How to Uninstall MacVim with Homebrew

As a software developer and reviewer, I often encounter issues related to installing and managing different versions of Vim on my Mac. In this article, we will discuss how to uninstall MacVim using Homebrew.

MacVim comes with a terminal version of Vim, but it's not the official version of Vim. Both versions can coexist, but when you use Homebrew to install both, you need to choose one as the main 'vim' in your terminal. This is because both methods of installation (official binary releases and Homebrew) are supported, but they have different auto-updating mechanisms.

One of the advantages of using MacVim is that it comes with an auto-updater like other GUI apps, and it's signed and notarized by Apple, which reduces the likelihood of issues on later macOS versions. Additionally, you only need to update one package as a result.

However, I usually recommend installing MacVim by downloading binaries from the official website, rather than using Homebrew. This is because I backport most macOS-specific fixes to Vim and sometimes miss some, so I prefer using the MacVim version of terminal Vim more.

MacVim's bundled terminal Vim is updated a little less frequently (1-2 months), but you can type ':gui' in Vim to switch from terminal mode to GUI mode, which is more seamless. MacVim also bundles with a version of terminal Vim itself, so you could theoretically install both using Homebrew and get Vim for free.

However, if you use Homebrew to install both Vim and MacVim, you will encounter a link conflict because both packages try to symlink the 'vim', 'ex', etc. commands to '/usr/local/bin'. To avoid this issue, you need to choose one version of Vim as your main terminal Vim.

For those who are new to Vim or need help with customizing it, I recommend checking out some online resources such as Vim Awesome, Learn Vimscript the Hard Way, Derek Wyatt's Vim tutorial videos, and Vimcasts. These resources provide a wealth of information on how to get the most out of your Vim experience.

In conclusion, uninstalling MacVim using Homebrew is possible, but it requires careful consideration of the potential link conflicts that may arise. By choosing one version of Vim as your main terminal Vim, you can avoid these issues and enjoy the benefits of having both versions installed on your system.

Brew uninstall macvim