Running `:PackerSync` with vimtex causes neovim to crash

[dsoto1219]

Description

I use Neovim, and I use packer to install and manage my plugins. I have the following code in my "plugins.lua":

return packer.startup(function(use)

	use "wbthomason/packer.nvim"
	use "nvim-lua/popup.nvim"
	use "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim"
	use 'lervag/vimtex'

end)

If I run :PackerSync with any other plugin, everything will be fine; but if I include the line use 'lervag/vimtex', Neovim will crash after every sync.

Steps to reproduce

Edit (6/8/2023): See my repost of this issue at wbthomason/packer.nvim#1240.

Do you use a latexmkrc file?

No

VimtexInfo

System info:
  OS: LAPTOP-7RC87GHR (Microsoft Windows 11 Home)
  Vim version: NVIM v0.9.0
  Has clientserver: true
  Servername: \\.\pipe\nvim.16888.0

VimTeX project: test
  base: test.tex
  root: C:\Users\danim\Desktop
  tex: C:\Users\danim\Desktop\test.tex
  main parser: fallback current file
  document class: 
  compiler: latexmk
    engine: -pdf
    options:
      -verbose
      -file-line-error
      -synctex=1
      -interaction=nonstopmode
    callback: 1
    continuous: 1
    executable: latexmk
  viewer: General
  qf method: LaTeX logfile

[lervag]

This sounds like a packer problem, not a VimTeX problem. I suggest you open this issue on the packer issue tracker instead. I have no idea why neovim would crash, and I don't believe there are any problems related to VimTeX that causes this.

[dsoto1219]

@lervag Got it. I posted about it here: wbthomason/packer.nvim#1240. I'm going to try reinstalling neovim to see what the issue is.

[lervag]

Thanks. Notice, you may want to consider switching to https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim. It's become quite popular and IMHO is a better take at a plugin manager.

[dsoto1219]

I'll give it a try. I usually follow other people's tutorials for setting up Neovim, and they usually use packer. But I like the idea of lazyloading, so I'll give it a shot!

[lervag]

lazy.nvim has become very popular lately, though, and I know a lot of people have swithed over from packer already. So you will probably find that recent tutorials are starting to suggest lazy.nvim instead of packer. ;)

[dsoto1219]

Update: I tried with lazy.nvim, and I'm getting a similar issue--in fact, lazy is giving me more details:

I tried following the instructions giving by the error messages, and this is what happened:

I'm only a beginner at git (at best), so I can't say I know what these error messages mean. But I will say that this situation is similar to what was happening with Packer: vimtex installs to 100%, and then something goes wrong. What could be going on here?

[lervag]

My suggestion would be to simply delete the vimtex folder and install it again.

[lervag]

Hahaha; the solution is to stop using Windows, because Windows is stupid! See here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/61614004/cloning-succeded-but-checkout-failed-due-to-invalid-path-what-is-the-path-probl

I've pushed a commit that I think may solve this. Try and delete vimtex and clone again.

[dsoto1219]

Hahaha; the solution is to stop using Windows, because Windows is stupid! See here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/61614004/cloning-succeded-but-checkout-failed-due-to-invalid-path-what-is-the-path-probl

I've pushed a commit that I think may solve this. Try and delete vimtex and clone again.

Sad to say that the issue still hasn't gone away when using packer, but vimtex now installs to completion on lazy! Thanks for your persistence on this issue!

Edit: if you'd like to see more about this issue, I have my nvim/ directory stored in a public repository at https://github.com/thatonemailbox/nvim, with the main branch having packer installed, rather than lazy.

[lervag]

Sad to say that the issue still hasn't gone away when using packer,

I checkout out your config and tried to reproduce, but on my end, everything seems to work as expected. I'm on the nightly neovim on Linux, though, so this may definitely be a factor here.

but vimtex now installs to completion on lazy! Thanks for your persistence on this issue!

That's good to hear! I would suggest that you use lazy, then. :)