Change cursor shape in different modes

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created March 28, 2009 · complexity basic · author Weltensegler · version 7.0

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To change the shape of the cursor in different modes, you can add the following into your vimrc.

For the Gnome-Terminal (version 2.26)

if has("autocmd")
  au InsertEnter * silent execute "!gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/cursor_shape ibeam"
  au InsertLeave * silent execute "!gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/cursor_shape block"
  au VimLeave * silent execute "!gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/cursor_shape ibeam"
endif

For the Gnome-Terminal (version 3.x)

First make a script gnome-terminal-cursor-shape.sh

#!/bin/sh
DEFAULTPROF=`dconf read /org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/default`
DEFAULTPROF=`echo "$DEFAULTPROF" | sed -e "s/^'/:/" -e "s/'$//"`
dconf write /org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/$DEFAULTPROF/cursor-shape "'$1'"

Make it executable & put it in /usr/local/bin Next, add this to .vimrc

if has("autocmd")
    au InsertEnter *
        \ if v:insertmode == 'i' |
        \   silent execute "!gnome-terminal-cursor-shape.sh ibeam" |
        \ elseif v:insertmode == 'r' |
        \   silent execute "!gnome-terminal-cursor-shape.sh underline" |
        \ endif
    au InsertLeave * silent execute "!gnome-terminal-cursor-shape.sh block"
    au VimLeave * silent execute "!gnome-terminal-cursor-shape.sh block"
endif

If you use more than one profile in gnome-terminal, you might have to adapt this to your profiles.

For iTerm2 on OS X

let &t_SI = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=1\x7"
let &t_SR = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=2\x7"
let &t_EI = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=0\x7"

For tmux running in iTerm2 on OS X:

let &t_SI = "\<Esc>Ptmux;\<Esc>\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=1\x7\<Esc>\\"
let &t_SR = "\<Esc>Ptmux;\<Esc>\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=2\x7\<Esc>\\"
let &t_EI = "\<Esc>Ptmux;\<Esc>\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=0\x7\<Esc>\\"

In theory, the escape sequence could be used for tmux in any terminal.

NOTE: These do not work with the default terminal.

For Konsole in KDE4

let &t_SI = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=1\x7"
let &t_SR = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=2\x7"
let &t_EI = "\<Esc>]50;CursorShape=0\x7"

This works with multiple tabs and windows.

For VTE compatible terminals (urxvt, st, xterm and others)

let &t_SI = "\<Esc>[6 q"
let &t_SR = "\<Esc>[4 q"
let &t_EI = "\<Esc>[2 q"

Set IBeam shape in insert mode, underline shape in replace mode and block shape in normal mode.

For xfce-terminal

if has("autocmd")
  au InsertEnter * silent execute "!sed -i.bak -e 's/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_BLOCK/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_UNDERLINE/' ~/.config/xfce4/terminal/terminalrc"                                                                                          
  au InsertLeave * silent execute "!sed -i.bak -e 's/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_UNDERLINE/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_BLOCK/' ~/.config/xfce4/terminal/terminalrc"                                                                                          
  au VimLeave * silent execute "!sed -i.bak -e 's/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_UNDERLINE/TERMINAL_CURSOR_SHAPE_BLOCK/' ~/.config/xfce4/terminal/terminalrc"  
endif

See also

• Configuring the cursor

Comments

In a vim_use thread on 31 March 2009, Matt Wozniski made the following comments:

Re the Gnome code: Unless I'm misunderstanding something, this would not only work improperly when combined with tools like screen and dvtm, but also, when you have multiple terminals open, it would change the cursor shape in all of them!

Re the KDE4 code: That won't play nicely with gnu screen, or with dvtm, or any of the other terminal multiplexers out there.

Both will probably have problems with multiple tabs.

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