gitcommit-vimrc

A minimal Vim configuration that enforces git commit message best practices.

• 50 character subject line - Automatically truncates the first line to 50 characters
• Blank second line - Enforces a blank line between subject and body
• 72 character body - Wrap text width to 72 with a visual column guide at 73
• Spell checking - Enables English spell checking for commit messages

Setup

1. Set Vim as your git editor

git config --global core.editor "vim"

2. Download the configuration

New to Vim

If you don't have a ~/.vimrc file yet, follow these instructions. This will create a new Vim configuration file for you.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jezsung/gitcommit-vimrc/main/.vimrc -o ~/.vimrc

Existing Vim configuration

If you already have a ~/.vimrc file with your own customizations, follow these instructions. This will add the git commit settings to your existing configuration without overwriting it.

Download this Vim configuration:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jezsung/gitcommit-vimrc/main/.vimrc -o ~/.gitcommit.vim

Then add the source line to your existing ~/.vimrc:

echo 'source ~/.gitcommit.vim' >> ~/.vimrc

Usage

Run git commit in your terminal. Vim will automatically detect the commit message file and apply this configuration. You'll immediately benefit from:

• Subject line truncation at 50 characters
• Automatic blank second line enforcement
• Text wrapping at 72 characters with a visual guide
• Spell checking for your commit messages

No additional commands or setup required.