maximum-awesome

Maximum Awesome is a collection of configuration files for two command-line tools: Vim, a text editor, and tmux, a program that lets you split a terminal window into multiple panes and keep sessions running in the background. The configs were created by engineers at Square and are built for Mac OS X.

The Vim configuration bundles a set of plugins that add features on top of the bare editor. There is a file browser sidebar for navigating project directories, a fuzzy file finder for quickly opening files by typing part of their name, and a search tool for finding text across an entire project. Other shortcuts handle common editing tasks like toggling comments on selected lines, aligning text on a character like an equals sign, and jumping to where a function or variable is defined.

The tmux configuration sets up keyboard shortcuts for splitting the terminal into vertical or horizontal panes, scrolling with the mouse, and switching between common layout arrangements when three or more panes are open.

Both sets of configuration are installed by running a single command. The same command also updates all installed plugins. If you want to adjust any settings without changing the shared configuration, the installer creates local override files in your home directory where you can add your own preferences.

The project is described as intentionally conservative about what it includes: contributions are expected to be broadly useful to most users rather than specific to a particular language or personal workflow. Extensions meant for personal use are better kept in the local override files.