Vim warns of swap files in "/var/tmp/"

[Eric Weir]

Getting "swap file exists" warning. There are no swap files anywhere in my user directory. Then I notice the text of the warning: 

Swap file "/var/tmp/writing.taskpaper.swp" already exists!

I'm gathering this has something to do with the fact that that I'm getting what I take to be gvim instead of macvim. 

I've deleted the swap files, but I'm still getting gvim instead of macvim. 

Why is this happening? How can I stop it?

Thanks,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Weir

Decatur, GA

eew...@bellsouth.net

"Style is truth." 

- Ray Bradbury

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 9:01 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

Getting "swap file exists" warning. There are no swap files anywhere in my user directory. Then I notice the text of the warning: 

Swap file "/var/tmp/writing.taskpaper.swp" already exists!

I'm gathering this has something to do with the fact that that I'm getting what I take to be gvim instead of macvim. 

I've deleted the swap files, but I'm still getting gvim instead of macvim. 

Why is this happening? How can I stop it?

A clue. I've been trying to get vim touch going on an android tablet. And I've been syncing the '.vim' folders on the tablet and my macbook but not the .vimrcs. 

Just now on the macbook I executed the vimwiki command to rename a link and it asked if I wanted to create a new folder on android file path. I thought maybe I'd accidentally copied the android .vimrc to the home folder on my macbook, but I checked and I had not. My vim [macbook] and vim touch [table] setups are identical except for the paths to folders need by my plugins. I assumed it was safe to sync the .vim folders between the two systems, but I'm guessing that it's not.

I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.

If anyone has any suggestions for how I can more easily get back to a healthy '.vim' folder I'd appreciate them.

Sincerely,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Weir

eew...@bellsouth.net

“On the basis of evidence we may be sure that 

we are wrong but we can never be sure that we are right.” 

- Richard Feynman

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.

Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started syncing with the tablet. I restored it. I now get MacVim, but it's not reading my .vimrc. Some of my key mappings work, some don't. 

Help please.

Thanks,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Weir

Decatur, GA

eew...@bellsouth.net

"You keep on learning and learning, and pretty soon

 you learn something no one has learned before." 

- Richard Feynman

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 10:30 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.

Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started syncing with the tablet. I restored it. I now get MacVim, but it's not reading my .vimrc. Some of my key mappings work, some don't. 

Is there a reason why I'm not getting help here anymore? If I've committed some terrible faux pas, I'd appreciate it if someone would clue me in.

Meantime, I'm at the limits of my competence. I've done what I can to diagnose and fix the problem myself. If anyone has a clue what's going on, I would really appreciate suggestions. 

Sincerely,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Weir

Decatur, GA

eew...@bellsouth.net

"A man should be in the world as though he were not in it 

so that it will be no worse because of his life." 

- Wendell Berry 

[Jeroen Budts]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

Hi Eric,

On 05/10/2013 10:50 PM, Eric Weir wrote:
> On May 10, 2013, at 10:30 AM, Eric Weir wrote:
>
>> On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:
>>
>>> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and
>>> will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two
>>> systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>>
>> Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started
>> syncing with the tablet. I restored it. I now get MacVim, but
>> it's not reading my .vimrc. Some of my key mappings work, some
>> don't.
>
> Is there a reason why I'm not getting help here anymore? If I've
> committed some terrible faux pas, I'd appreciate it if someone
> would clue me in.
>
> Meantime, I'm at the limits of my competence. I've done what I can
> to diagnose and fix the problem myself. If anyone has a clue what's
> going on, I would really appreciate suggestions.

It is a bit difficult to point you in a direction I think because there
is not much info to 'debug' your problem.

Can you make your entire vim config available somewhere and describe
exactly what the problems are? For example which keybindings work and
which don't?

