Vim - my config on CentOS

set vim as a default editor
echo "export EDITOR=/usr/bin/vim" >> /etc/profile
disable flow control in a terminal (unblock ctrl+s, ctrl+q for use in vim)
echo "stty -ixoff -ixon" >> ~/.bashrc

config:
echo '
set mouse=a
set number
set ts=2
set shiftwidth=2
set expandtab
set softtabstop=2
set smartindent
map <c-q> :mksession! ~/.vim/.session <cr>
map <c-s> :source ~/.vim/.session <cr>
nmap <F2> :update <cr>
imap <F2> <C-O>:update <cr>
' >> /etc/vimrc

Without the key mappings above, vim would be too painful for me to use for programming.
Ctrl+q ... save vim's state e.g. what files are opened, cursor position, ...
Ctrl+s ... restore saved state
F2 ... save current file - works in insert mode too

X11 clipboard
http://lug.wsu.edu/node/1239
yum install vim-X11
echo "alias vim='/usr/bin/vimx'" >> ~/.bashrc
. ~/.bashrc

rails support
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1567
Before running, check for latest version and replace 9499 below.
mkdir ~/.vim
cd ~/.vim
wget http://www.vim.org/scripts/download_script.php?src_id=9499
unzip rails.zip
rm rails.zip

enable rails docs
:helptags ~/.vim/doc
then run
:help rails

haml+sass syntax highlighting
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1773
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1979
Again, check for latest versions and modify 8461 and 7447 below.
mkdir ~/.vim/syntax
cd ~/.vim/syntax
wget http://www.vim.org/scripts/download_script.php?src_id=8461
wget http://www.vim.org/scripts/download_script.php?src_id=7447
echo '
au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.haml setfiletype haml
au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.sass setfiletype sass
' >> ~/.vim/filetype.vim

problem with haml.vim - carriage returns errors
http://railshacks.blogspot.com/2008/05/railsvim-breaks-in-hardy-heron.html
vim ~/.vim/syntax/haml.vim
and save with
:w ++ff=unix

Swap Escape and Caps Lock keys (to love vim more)
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO
echo '
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
keysym Escape = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock
'> ~/.Xmodmap

File ~/.Xmodmap is processed by /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc-common when X starts.
To take effect immediately, do 'xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap'

Same on Windoze
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey#toc11
save the next 3 lines in a file, e.g. swapEscCL.reg and execute
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,01,00,3a,00,3a,00,01,00,00,00,00,00

tips
:%s/^/ / ... indent all lines
:.,.+3s/^/ / ... indent 4 lines from cusor down
<c-v>2><esc> ... indent 2x on a selected range

references
vim as development environment

to do
fix problem with javascript highlighting
now have to do
:set syntax=javascript
perhaps filetype is not correctly set for js