Native LSP Setup

Native LSP Setup

Neovim 0.11 made language servers a first-class config concern. A server is described by a file in lsp/ at the top of your config — no plugin code in the way.

A server definition#

~/.config/nvim/lsp/lua_ls.lua:

return {
  cmd = { "lua-language-server" },
  filetypes = { "lua" },
  settings = { Lua = { diagnostics = { globals = { "vim" } } } },
}

The file returns a table: the command Neovim launches, the filetypes that trigger it, and settings handed straight to the server.

Enable it#

lua/config/lsp.lua:

vim.lsp.enable("lua_ls")

vim.diagnostic.config({ virtual_lines = { current_line = true } })

vim.lsp.enable activates the definition — from your lsp/ directory, deep-merged over nvim-lspconfig’s defaults if that data package is installed. The virtual_lines diagnostic style renders the full message under the current line only: quiet screen, full detail exactly where your eyes are.

Watch it work#

Open a Lua file and type a broken line — an unclosed string, an unused variable. Diagnostics appear in the gutter and under the cursor line within a couple of seconds of the server attaching. Rename with grn, jump with gd, hover with K.

The complete wiring — capabilities for completion, LspAttach keymaps, per-server settings for a dozen languages — is in the course repo under nvim/lua/config/lsp.lua and nvim/lsp/.