Vim Classic launches its first release as a Vim fork without generative AI assistance

Drew DeVault, well known for SourceHut, has introduced Vim Classic, a new fork of the Vim text editor launched in response to generative AI use entering both Vim and Neovim development. The project describes itself as a “stable, long-term support fork of the ubiquitous text editor, maintained without the assistance of generative AI tools”.

Vim Classic has reached its inaugural release, version 8.3.0, which builds on Vim 8.2.0148 while backporting selective bug fixes and patches from more recent Vim versions. Notably, this release excludes support for Vim9 script, instead reflecting a timeline in which Vim 8.3 launched without it. As a result, some existing Vim plugins will not work with Vim Classic.

Alongside these changes, patches have been incorporated to address many Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) identified and fixed between Vim 8.2 and modern Vim releases. However, maintainers caution that not every security fix may be present, and recommend early adoption only for users comfortable managing potential risks.

Following Vim tradition, Vim Classic also continues the charityware model, supporting children in Uganda through a different charity than the one endorsed by Vim creator Bram Moolenaar. The 8.3 release is distributed as a source tarball available on SourceHut.