Vim-Like Terminal Navigation¶

SuperQode provides an optional modal, Vim-like control layer for its terminal user interface. It applies familiar navigation to conversations, commands, searches, connection pickers, and terminal panes. It does not replace Vim or provide a general-purpose text editor.

Enable Vim Mode¶

Enable the mode from the TUI:

:vim on

The preference is stored in ~/.superqode/config.json and applies to later sessions. Disable it with:

:vim off

For temporary or managed environments, use the environment variable:

SUPERQODE_VIM_MODE=1 superqode
SUPERQODE_VIM_MODE=0 superqode

An explicit environment variable takes precedence over the saved preference.

Use :vim to inspect the current state and :vim tutor to open the in-product key reference.

Input Modes¶

The active Vim input mode is shown in the status bar and in the task prompt border.

Mode	Purpose	Entry
`NORMAL`	Navigate the transcript, panes, searches, and pickers	`Escape` from an editable mode
`INSERT`	Enter or edit a coding task	`i`, `a`, or `o` from Normal mode
`COMMAND`	Enter a SuperQode Ex command	`:` from Normal mode
`SEARCH`	Search the current transcript	`/` or `?` from Normal mode

Submitting a task, command, or search returns the TUI to Normal mode. SuperQode temporarily permits ordinary text entry when an agent question or setup prompt requires a response.

Conversation¶

Key	Action
`j`	Scroll down one line
`k`	Scroll up one line
`gg`	Jump to the beginning of the transcript
`G`	Jump to the end and resume follow mode
`Ctrl+U` or `Ctrl+B`	Scroll up by page
`Ctrl+D` or `Ctrl+F`	Scroll down by page
`/pattern`	Search forward
`?pattern`	Search backward
`n`	Select the next search match
`N`	Select the previous search match

Panes and pickers¶

Key	Action
`h`	Open or focus the repository sidebar
`l`	Return focus to the main prompt
`Ctrl+W h`	Focus the repository sidebar
`Ctrl+W l`	Focus the main prompt
`Space`	Open the leader menu
`j` or `k`	Move through the active connection, model, runtime, session, mode, or harness picker
`Enter`	Confirm the highlighted picker item
`Escape`	Cancel the active picker or operation according to the current TUI context

Approval prompts retain priority over modal bindings. When an approval is pending, y, n, a, and Escape keep their approval behavior.

Ex Commands¶

All SuperQode : commands remain available. Vim mode also provides these aliases:

Command	SuperQode action
`:w [path]`	Export the current transcript
`:e <file>`	View a repository file
`:ls`	List saved sessions
`:grep <term>`	Search the workspace
`:q`	Exit SuperQode
`q:`	Show Ex command history
`@:`	Repeat the latest Ex command

These commands use SuperQode objects rather than Vim buffers. For example, :w exports session evidence and :e opens a repository file in the TUI viewer.

Scope¶

The Vim layer is designed for operating coding agents and inspecting their work. It intentionally does not implement:

Vim text operators such as d2w
Registers or macros
A Vim buffer model
Vim plugins or Vimscript
Exact Vim or Neovim compatibility

Use Ctrl+E or :edit to compose a prompt in the editor configured by $EDITOR. Use SuperQode as an ACP agent from Neovim when editing inside Neovim is the primary workflow.

Recommended Product Description¶

The accurate product description is:

A terminal-first, Vim-like control surface for coding agents, harnesses, sessions, diffs, and WorkOrders.

This describes the modal navigation layer without presenting SuperQode as a replacement for Vim or Neovim.