Beta testing `nvim-0.12` reference config

[echasnovski]

Problem description

Reference config nvim-0.12 (for Neovim>=0.12) is currently in beta-testing. The general structure and overall design are stable and should work fine.

However, there might be some minor issues that are specific for nvim-0.12 config in particular that might improved or clarified. Please feel free to report them here.

[GerritWanderer]

Hi @echasnovski,

starting neovim with MiniMax results in could not load vim.pack module erorrs with multiple neovim versions installed on my machine.
For example I've nvim 0.11.5 installed via homebrew and manually stored nvim-nightly in ~/.local/bin/nvim-nightly. But I get the error mentioned above when running the command NVIM_APPNAME=nvim-minimax nvim-nightly

After installing bob to manage multiple neovim versions, it was working fine.

[echasnovski]

NVIM_APPNAME=nvim-minimax nvim-nightly

The error shows that nvim-nightly is a Neovim version that doesn't yet have vim.pack. You can see the exact version it uses with NVIM_APPNAME=nvim-minimax nvim-nightly --version (dropping NVIM_APPNAME is fine, but this should make it clearer). I don't think this is a MiniMax problem, but the general Neovim installation issue.

[GerritWanderer]

The latest nightly build is used (see my screenrecording), however during the startup something references internally nvim which is pre 0.12

Screen.Recording.2026-02-24.at.13.44.30.mov

After switching to bob for proper neovim version management, it's working fine now.

[echasnovski]

The latest nightly build is used (see my screenrecording), however during the startup something references internally nvim which is pre 0.12

That is strange. My second guess would be some issues with runtime (probably as a result of problematic nvim-nightly installation). Other errors shown in the screencast might support that (E484 Can't open file ... for a runtime file).

[GerritWanderer]

Hi @echasnovski

after adding additional languages to the MiniMax0.12 config for tree-sitter, I see all new languages getting (re)installed every time I open Neovim. Is this expected, or should it happen only once?

  local languages = {
    -- These are already pre-installed with Neovim. Used as an example.
    'lua',
    'vimdoc',
    'markdown',
    'javascript',
    'typescript'
}

[echasnovski]

Is this expected, or should it happen only once?

It should happen only once and it does happen for me. After a fresh install adding 'javascript' and 'typescript' below this line, restarting to actually install new parsers, and then restarting again doesn't show any messages.

The problem is most likely with how Neovim installation is done installation, as it checks if the previously installed parser is in the runtime. Probably some runtime issues, similar in how described here. I'd suggest trying to download the Nightly release and test with it.

[GerritWanderer]

@echasnovski after installing tree-sitter-cli via homebrew on MacOSX, the issue disappeared. I guess compiling the parsers failed silently when only the tree-sitter (library) was installed on my system, therefore parsers where never saved.

[echasnovski]

@echasnovski after installing tree-sitter-cli via homebrew on MacOSX, the issue disappeared. I guess compiling the parsers failed silently on my system when starting neovim, therefore it was never saved.

Ah, makes sense. I wonder if this is an intended behavior of 'nvim-treesitter' to fail silently here or was it due to some other issues (like 'mini.starter' overriding the shown the message). I'll take a look.

But yeah, :checkhealth vim.treesitter nvim-treesitter (as a documented way to troubleshoot problems with tree-sitter) would have shown this issue.

[GerritWanderer]

Hi @echasnovski, I just started setting up a remote tmux server and when connecting via SSH to my remote server and open neovim, I get the following warning message

I disabled the method for now.

  if not (vim.env.SSH_TTY or vim.env.SSH_CONNECTION) then
    MiniMisc.setup_termbg_sync()
  end

[echasnovski]

... when connecting via SSH to my remote server and open neovim, I get the following warning message

Thanks, that is interesting! And is not something specific for nvim-0.12 per se, I would say.

I disabled the method for now.

I think this is reasonable to be a part which users adjust for themselves.

[khsoh]

In init.lua, vim.pack.add is called to add mini.nvim plugin:

vim.pack.add({ Config.gh 'nvim-mini/mini.nvim' })

This cannot be added so early because any PackChanged or PackChangedPre hooks will not be executed when the actual event occurs

The structure of the code need to changed to support vim.pack.add . I propose:

init.lua - define only helper functions
plugin/01_hooks.lua - code to add PackChanged and PackChangedPre hooks
plugin/02_miniinit.lua - code to add mini.nvim and define helper functions that depend on mini.nvim
plugin/* - the other files currently implemented

Reference: https://neovim.io/doc/user/pack/#PackChanged - scroll into end of example, it says:

-- If hooks need to run on install, run this before `vim.pack.add()`

-- To act on install from lockfile, run before very first `vim.pack.add()`