Jeroen

>
> Sincerely,
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
Eric Weir
> Decatur, GA eew...@bellsouth.net <mailto:eew...@bellsouth.net>

>
> "A man should be in the world as though he were not in it so that
> it will be no worse because of his life."
>
> - Wendell Berry
>

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>



- --
website: http://budts.be/ - twitter: @teranex
___________________________________
Registered Linux User #482240 - GetFirefox.com - ubuntu.com



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[Ben Fritz]

On Friday, May 10, 2013 5:42:59 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
> Getting "swap file exists" warning. There are no swap files anywhere in my user directory. Then I notice the text of the warning: 
>
>
> Swap file "/var/tmp/writing.taskpaper.swp" already exists!
>

What is your 'directory' option set to? Is writing.taskpaper.swp related to a file you're editing, or a plugin?

> I'm gathering this has something to do with the fact that that I'm getting what I take to be gvim instead of macvim. 
>

I have no idea what led you to that conclusion. Why do you think this?

>
> I've deleted the swap files, but I'm still getting gvim instead of macvim. 
>

Deleting swap files has absolutely nothing to do with which version of Vim will launch from a shortcut. What are you saying, here?

>
> Why is this happening? How can I stop it?
>
>

Either you're editing a file in Vim that you already have open in another Vim, you had a Vim instance crash while editing that file before (but probably not, because you *said* you deleted the swap file), or you have a plugin creating swap files when it probably should not be.

Try disabling plugins by launching Vim with the --noplugin option. If the problem goes away it might be a plugin. The name of the swapfile might give a hint as to which one.

[Ben Fritz]

On Friday, May 10, 2013 8:34:03 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
>
> A clue. I've been trying to get vim touch going on an android tablet. And I've been syncing the '.vim' folders on the tablet and my macbook but not the .vimrcs. 
>

Swap files usually are not in your .vim folder. I think this is a red herring.

>
> Just now on the macbook I executed the vimwiki command to rename a link and it asked if I wanted to create a new folder on android file path. I thought maybe I'd accidentally copied the android .vimrc to the home folder on my macbook, but I checked and I had not. My vim [macbook] and vim touch [table] setups are identical except for the paths to folders need by my plugins. I assumed it was safe to sync the .vim folders between the two systems, but I'm guessing that it's not.
>

Syncing .vim folders, if you do it right, is perfectly safe. Many people keep their .vim files on Bitbucket or Github or whatever and sync between computers and operating systems all the time. Also, weren't you asking about swap files? What does any of the above have to do with swap files?

>
> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>

How are you syncing things?

>
> If anyone has any suggestions for how I can more easily get back to a healthy '.vim' folder I'd appreciate them.
>

I've seen no evidence it's unhealthy now.

[Ben Fritz]

On Friday, May 10, 2013 9:30:41 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
> On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:
> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>
> Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started syncing with the tablet. I restored it.

OK, so you are now pretty sure your .vim files are good (I guess we've moved on to a new issue...do you still get "swap exists" errors?)

> I now get MacVim,

Ummm...ok. What does this have to do with your .vim files? MacVim and gvim are different executables. Or are you just referring to a colorscheme?

> but it's not reading my .vimrc.

How do you know? Use :scriptnames to see what scripts are loaded. I find it unlikely that Vim would suddenly stop reading its own config files.

> Some of my key mappings work, some don't. 
>

Which mappings? How do you define "don't work"? It is easy to see not only whether Vim has a mapping, but where it came from:

:verbose map MyMapKeys
:verbose map! MyMapKeys

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 6:42 PM, Jeroen Budts wrote:

> Can you make your entire vim config available somewhere and describe
> exactly what the problems are? For example which keybindings work and
> which don't?

Thanks for offering to help, Jeroen.

I've set up sharing of my '.vim' folder on Dropbox. I put a copy of my '.vimrc' in the folder.

The key bindings that don't work are of j to gj and jj to <esc>. All the others work.

Sincerely,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
eew...@bellsouth.net

“Guess, compute the consequences of the guess,
check if they agree with the evidence, and if the evidence
persistently refuses to agree, the guess is wrong.”

- Richard Feynman

[Eric Weir]

Thanks for responding, Ben. I'm not surprised that you find the situation as I describe it confusing. I'm simply reporting symptoms that in my mind are associated---a bunch of things that all started happening at once. My vim competence is limited. I have become a comfortable user---for writing prose---with a lot of hand-holding here.

