I am trying to use vim inside a GNU screen session, but whenever I open vim inside screen the syntax highlighting uses completely different colors when compared to when I open vim outside GNU screen.
Why does vim change its syntax highlighting colors when I open it inside screen and how do I fix it?
Note: I am using spf13-vim in iTerm2 (OS X).
Edit: these two images show the difference when using vim in the normal bash and when using it inside screen:
Normal:
Inside screen:
I had similar symptoms, except that it happened for all programs not just vim. The resolution for me was to install a newer version of screen (I was using GNU screen as the backend for byobu.) I installed screen using Macports "port install screen" but I assume any method would suffice.
On my system, /usr/bin/screen --version reported 4.00.03 (FAU) 23-Oct-06. But the new screen reports 4.02.01 (GNU) 28-Apr-14. I cannot confirm whether the version upgrade was the key step, or whether the Macports screen is somehow configured differently.
I'd look at TERM environment variable. When you run screen, it should be screen-256color. So, try running this command:
$ TERM=screen-256color vim
If that does help, then you probably should change your screen settings in order to make it set correct TERM for you automatically. (I'm not sure about screen configuration, I use tmux and I had similar issues that were solved by setting correct TERM)
xterm), but it didn't work. screen-256colordidn't work also.
Aug 19, 2014 at 18:39
screen itself thinks that your terminal doesn't support 256 color, behavior is different. So, firstly, try running screen with this command: TERM=xterm-256color screen , and then, inside screen, run vim as follows: TERM=screen-256color vim.
Aug 19, 2014 at 18:48
TERM=xterm screen, and then TERM=screen-256color vim, colors are ugly. If I run screen so that it thinks that my terminal supports 256 colors, colors are fine. Sorry, no more exact ideas. I assume you've already seen these easy googleable links: askubuntu.com/questions/87169/using-gnu-screen-with-256-colors and robotsrule.us/vim
Aug 19, 2014 at 18:58
screen itself changed some colours (e.g. custom bash prompt went from orange to red) but oddly running vim in screen did use my custom colours. So just a comment, not an answer: simply the suggested command TERM=xterm-256color screen worked for me. I couldn't find a way to add this to screen configuration file so I just aliased it, alias screen='TERM=xterm-256color screen'. Screen version 4.00.03 (FAU) 23-Oct-06 on Oracle Linux 2.6.32-431.5.1.el6.x86_64
Jul 2, 2015 at 13:19
Simple workaround that worked for me (even when editing ~/.screenrc did not), based on the Dmitry Frank proposal :
alias screen='TERM=xterm-256color screen'
I added it to ~/.bashrc to make it permanent for my user.
I hope it isn't too late.
Normally, on your ~/.vimrc there might be a line
colorscheme yourColorScheme
where yourColorScheme is one of the .vim color configuration file your can find in /usr/share/vim/vim80/colors/, without the .vim extension Example, I want to use /usr/share/vim/vim80/colors/blue.vim configuration file, I do
colorscheme blue
If this line isn't written in .vimrc, then vim will select a default color configuration file and that selection might be different while using screen.
I had the same problem and solve it while adding this line à the end of the file.
The only distasteful thing is that you will probably have to try all the configuration listed in /usr/share/vim/vim80/colors/ to find the one you liked (I advise you to open a terminal with your ~/.vimrc opened in to test the differents colorshemes, a second terminal where you vim a file that shows you the good syntax color you like, and a third and a third where you launch screen and vim the same file to see the new syntax color and compare)
