diff --git a/core/buffer.vim b/core/buffer.vim
index da86d94..4b8e7bf 100644
--- a/core/buffer.vim
+++ b/core/buffer.vim
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ set updatetime=1500
 set switchbuf=useopen,usetab
 
 " more clipboard options
-set clipboard=unnamed,unnamedplus,autoselect
+if has('xterm_clipboard')
+	set clipboard=unnamed,unnamedplus,autoselect
+endif
 
 " allow explicit writing of read-only files with sudo
 cnoremap sudow w !sudo tee % >/dev/null
@@ -35,8 +37,8 @@ aug ReadonlyFiles
 	au BufNewFile,BufRead /var/log/* set nomodifiable
 aug END
 
-if v:version >= 704
-    set cryptmethod=blowfish
+"if v:version >= 704
+	"set cryptmethod=blowfish
 
-    au BufReadPost * if &key != "" | set noswapfile nowritebackup viminfo= nobackup noshelltemp history=0 secure | endif
-endif
+	"au BufReadPost * if &key != "" | set noswapfile nowritebackup viminfo= nobackup noshelltemp history=0 secure | endif
+"endif
diff --git a/core/control.vim b/core/control.vim
index f298883..bd42e44 100644
--- a/core/control.vim
+++ b/core/control.vim
@@ -7,14 +7,20 @@ inoremap JK <ESC>
 inoremap Jk <ESC>
 
 set ttimeout
+
+" lower timeout
+set ttimeoutlen=-1
 set timeoutlen=500
 
+" unset default help shortcut
 nnoremap <F1> <NOP>
 inoremap <F1> <NOP>
 
 let g:mapleader = ","
 
+" unset search highlighting
 noremap <silent> <Leader><CR> :noh<CR>
+
 nnoremap <Leader>vl :setlocal cursorline!<CR>
 nnoremap <Leader>vc :setlocal cursorcolumn!<CR>
 nnoremap <Leader>ve :setlocal colorcolumn=80<CR>
diff --git a/core/formatting.vim b/core/formatting.vim
index f125d08..2459ee7 100644
--- a/core/formatting.vim
+++ b/core/formatting.vim
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+set formatoptions+=j
+
 set autoindent
 set smarttab
 
@@ -18,8 +20,7 @@ vnoremap < <gv
 vnoremap > >gv
 
 " fix indentation of an entire file
-nnoremap <F2> gg=G<CR>``
-inoremap <F2> <ESC>gg=G<CR>``a
+nnoremap <leader>fmt gg=G<CR>``
 
 " local replace
 nnoremap gr gd[{V%::s/<C-R>///g<left><left>
diff --git a/core/plugins.vim b/core/plugins.vim
index 5a4bf5a..afb4bce 100644
--- a/core/plugins.vim
+++ b/core/plugins.vim
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Plug 'tomasr/molokai'
 Plug 'junegunn/seoul256.vim'
 Plug 'baeuml/summerfruit256.vim'
 "Plug 'zefei/vim-colortuner',		{ 'on': 'Colortuner' }
+Plug 'godlygeek/csapprox'
 
 Plug 'scrooloose/nerdtree',             { 'on': 'NERDTreeToggle' }
 Plug 'scrooloose/nerdtree-git-plugin',  { 'on': 'NERDTreeToggle' }
diff --git a/core/window.vim b/core/window.vim
index ef5d2b2..6016d82 100644
--- a/core/window.vim
+++ b/core/window.vim
@@ -41,19 +41,12 @@ endif
 " show invisible characters
 set listchars=tab:»\ ,trail:◆,extends:▹,precedes:◃,eol:↲,nbsp:·
 
-"if &listchars ==# 'eol:$'
-"set listchars=tab:>\ ,trail:-,extends:>,precedes:<,nbsp:+
-"endif
-
-nnoremap <silent> <F4> :set invlist<CR>
-inoremap <silent> <F4> <C-O>:set invlist<CR>
-vnoremap <silent> <F4> :<C-W>set invlist<CR>
-
-
+nnoremap <silent> <leader>il :set invlist<CR>
+vnoremap <silent> <leader>il :<C-W>set invlist<CR>
 
 if has('wildmenu')
 	set wildmenu
-	set wildmode=longest:full,list
+	set wildmode=list:longest,full
 	set wildignore=.bak,.old,.swp,~
 endif
 
