Vim Classic 8.3 has been released as the first stable version of a new long-term support fork of Vim, supplying a conservative continuation built on the older Vim 8.2 codebase.
The project describes Vim Classic 8.3 as a stable, long-term support fork of Vim maintained without generative AI tools. The release is based on Vim 8.2.0148 and includes selected bug fixes and patches backported from later upstream Vim releases.
Vim Classic was first announced by Drew DeVault in March 2026 after he objected to LLM-assisted development in Vim and Neovim. In his announcement, DeVault said he no longer wanted to use software developed with LLM assistance and introduced Vim Classic as a fork for users who want to continue using Vim without that involvement.
Vim Classic starts from Vim 8.2.0148, the patch before Vim9 Script entered the codebase. Rather than starting from Vim 9.0, the project uses this older point as the foundation for what it describes as an alternate history where Vim 8.3 was released without Vim9 Script.
Additionally, Vim Classic does not try to follow every upstream change from modern Vim. Instead, it keeps the Vim 8.x line alive with a narrower maintenance scope, selected fixes, and a concentration on preserving compatibility with traditional Vim workflows.
The first release includes backported fixes from later Vim versions, but the developers make clear the work is not complete. The announcement says not all patches merged into Vim since 8.2.0148 have been reviewed, meaning bugs fixed in newer Vim releases may still exist in Vim Classic.
Regarding security, the project says it made a special effort to review upstream patches related to CVEs fixed between Vim 8.2 and current Vim releases but does not guarantee every applicable and practically exploitable security fix has been included.
Because of that, Vim Classic 8.3 is recommended for early adopters. The project warns some plugins may not work and users should understand the security trade-offs before switching. It also asks users to report issues and help identify upstream fixes that should be backported.
Vim Classic follows Vim’s charityware model and continues to direct users toward Bram Moolenaar’s long-running support for children in Uganda. The release is distributed as a signed source tarball from SourceHut, while future important announcements are expected through the project’s mailing list.
For additional details, see the announcement.