On May 10, 2013, at 7:54 PM, Ben Fritz wrote:

> On Friday, May 10, 2013 9:30:41 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
>> On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:
>> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>>
>> Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started syncing with the tablet. I restored it.
>
> OK, so you are now pretty sure your .vim files are good (I guess we've moved on to a new issue...do you still get "swap exists" errors?)
>
>> I now get MacVim,
>
> Ummm...ok. What does this have to do with your .vim files? MacVim and gvim are different executables. Or are you just referring to a colorscheme?

No longer getting "swap exists" after deleting them at "var/temp/". [How the hell did they get put there?] And I did discover after my initial post that there were two other instances of vim running in addition to macvim. [I know I had to have started them somehow, but how the hell did I do it? The only way I ever start vim is by starting macvim.]

I understand that gvim and macvim are different executables. And they look different. [Tabs are displayed differently, e.g., and the font in use in what I am calling gvim was not the one I get with macvim.] I have no idea how my .vim files affected which vim was started. All I know is that when I restored the backup copy of the .vim folder I started getting macvim.

>> but it's not reading my .vimrc.
>
> How do you know? Use :scriptnames to see what scripts are loaded. I find it unlikely that Vim would suddenly stop reading its own config files.
>
>> Some of my key mappings work, some don't.
>
> Which mappings? How do you define "don't work"? It is easy to see not only whether Vim has a mapping, but where it came from:
>

> :verbose map MyMapKeys/yankring.vim
> :verbose map! MyMapKeys

With the first I got:

"o M YRMapsExpression("<SNR>22", "M")
Last set from ~/.vim/bundle/yankring.vim/plugin"

With the second I got

"no mapping found"

So, at this point, what I am getting looks like macvim, but apparently none of the key mappings set in my .vimrc are in effect.

I know, probably still as clear as mud. It's the best I can do. I hope it leads somewhere.

I appreciate your questions.

Sincerely,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
eew...@bellsouth.net

"Our world is a human world."

- Hilary Putnam

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 7:41 PM, Ben Fritz wrote:

> On Friday, May 10, 2013 5:42:59 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
>> Getting "swap file exists" warning. There are no swap files anywhere in my user directory. Then I notice the text of the warning:
>>
>> Swap file "/var/tmp/writing.taskpaper.swp" already exists!
>
> What is your 'directory' option set to? Is writing.taskpaper.swp related to a file you're editing, or a plugin?

I don't know how to set a 'directory' option. Not in macvim preferences. To the best of my knowledge it's never been set on my system.

writing.taskpaper.swp is associated with a file created by the taskpaper plugin. Taskpaper files have the extent 'taskpaper'.

> Either you're editing a file in Vim that you already have open in another Vim, you had a Vim instance crash while editing that file before (but probably not, because you *said* you deleted the swap file), or you have a plugin creating swap files when it probably should not be.
>
> Try disabling plugins by launching Vim with the --noplugin option. If the problem goes away it might be a plugin. The name of the swapfile might give a hint as to which one.

As reported in my initial response, I found the there were two other instances of vim running along with macvim. Since deleting the swap files at the weird location [/var/tmp/] and shutting down the two other instances of vim I no longer get "swap exists."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
Decatur, GA USA
eew...@bellsouth.net

"The most important thing is the tee-shirt."

- Samara Alnafdage

[Eric Weir]

On May 10, 2013, at 7:46 PM, Ben Fritz wrote:

> On Friday, May 10, 2013 8:34:03 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
>>
>> Just now on the macbook I executed the vimwiki command to rename a link and it asked if I wanted to create a new folder on android file path. I thought maybe I'd accidentally copied the android .vimrc to the home folder on my macbook, but I checked and I had not. My vim [macbook] and vim touch [table] setups are identical except for the paths to folders need by my plugins. I assumed it was safe to sync the .vim folders between the two systems, but I'm guessing that it's not.
>
> Syncing .vim folders, if you do it right, is perfectly safe. Many people keep their .vim files on Bitbucket or Github or whatever and sync between computers and operating systems all the time.

