Vimakase

Opinionated, LazyVim-style keyboard setup for Obsidian. Omakase: install it and the keys are already chosen for you.

• Space leader keys in the editor (vim mode) and in other views: space space to find files, space e for the explorer, and more.
• Canopy: neo-tree-style keys for Obsidian's built-in file explorer in the sidebar (j/k/h/l, a add, d delete, r rename, m move, x/y/p cut/copy/paste).

Desktop only. Editor leader keys need Obsidian's vim mode (Settings → Editor → Vim key bindings).

Leader keys

Clipboard keys

Enabled by default in vim mode; switch off Settings → Vimakase → Clipboard keys to restore the original vim bindings.

Select all, copy, cut and paste also work in insert mode. Obsidian's native copy leaves visual mode after copying a selection.

The return point lasts while the Ctrl+A selection is intact. Repeating Ctrl+A keeps the original return point; moving, editing, or replacing the selection resumes normal vim behavior. Esc returns to normal mode even if you started in insert mode.

These bindings replace vim's Ctrl+A / Ctrl+X number increment and decrement. Vimakase adds no Alt bindings, so Obsidian shortcuts on those keys stay available.

Yanks (y, yy) also copy to the system clipboard. Deletes and changes (dd, ciw, x) keep their text in vim registers without overwriting the clipboard. Use Ctrl+X when you want a deletion copied to another app.

p / P use vim registers, so dd then p still moves a line. When Obsidian regains focus after you copy different text elsewhere, that clipboard text becomes vim's unnamed register and p / P paste it. Ctrl+V always reads the system clipboard. Explicit named registers keep their usual behavior.

Clipboard access uses Obsidian's desktop clipboard support. Vim register syncing uses undocumented CodeMirror vim internals and may need updating after an Obsidian upgrade.

File explorer keys (Canopy)

Active while the file explorer is focused.

Obsidian's own space and enter handling in the explorer is switched off while Vimakase handles those keys, so space works as the leader there.

Key sequences

Sequences behave like which-key in LazyVim:

• After 200 ms, a popup in the bottom-right corner lists the keys that can follow, with groups such as +file/find.
• An unfinished sequence waits for the next key. escape cancels, backspace goes one level up, and any other key cancels.
• Settings → Vimakase → Key sequence timeout cancels unfinished sequences after a set time instead (0, the default, waits).

In the editor, leader keys start only in vim normal mode with no vim command in progress, so counts, operators and f/t keep working. Canvas and Excalidraw views are skipped, because space pans there.

Install

Not in the community plugin list yet. Manual install:

1. Download main.js, manifest.json and styles.css from the latest release.
2. Put them in <vault>/.obsidian/plugins/vimakase/.
3. Enable Vimakase in Settings → Community plugins.

Development

The repo pins Node through mise; mise install once, or use your own Node 24.

npm install
npm run dev     # watch build
npm run build   # typecheck + production build
npm run lint    # Obsidian's plugin lint rules
npm run check   # release tests + lint + build

Optional local push guard: git config core.hooksPath .githooks. It runs node scripts/check.mjs; installation and release preparation do not depend on npm lifecycle hooks. git push --no-verify skips the guard.

Release: add notes under ## Unreleased in CHANGELOG.md and commit your changes, then run (with Node 24, or prefix with mise x --):

node scripts/release.mjs 0.4.0

The command requires a clean worktree and a newer, unused version. It runs release tests, lint, typecheck and the production build directly, updates package.json, package-lock.json, manifest.json, versions.json and the changelog, then creates a release commit and an annotated tag. It prints the exact push command; review the commit before pushing. If a Git hook rejects the commit, the prepared files remain available for inspection.

The tag push triggers .github/workflows/release.yml, which independently checks the metadata and release notes, runs the checks, attests build provenance and publishes main.js, manifest.json and styles.css. npm installs dependencies; release preparation and validation do not use npm scripts.

npm run link:dev -- <vault> links this working copy into a vault as a separate plugin, Vimakase (dev), so the community build can stay installed next to it. Reload plugins in Obsidian after linking or rebuilding, and keep only one of the two enabled, since both bind the same keys.

Caveats

The file explorer has no public API. Vimakase uses a few undocumented internals (listed in src/internals.ts), so an Obsidian update can break it until Vimakase is updated. File operations use the public API.

Credits

Inspired by LazyVim, neo-tree.nvim and Sidebar Keyboard Navigation.

License

MIT