FAQ
Install & platforms
Section titled “Install & platforms”Which platforms are supported?
Section titled “Which platforms are supported?”Linux x64 and arm64 today. macOS and Windows are planned — see the release policy for the support matrix.
Does jvim work on WSL?
Section titled “Does jvim work on WSL?”Yes. Install via npm inside WSL (npm install -g @jhl_labs/jvim).
If the editor doesn’t fill the terminal, check that jvim --version matches the
latest release — earlier versions had a ~-fill regression. See install
troubleshooting.
Does jvim work on macOS via Lima / Docker?
Section titled “Does jvim work on macOS via Lima / Docker?”You can run the Linux binary inside Lima or Docker, but TTY handling under nested virtualization is finicky. Native macOS support is on the roadmap.
What about ARM Macs (M1/M2/M3)?
Section titled “What about ARM Macs (M1/M2/M3)?”Native macOS arm64 is not shipped yet. Use Linux arm64 via OrbStack or UTM in the meantime.
Why can I only install via npm?
Section titled “Why can I only install via npm?”We also publish standalone binaries on the GitHub Releases page. npm is recommended because it handles upgrades automatically and resolves the right architecture.
AI & privacy
Section titled “AI & privacy”Does jvim send my notes to an AI provider?
Section titled “Does jvim send my notes to an AI provider?”Only when you explicitly use the AI overlay (F6) or inline AI actions. With no AI request,
nothing leaves your machine.
Which AI providers are supported?
Section titled “Which AI providers are supported?”Any OpenAI-compatible chat endpoint, including OpenAI, Groq, and local Ollama or
llama.cpp servers that expose a /v1 API. Anthropic can be used through an
OpenAI-compatible gateway. Configure providers in ~/.config/jvim/providers.toml.
Can I use a local LLM?
Section titled “Can I use a local LLM?”Yes. Point jvim at an Ollama or llama.cpp endpoint. See AI overlay.
Does jvim collect telemetry?
Section titled “Does jvim collect telemetry?”Telemetry is opt-in and off by default. We don’t track usage, files, or queries unless you explicitly enable it for debugging.
How does jvim store my API key?
Section titled “How does jvim store my API key?”API keys or API-key environment variable names live in ~/.config/jvim/providers.toml. They’re never logged or
sent anywhere except the configured provider.
Keymaps & UX
Section titled “Keymaps & UX”How do I jump to a specific line?
Section titled “How do I jump to a specific line?”Shift+F3 — Go to line dialog.
Why Shift+F3 instead of Ctrl+G?
Section titled “Why Shift+F3 instead of Ctrl+G?”Ctrl+G is reserved for “go to definition” / “graph view” in many editors. We didn’t
want to overload it. Shift+F3 is unused by all major terminals we tested.
Can I customize keymaps?
Section titled “Can I customize keymaps?”Not yet. Config-driven keymaps are on the roadmap. See the public repo’s backlog.
Does jvim work with IME (Korean, Japanese, Chinese)?
Section titled “Does jvim work with IME (Korean, Japanese, Chinese)?”Yes. We share an IME replacement listener across all input fields. If you hit an IME bug, report it on the public repo.
What if my terminal eats Ctrl+S?
Section titled “What if my terminal eats Ctrl+S?”Some terminals send Ctrl+S to the OS as XON/XOFF flow control. jvim auto-disables it
via stty -ixon -ixoff on startup. If your terminal still swallows it, see
install troubleshooting.
Data & vault
Section titled “Data & vault”Where does jvim store my data?
Section titled “Where does jvim store my data?”Your vault is wherever you opened it. jvim doesn’t move or copy files. Per-vault
metadata (cursor positions, recent files) lives in <vault>/.jvim/.
Can I use notes from Obsidian / Notion / Notepad?
Section titled “Can I use notes from Obsidian / Notion / Notepad?”Drop the markdown files into a folder and jvim ./that-folder/. Wikilinks and tags
are recognized when they use plain markdown-style syntax. See tool notes.
Does jvim sync across devices?
Section titled “Does jvim sync across devices?”jvim itself doesn’t sync. Put your vault on iCloud / Dropbox / Syncthing / git, and jvim will see the synced files.
What about backup?
Section titled “What about backup?”Recommended: keep your vault under git. Bonus: jvim integrates with git natively (diff panel, commit, push).
Are there file size limits?
Section titled “Are there file size limits?”Files over 50 MB are rejected with a clear error. Binary files are detected and skipped from the file tree.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”jvim exits immediately with a blank screen
Section titled “jvim exits immediately with a blank screen”If CI=true is set in your shell, Ink (jvim’s rendering layer) switches to append-only
mode. Run unset CI && jvim.
The editor doesn’t fill the whole terminal
Section titled “The editor doesn’t fill the whole terminal”Check jvim --version. v0.5.0/0.5.1 had a regression where short documents left the
bottom of the screen blank. Upgrade to v0.5.2+.
My vault search returns no results
Section titled “My vault search returns no results”Run :reindex from the command palette (F4). The vault index is built lazily on first
search.
AI overlay says “no provider configured”
Section titled “AI overlay says “no provider configured””Open or create ~/.config/jvim/providers.toml, then add an OpenAI-compatible provider. See
AI overlay setup.
How do I report a bug?
Section titled “How do I report a bug?”GitHub issues on the public repo.
Include: jvim version (jvim --version), OS, terminal app, and steps to reproduce.
I found a bug in a library jvim uses. Where do I report?
Section titled “I found a bug in a library jvim uses. Where do I report?”Upstream is preferred (you get more eyes). But also let us know on the public repo so we can pin/patch.
License & future
Section titled “License & future”Is jvim open source?
Section titled “Is jvim open source?”No. The binary is free to use, share, and run commercially. The source is private. See license.
Can I reverse engineer jvim?
Section titled “Can I reverse engineer jvim?”No — prohibited by the license. The binary is obfuscated to enforce this.
Can I use jvim binaries to train an AI model?
Section titled “Can I use jvim binaries to train an AI model?”No — ML training on jvim binaries or source is prohibited by the license.
Will there be a paid version?
Section titled “Will there be a paid version?”Not currently planned. The binary is free for all use.
Is there a plugin system?
Section titled “Is there a plugin system?”Not yet — it’s on the long-term roadmap.
Will macOS / Windows binaries ship?
Section titled “Will macOS / Windows binaries ship?”Yes — on the roadmap. See release policy for the support matrix.