Setup of a notes writing environment (markdown + Voom + markdown2.py) on Windows

This is a note to write down how to set up a working environment for notes writing efficiently on Windows

Environment Requirement

• VIM editor
• markdown syntax
• Voom outline
• markdown2.py to convert from mkd to html for easily publishing on blog

Install markdown syntax

• Refer to http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2882
• Download markdown-1.2.2.vba.gz
• Uncompress the gz file and get markdown-1.2.2.vba
• Open the vba file by VIM
• Execute VIM command ":so %"

Install Voom

• Refer to http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2657
• Download VOoM-4.7.zip
• Uncompress zip file and copy all directories to the $VIM$/vimfiles/
• Open VIM and execute the command ":helptags $VIM/vimfiles/doc"
• Voom does require the python27 installed

Install python27 on Windows

• Install python27 to C:\python27
• Add this directory to the PATH environment variable

Install distribute package to have the packages installation capability (such as pip, easy_install )

• Download distribute package from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/distribute#installation-instructions
• Unpack it, open a command line and execute
  

  python distribute_setup.py

• easy_install.exe is installed in the c:/python27/Scripts
• add c:/python27/scripts directory to PATH environment variable

Install markdown2

markdown2.py is used to convert the mkd file to html file - Open a command prompt window, and type

easy_install markdown2 - Then markdown2.py is installed in the c:/python27/scripts

Test it

• Create a mkd file and write a sample markdown note by VIM
• You should see the syntax works for this file. If not, add "syntax on" vimrc file
• Type command ":Voom markdown" within VIM, and another outline window is opened
• Quit Vim and open a command prompt window, and type
  

  markdown2.py hello.mkd

• Error
  

  close failed in file object destructor: sys.excepthook is missing lost sys.stderr

• Solution: use "python c:\python27\Scripts\markdown2.py hello.mkd > hello.html" instead of "markdown2.py hello.mkd > hello.html"