I tried vim, mvim -v(in terminal), mvim(GUI), and neovim. I'm making my way to neovim as well but haven't got any success for this issue as well.

Should I open another issue regarding neovim if I still can't get it work or should I keep it here?

[clason]

Instead of working around the issue of an outdated vim with mvim -v, it might be easier to install an up-to-date vim via homebrew.

For neovim, see :h vimtex-faq-neovim or https://github.com/lervag/vimtex/wiki/introduction#neovim;

TL;DR:

1. Install the python modules pynvim and neovim-remote (e.g., pip3 install --user pynvim neovim-remote).
2. Set let g:vimtex_compiler_progname = 'nvr' in your neovim init.vim
3. Set Skim sync options to

• Preset: Custom
• Command: nvr
• Arguments: --remote +"%line" "%file"

Then backward search should work from both terminal neovim or the https://github.com/qvacua/vimr GUI (or any other GUI).

IMPORTANT: Skim must be started by vimtex (either through compiler callback or explicitly via <leader>lv) for backward sync to work! (This is how Skim "knows" which neovim instance -- terminal or GUI -- to sync to.)

[ZachariahPang]

I followed the instruction but it's still not working. nvim(0.4.3), Skim(1.5.2), iTerm(3.3.7).

Skim

Command: nvr
Arguments: --remote +"%line" "%file"

or

Command: nvr
Arguments: --servername /tmp/nvimsocket -c %line "%file"

as in #262

vimrc

if has('nvim')
  let g:vimtex_compiler_progname = 'nvr'
  let g:python3_host_prog = '/usr/local/bin/python3'
endif

then source vimrc in init.vim

I have multiple python installed and some with Anaconda.

$ where python3
/Users/zachariah/anaconda3/bin/python3
/usr/local/bin/python3
/usr/bin/python3

I manually import nvr pynvim and can confirm that both are installed for /usr/local/bin/python3

[clason]

What does :checkhealth say? (The first config is working for me, so use that -- the issue is more than four years old.)

[ZachariahPang]

[clason]

OK, I see that you are using coc. Could you you try (and post) a minimal init.vim (without sourcing a vimrc) that just loads vimtex and sets the viewer and progname options, and then compile a simple test.tex from vimtex and see if backward sync works with Skim? (Please document each step -- "it's not working" isn't much to go on.)

And if you could (temporarily) modify your environment such that anaconda is not first (or in it at all), that would be helpful, too.

[ZachariahPang]

I started fresh as you suggest
init.vim

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
Plug 'lervag/vimtex'
call plug#end()
let g:vimtex_view_method = 'skim'
let g:tex_flavor = 'latex'
let g:vimtex_compiler_progname = 'nvr'
let g:python3_host_prog = '/usr/local/bin/python3'

skim

Command: nvr
Arguments: --remote +"%line" "%file"

Anaconda is not in PATH

$ where python3
/usr/local/bin/python3
/usr/bin/python3

with the minimal test.latex

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\section{first}
hello world
\newpage
\section{second}
hello world  second
\end{document}

Compile: VimtexCompile successifully complied and opens a skim.
Forward Search: Change test.latex and save, updates appears in skim as well.
Reverse Search: cmd+shift-leftclick in skim has no response ( the source file in nvim doesn't move to the corresponding line)

[clason]

Hmm, then I don't really see what you could be doing wrong. However, on rare occasions, I've had backward sync from Skim not working either; quitting Skim and re-opening from vimtex usually fixes this.

[ZachariahPang]

Thank you for your help. For now I can just use the GUI MacVim but it would be really nice if this can be sorted out.

[lervag]

For now I can just use the GUI MacVim but it would be really nice if this can be sorted out.

I'm sorry to say that if @clason is not able to help you, then neither am I. I have no idea why things are not working.

One thing you could try, though:

1. Open test.tex with your choice of Vim flavor (neovim or mvim) in terminal.
2. Check :echo v:servername.
3. From a different terminal, do e.g. nvr --servername $SERVER --remote +5 test.tex, where $SERVER is the same as the output from step 2.

This should put the cursor to line 5 in your first instance (from step 1). Does it work?

[ZachariahPang]

• Open ~/Desktop/latex/test.latex with Nvim
• nvr --servername $SERVER --remote +5 test.latex create & open a new file ~/test.latex in Nvim

Second attempt with the file ~/test.tex does put the cursor to line 5. So it seems that nvr can't corretly locate the file name/path?

(Clicking in Skim still has no response for ~/test.tex even it worked for nvr)