• Install build dependencies

$ sudo apt-get build-dep vim

• Clone git repo

$ git clone https://github.com/vim/vim.git``

• Change to src directory

$ cd vim/src

• Remove files from previous compilation (skip if compiling for the first time)

$ sudo make distclean

• Path to install vim (optional. omit --prefix option in next step if not set)

export PREFIX='/path/to/vim/install'

• Configure with required options ($ configure --help for other config. options).

  • For python 2.x

  $ ./configure --with-features=huge \
              --enable-multibyte \
              --enable-rubyinterp \
              --enable-pythoninterp \
              --with-python-config-dir=/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86\_64-linux-gnu \
              --enable-perlinterp \
              --enable-luainterp \
              --enable-cscope \
              --enable-gui=auto \
              --enable-gtk2-check \
              --with-x \
              --with-compiledby="j.jith" \
              --prefix=$PREFIX
  

  • For python 3.x

  $ ./configure --with-features=huge \
              --enable-multibyte \
              --enable-rubyinterp \
              --enable-python3interp \
              --with-python3-config-dir=/usr/lib/python3.5/config-3.5m-x86_64-linux-gnu \
              --enable-perlinterp \
              --enable-luainterp \
              --enable-cscope \
              --enable-gui=auto \
              --enable-gtk2-check \
              --with-x \
              --with-compiledby="j.jith" \
              --prefix=$PREFIX
  

• Compile

$ make

• Run tests

$ make test

• Install (may need to use sudo if you don't have write permission in $PREFIX)

$ make install

• Make default editor/vim/vi/gvim

$ sudo sh -c "update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/editor editor $PREFIX/bin/vim 1;
update-alternatives --set editor $PREFIX/bin/vim;
update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/vim vim $PREFIX/bin/vim 1;
update-alternatives --set vim $PREFIX/bin/vim;
update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/vi vi $PREFIX/bin/vim 1;
update-alternatives --set vi $PREFIX/bin/vim;
update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gvim gvim $PREFIX/bin/gvim 1;
update-alternatives --set gvim $PREFIX/bin/gvim"