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mux includes a built-in Vim mode for the chat input, providing familiar Vim-style editing for power users.

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Enabling Vim Mode

Vim mode is always enabled. Press ESC to enter normal mode from insert mode.

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Modes

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Insert Mode (Default)

  • This is the default mode when typing in the chat input
  • Type normally, all characters are inserted
  • Press ESC or Ctrl-[ to enter normal mode

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Normal Mode

  • Command mode for navigation and editing
  • Indicated by “NORMAL” text above the input
  • Pending commands are shown (e.g., “NORMAL d” when delete is pending)
  • Press i, a, I, A, o, or O to return to insert mode

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Basic Movement

  • h - Move left one character
  • j - Move down one line
  • k - Move up one line
  • l - Move right one character

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Word Movement

  • w - Move forward to start of next word
  • W - Move forward to start of next WORD (whitespace-separated)
  • b - Move backward to start of previous word
  • B - Move backward to start of previous WORD
  • e - Move to end of current/next word
  • E - Move to end of current/next WORD

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Line Movement

  • 0 - Move to beginning of line
  • _ - Move to first non-whitespace character of line
  • $ - Move to end of line
  • Home - Same as 0
  • End - Same as $

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Column Preservation

When moving up/down with j/k, the cursor attempts to stay in the same column position. If a line is shorter, the cursor moves to the end of that line, but will return to the original column on longer lines.

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Entering Insert Mode

  • i - Insert at cursor
  • a - Append after cursor
  • I - Insert at beginning of line
  • A - Append at end of line
  • o - Open new line below and insert
  • O - Open new line above and insert

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Editing Commands

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Simple Edits

  • x - Delete character under cursor
  • p - Paste after cursor
  • P - Paste before cursor

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Undo/Redo

  • u - Undo last change
  • Ctrl-r - Redo

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Line Operations

  • dd - Delete line (yank to clipboard)
  • yy - Yank (copy) line
  • cc - Change line (delete and enter insert mode)

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Operators + Motions

Vim’s power comes from combining operators with motions. All operators work with all motions:

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Operators

  • d - Delete
  • c - Change (delete and enter insert mode)
  • y - Yank (copy)

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Motions

  • w - To next word
  • b - To previous word
  • e - To end of word
  • $ - To end of line
  • 0 - To beginning of line
  • _ - To first non-whitespace character

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Examples

  • dw - Delete to next word
  • de - Delete to end of word
  • d$ - Delete to end of line
  • cw - Change to next word
  • ce - Change to end of word
  • c0 - Change to beginning of line
  • y$ - Yank to end of line
  • ye - Yank to end of word
  • yy - Yank line (doubled operator)

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Shortcuts

  • D - Same as d$ (delete to end of line)
  • C - Same as c$ (change to end of line)

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Text Objects

Text objects let you operate on semantic units:

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Inner Word (iw)

  • diw - Delete inner word (word under cursor)
  • ciw - Change inner word
  • yiw - Yank inner word
Text objects work from anywhere within the word - you don’t need to be at the start.

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Visual Feedback

  • Cursor: Thin blinking cursor in insert mode, solid block in normal mode
  • Mode Indicator: Shows current mode and pending commands (e.g., “NORMAL d” when waiting for motion)

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Keybind Conflicts

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ESC Key

ESC is used for:
  1. Exiting Vim normal mode (highest priority)
  2. NOT used for canceling edits (use Ctrl-Q instead)
  3. NOT used for interrupting streams in Vim mode (use Ctrl-C)
  4. In non-Vim mode, Esc interrupts streams

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Ctrl+C Key (Vim Mode)

In Vim mode, Ctrl+C always interrupts streams (similar to terminal interrupt behavior). This means:
  • Standard Ctrl+C copy is not available in Vim mode
  • Use vim yank commands (y, yy, yiw, etc.) to copy text instead
  • This provides consistent interrupt behavior whether text is selected or not

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Tips

  1. Learn operators + motions: Instead of memorizing every command, learn the operators (d, c, y) and motions (w, b, $, 0). They combine naturally.
  2. Use text objects: ciw to change a word is more reliable than cw because it works from anywhere in the word.
  3. Column preservation: When navigating up/down, your column position is preserved across lines of different lengths.

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Not Yet Implemented

Features that may be added in the future:
  • ge - Backward end of word motion
  • f{char}, t{char} - Find character motions
  • i”, i’, i(, i[, i{ - More text objects
  • 2w, 3dd, 5x - Count prefixes
  • Visual mode - Character, line, and block selection
  • Macros - Recording and replaying command sequences
  • Marks - Named cursor positions