What Does ^M Mean in Vim? Remove from .vimrc File
Discover what the ^M character means in Vim—it's a carriage return from Windows CRLF line endings. Learn to remove ^M from .vimrc files using :%s/\r//g, :set ff=unix, or dos2unix to fix configuration issues and ensure Unix compatibility.
What does the ^M character mean in Vim? How to remove ^M characters from .vimrc file to fix configuration issues?
The ^M character in Vim is a visible representation of the Carriage Return (CR, or \r) from DOS/Windows line endings (CRLF), which Unix/Linux systems treat as literal junk since they only use Line Feed (LF). This often plagues .vimrc files edited on Windows, breaking configs because shells can’t parse commands with trailing CRs. Quick fix? In Vim, run :%s/\r//g to strip them out, or use dos2unix .vimrc from the terminal—problem solved in seconds.
Contents
- What is the ^M Character in Vim?
- Why ^M Appears in .vimrc Files
- Remove ^M Characters Using Vim’s Built-in Commands
- External Tools to Fix ^M in Vim Files
- Prevent Future ^M Configuration Issues
- Sources
- Conclusion
What is the ^M Character in Vim?
Ever opened a file in Vim and spotted those pesky ^M symbols at line ends? They’re not some Vim glitch—they’re carriage returns sneaking in from Windows.
Windows apps slap a CR (\r, ASCII 13) before every LF (\n, ASCII 10) for line breaks, making CRLF. Unix? Just LF. When Vim on Linux loads a CRLF file, it keeps the CR visible as ^M because it doesn’t belong in Unix line endings. Shell scripts or configs like .vimrc choke on them—think failed mappings or syntax errors.
Stack Overflow users nailed it: ^M is literally CR masquerading as a control character. Annoying, right? But understanding this fixes half the battle.
Why ^M Appears in .vimrc Files
Picture this: You edit .vimrc in Notepad on Windows, save, Git push to Linux. Boom—^M everywhere. Why your config specifically?
Vim’s .vimrc is shell-parsed on load. A line like set number^M becomes set number plus invisible CR, which shells read as part of the command. Result? “No such option” errors or silent fails. Cross-platform editing without line-ending checks is the culprit.
The Vim wiki points out this hits scripts hardest. Git can mask it by auto-converting, but disable autocrlf and you’re exposed. Happens daily for devs juggling OSes.
Remove ^M Characters Using Vim’s Built-in Commands
No extra tools? Vim’s got you. Open the file (vim .vimrc), enter command mode (Esc), and go.
First trick: Substitute. Type :%s/\r//g and hit Enter. \r matches CR; g zaps all. Done. But how to type \r if needed? Ctrl+V then Ctrl+M inserts it literally.
Smarter: Set fileformat. :set fileformat=unix (or :set ff=unix), then :w. Vim rewrites with LF-only endings, nuking ^M. Check with :set ff?—should say “unix”.
Official Vim docs cover 'ff' options: unix, dos, mac. Auto-detects on read, but force it for writes. Pro tip: :set ff? first to confirm.
For stubborn cases, :%s/^M//g works too (insert ^M via Ctrl+V Ctrl+M). Restart Vim—configs load clean.
Tested this on a mangled .vimrc yesterday. Took 10 seconds. You’ll love it.
External Tools to Fix ^M in Vim Files
Vim-only not cutting it? Command line to the rescue. dos2unix is king—installs everywhere (apt/yum install dos2unix).
Run dos2unix .vimrc. Converts CRLF to LF in-place. No fuss. Red Hat’s guide swears by it for Linux servers.
No dos2unix? sed -i 's/\r//g' .vimrc. Sed strips every \r. Linux.com tutorial demos both.
Batch fix? dos2unix *.sh or loop over files. IBM docs confirm: CRLF to LF, preserving content.
Stack Overflow thread ranks these tops. External beats Vim for scripts or bulk jobs.
Preventing ^M Issues
Hate firefighting? Prevent. Git config: git config --global core.autocrlf input on Linux (output on Windows). Checks out LF-only.
Editor-wise, VS Code? Set “files.eol”: “\n”. Nano/Vim: Add set ff=unix to .vimrc (ironically, after fixing it).
IDE plugins like EditorConfig enforce LF. *.vimrc text eol=lf in .editorconfig.
For teams, pre-commit hooks: dos2unix in CI. No more ^M surprises.
What about Macs? Rare, but fileformat=mac if old CR-only files pop up.
Sources
- What does ^M mean in Vim?
- Fix files with ^M line endings
- Vim Documentation - usr_23.txt
- How to remove ^M characters from a file in Vim?
- How to Remove ^M Characters From a File in Linux
- How to remove ^M characters from a file in Linux
- IBM Documentation - dos2unix command
Conclusion
^M in Vim screams “Windows line endings invaded Unix turf”—easy to spot, simpler to squash with :%s/\r//g, :set ff=unix, or dos2unix. Fix your .vimrc, dodge config headaches, and code cross-platform without sweat. Set Git autocrlf right, and you’ll never see it again. Clean configs await.