Change 8 spaces identation by default in vim by 4 spaces
To follow PEP-8 standar , for identation (tabs) it's recommended 4 spaces, not 8 as vim uses by default. To change this value, just add these lines to your vimrc file (usually located in /etc/vim/vimrc ). filetype plugin indent on " show existing tab with 4 spaces width set tabstop=4 " when indenting with '>', use 4 spaces width set shiftwidth=4 " On pressing tab, insert 4 spaces set expandtab if for some reason you need disable any command, just put an exclamation sign at the end of the command. For example: To enable number lines, use: set number To disable it, use: set number!