Install and first steps

Install

Each release has a binary for Linux (x86_64 and aarch64) and macOS (Apple silicon). It's a single file. Unpack it and put it on your PATH:

tar xzf imp-*.tar.gz
install -m 755 imp-*/imp ~/.local/bin/

On macOS, clear the download quarantine first: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/.local/bin/imp.

To build from source you need Rust and a C compiler:

git clone https://github.com/apisandipas/imp && cd imp
make install

With Nix, run nix profile install github:apisandipas/imp. On NixOS, use this rather than the binary.

A few things imp uses if you have them:

Program	For
`wl-copy`, `xclip`, `xsel` or `pbcopy`	The system clipboard
`rg` (ripgrep)	Searching a project
Language servers, such as `rust-analyzer`	Code intelligence; see LSP
`git`	The git interface; see Git

Start it

Command	What happens
`imp`	Opens a window with the start screen: recent files and projects
`imp notes.txt`	Opens a file
`imp src/`	Opens a file browser on a directory
`imp --tui`	Runs in the terminal instead of a window

Without a display, over SSH for example, imp runs in the terminal by itself. To use imp for git commit messages and the like, set export EDITOR="imp --tui".

In the window, C-= and C-- zoom and C-0 resets.

Edit like Vim

imp starts in Vim's normal state. Motions, operators, text objects, counts, ., registers, macros, marks, visual mode, search and :s all work as in Vim. See Vim for the details.

Key	What it does
`i`	Insert text; `<esc>` goes back to normal
`:w`	Save
`:q`	Close the window
`u` / `C-r`	Undo and redo

Prefer Emacs keys? Press C-z to switch to Emacs state, and again to switch back. See Emacs state.

Press SPC in normal state and a menu shows what comes next. Each letter opens a group:

Key	Group
`SPC f`	Files: `SPC f f` finds a file, `SPC f r` recent files, `SPC f s` saves
`SPC b`	Buffers: `SPC b b` switches, `SPC b d` closes
`SPC w`	Windows: `SPC w v` splits right, `SPC w s` splits below
`SPC p`	Projects: `SPC p p` switches, `SPC p f` finds a file in the project
`SPC s`	Search: `SPC s p` searches the project
`SPC g`	Git: `SPC g g` opens the git status
`SPC c`	Code: language server actions
`SPC o`	Org and terminals
`SPC h`	Help
`SPC t`	Toggles

SPC SPC finds a file. You don't need to learn these by heart: the menu always shows them. When you pause after g, z, [, ] or C-w, imp shows the keys that can follow those too. See Leader and modes.

Run any command

M-x lists every command. Type part of a name to narrow the list. Each command shows its key, if it has one, and what it does.

Get help

Key	What it does
`SPC h k`	Press a key, and see what it runs
`SPC h f`	Look up a function and read its docs
`SPC h o`	Look up an option
`:help`	Open the help

See Live Scheme and help.

Make imp yours: Configuring init.scm.