# Vimium — Keyboard-Driven Browser Navigation for Developers

> Navigate the web at full speed using Vim-style keyboard shortcuts with this open-source browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Vimium — Keyboard-Driven Browser Navigation for Developers

## Quick Use
```
Install from Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons.
Press f to show link hints, then type the hint to click.
Press / to search, j/k to scroll, H/L for back/forward.
```

## Introduction
Vimium brings Vim-style navigation to your browser, letting you browse the web without touching a mouse. It maps familiar motions like `hjkl` scrolling, `/` search, and `f` link-hinting to everyday browsing tasks.

## What Vimium Does
- Displays letter hints on every clickable element so you can follow links by typing
- Scrolls pages with `j`/`k`/`d`/`u` just like Vim
- Opens a smart URL/bookmark/history bar with `o` or `O`
- Switches between tabs with `J`/`K` and reopens closed tabs with `X`
- Lets you define custom key mappings and search engines

## Architecture Overview
Vimium is a browser extension written in JavaScript/CoffeeScript. It injects a lightweight content script into each tab that listens for keystrokes and renders hint overlays using a DOM layer. A background script manages cross-tab state, settings sync, and the Vomnibar search interface.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons marketplace
- Open the Vimium options page to customize key bindings
- Add custom search engines with keywords (e.g., `w` for Wikipedia)
- Define URL patterns to exclude specific sites from Vimium
- Import or export settings as JSON for team-wide consistency

## Key Features
- Link hinting with single-character or multi-character codes
- Vomnibar for fuzzy-matching open tabs, bookmarks, and history
- Visual mode for selecting and copying text without a mouse
- Marks for jumping back to saved scroll positions
- Works on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge with identical behavior

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Surfingkeys** — more configurable with a built-in JS API, heavier footprint
- **Tridactyl** — Firefox-only, closer to full Vim emulation in the browser
- **Qutebrowser** — standalone browser with Vim bindings, not an extension
- **cVim** — Chrome-only, less actively maintained

## FAQ
**Q:** Does Vimium work on internal browser pages like settings?
A: No. Browser security policies block extensions from running on chrome:// or about: pages.

**Q:** Can I disable Vimium on specific sites?
A: Yes. Add URL patterns to the excluded-URLs list in the options page.

**Q:** Does it conflict with web apps that use keyboard shortcuts?
A: You can add those sites to the exclusion list or use Insert mode to pass keys through.

**Q:** Is it open source?
A: Yes, MIT-licensed at github.com/philc/vimium.

## Sources
- https://github.com/philc/vimium
- https://vimium.github.io/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-5bcadd7d
Author: Script Depot