Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode

If a faulty third-party plugin, broken Lua configuration override, or corrupt plugin state prevents Tuim from starting or makes the UI unresponsive, Recovery Mode allows you to launch the editor safely without executing user plugin code.

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1. How to Launch Recovery Mode

Start Tuim from your terminal with the TUIM_DISABLE_PLUGINS environment variable set to 1:

TUIM_DISABLE_PLUGINS=1 tuim

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2. What Recovery Mode Does

When TUIM_DISABLE_PLUGINS=1 is passed:

1. Skips Lazy Bootstrap: Tuim bypasses loading lazy.nvim and disables the user plugin execution chain.
2. Skips User Configuration Specs: Custom .lua files under ~/.local/share/tuim/plugin_configs/ are not executed.
3. Preserves All Files: No files or configurations are deleted. Your plugins, settings, and code remain completely intact on disk.
4. Maintains Native TUI Functions: Tuim's Zig frontend, file explorer, basic editor buffers, and the Settings UI remain fully operational.

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3. How to Fix Problems in Recovery Mode

Once inside a recovery session:

A. Disable or Remove Faulty Plugins

1. Open Extensions (F1 → Extensions).
2. Highlight the problematic plugin.
3. Press d to disable it, or u followed by y to uninstall it.

B. Repair Custom Lua Configs

1. Open the plugin's configuration override (e in Extensions).
2. Fix the Lua syntax error or invalid table option.
3. Save the file (Ctrl+S).

C. Resynchronize lazy.nvim

1. Open F1 → Settings → Plugins → Plugin Manager.
2. Press s to force a re-synchronization and rebuild the plugin lockfile.

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4. Returning to Normal Operation

After resolving the issue:

1. Exit Tuim (Ctrl+Q or :quit).
2. Start Tuim normally:

   tuim

Tuim will boot normally with the repaired configuration.

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Next Steps

For other common setup and display issues, consult Common Issues & Fixes.