I assumed that to be the case, too, which was why I was syncing the setups on the two systems. But when I execute a command in *macvim* and am asked if I want to create a folder on an *android* path, I, in my naiveté, suspect that my macvim setup has somehow picked up something from my android setup. That seems to be confirmed by the fact that when I restored the backup of the .vim folder on the macbook I started getting what looked like macvim instead of what looked like gvim.

>> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>
> How are you syncing things?

Via SugarSync.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
eew...@bellsouth.net

"Any assurance economists pretend to with
regard to cause and effect is merely a pose."

- Emanuel Derman

[Eric Weir]

On May 11, 2013, at 6:08 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

> On May 10, 2013, at 7:54 PM, Ben Fritz wrote:
>
>> On Friday, May 10, 2013 9:30:41 AM UTC-5, Eric Weir wrote:
>>> On May 10, 2013, at 9:34 AM, Eric Weir wrote:
>>> I've disabled syncing between the tablet and the macbook and will go back into my backups before I started syncing the two systems and restore my .vim folder from there.
>>>
>>> Actually, I had a copy that I created right before I started syncing with the tablet. I restored it.
>>
>> OK, so you are now pretty sure your .vim files are good (I guess we've moved on to a new issue...do you still get "swap exists" errors?)
>>
>>> I now get MacVim,
>>
>> Ummm...ok. What does this have to do with your .vim files? MacVim and gvim are different executables. Or are you just referring to a colorscheme?
>
> No longer getting "swap exists" after deleting them at "var/temp/". [How the hell did they get put there?] And I did discover after my initial post that there were two other instances of vim running in addition to macvim. [I know I had to have started them somehow, but how the hell did I do it? The only way I ever start vim is by starting macvim.]
>
> I understand that gvim and macvim are different executables. And they look different. [Tabs are displayed differently, e.g., and the font in use in what I am calling gvim was not the one I get with macvim.] I have no idea how my .vim files affected which vim was started. All I know is that when I restored the backup copy of the .vim folder I started getting macvim.

At the limits of my knowledge and my wits end regarding the problems I've been experiencing I resorted to a "magical" fix---a shot in the dark---to see if I could get my key mappings back. I went into the time machine and restored by .vim folder and .vimrc from six weeks ago. It worked.

If anyone has a clue why---or more importantly, why I started getting "swap exists" messages for swap files in '/var/tmp/', why macvim asked me if I wanted to create a file on an android path, why I stopped getting macvim and started getting gvim, why after restoring an older backup .vim folder I got macvim back, why after I got macvim back I still didn't have my key mappings---I would really be interested. I really would like to understand.

I can't help thinking that the fact that I was synchronizing the '.vim' folders on my macbook and my android tablet had something to do with it, even though I don't understand how it could. Again, the only difference between the two setups was in the paths set in the .vimrc for files used by my plugins. In every other respect the setups were identical.

Sincerely,

[Eric Weir]

On May 13, 2013, at 11:41 AM, Eric Weir wrote:

> If anyone has a clue why---or more importantly, why I started getting "swap exists" messages for swap files in '/var/tmp/', why macvim asked me if I wanted to create a file on an android path, why I stopped getting macvim and started getting gvim, why after restoring an older backup .vim folder I got macvim back, why after I got macvim back I still didn't have my key mappings---I would really be interested. I really would like to understand.

Well, I've answered my own question, and it seems to have nothing to do with the synchronizing of the .vim folders on the macbook and the tablet.

After restoring the .vim folder and the .vimrc from six weeks ago, I decided to see which one had given me back my keymappings. It was the .vimrc. So I decided to see if I could see what it was about the .vimrc that had done the trick. I compared the older .vimrc with the one previously in use.

There was a *one character* difference. Somehow the initial 'i' got lopped off the insert mode remapping of jj to <esc>. I did it, of course. I have no idea how or when, but it had to be me.

I don't know what I look like, but I'm feeling a little sheepish after all the "sturm and drang" of the last few days.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
Decatur, GA
eew...@bellsouth.net