@@ -70,10 +63,11 @@ if has('syntax')
 	syntax enable
 endif
 
-if has('multi_byte')
-	set encoding=utf-8
-	set termencoding=utf-8
-endif
+" set via $LANG
+"if has('multi_byte')
+	"set encoding=utf-8
+	"set termencoding=utf-8
+"endif
 
 " always show a status line
 set laststatus=2
diff --git a/plugins/gundo.vim b/plugins/gundo.vim
index 7ac3953..4d70111 100644
--- a/plugins/gundo.vim
+++ b/plugins/gundo.vim
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@ let g:gundo_width = 60
 let g:gundo_preview_height = 30
 let g:gundo_right = 1
 
-nnoremap <silent> <F11> :GundoToggle<CR>
-inoremap <silent> <F11> <C-O>:GundoToggle<CR>
-vnoremap <silent> <F11> <ESC>:GundoToggle<CR>
+nnoremap <silent> <leader>gu :GundoToggle<CR>
+vnoremap <silent> <leader>gu <ESC>:GundoToggle<CR>
diff --git a/plugins/nerdtree.vim b/plugins/nerdtree.vim
index 72a339a..6b02260 100644
--- a/plugins/nerdtree.vim
+++ b/plugins/nerdtree.vim
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 au bufenter * if (winnr("$") == 1 && exists("b:NERDTreeType") && b:NERDTreeType == "primary") | q | endif
 
-noremap  <silent> <F3> :NERDTreeToggle<CR>
-inoremap <silent> <F3> <C-O>:NERDTreeToggle<CR>
-vnoremap <silent> <F3> <ESC>:NERDTreeToggle<CR>
+noremap  <silent> <leader>nt :NERDTreeToggle<CR>
+vnoremap <silent> <leader>nt <ESC>:NERDTreeToggle<CR>
diff --git a/plugins/syntastic.vim b/plugins/syntastic.vim
index e81c128..bb232fe 100644
--- a/plugins/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugins/syntastic.vim
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ let g:syntastic_cpp_check_header = 1
 let g:syntastic_cpp_auto_refresh_includes = 1
 let g:syntastic_tex_checkers = ["false"]
 
-nnoremap <F1> :SyntasticToggleMode<CR>
-inoremap <F1> <C-O>:SyntasticToggleMode<CR>
-vnoremap <F1> <ESC>:SyntasticToggleMode<CR>
+let g:syntastic_error_symbol = '!'
+let g:syntastic_warning_symbol = '?'
+
+nnoremap <leader>syn :SyntasticToggleMode<CR>
+vnoremap <leader>syn <ESC>:SyntasticToggleMode<CR>
diff --git a/plugins/tagbar.vim b/plugins/tagbar.vim
index dde9fd2..9a79b19 100644
--- a/plugins/tagbar.vim
+++ b/plugins/tagbar.vim
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
-nnoremap <silent> <F12> :TagbarToggle<CR>
-inoremap <silent> <F12> <C-O>:TagbarToggle<CR>
-vnoremap <silent> <F12> <ESC>:TagbarToggle<CR>
+nnoremap <silent> <leader>tag :TagbarToggle<CR>
+vnoremap <silent> <leader>tag <ESC>:TagbarToggle<CR>
diff --git a/vimrc b/vimrc
index 9f5b902..9cab699 100644
--- a/vimrc
+++ b/vimrc
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ if ! exists('g:my_vim')
 	endif
 
 
-	let l:user_rtp = g:vim_config_home
-	let l:runtimepath_old = &runtimepath
-	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(l:user_rtp)
-	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(l:user_rtp) . '/after'
-	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(l:runtimepath_old)
+	let g:user_rtp = g:vim_config_home
+	let g:runtimepath_old = &runtimepath
+	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(g:user_rtp)
+	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(g:user_rtp) . '/after'
+	let &runtimepath .= ',' . expand(g:runtimepath_old)
 
 
 	if $USER == 'root'