diff --git a/.vimrc b/.vimrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4044dab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vimrc
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+set nocompatible
+
+" leader
+let mapleader = '\'
+
+" save on ctrl-s
+nnoremap <c-s> :w<CR>
+inoremap <c-s> <Esc>:w<CR>
+
+set hidden
+syntax on
+set hlsearch
+set number
+set relativenumber
+
+" mappings to stop insert mode
+imap jjj <ESC>
+imap kkk <ESC>
+imap lll <ESC>
+imap hhh <ESC>
+set scroll=11
+
+" new scroll mappings
+noremap <C-j> <C-f>
+noremap <C-k> <C-u>
+
+noremap <C-n> :tabn<CR>
+noremap <C-p> :tabp<CR>
+" TODO: get tab movement working with ctrl-alt-{n,p}
+noremap <C-A-n> :tabm +1<CR>
+noremap <C-A-p> :tabm -1<CR>
+let g:ctrlp_map = '<tab>'
+let g:ctrlp_custom_ignore = {
+\ 'dir':  '\v[\/]\.(git|hg|svn|)$$',
+\ 'file': '\v\.(exe|so|dll|so|swp|zip|aux|log|fdb_latexmk|fdb|dvi|lof|lot|pdf|fls|toc|gz|latexmain)$$',
+\ }
+
+" allways show status line
+set ls=2
+set tabstop=4
+set shiftwidth=4
+set softtabstop=4
+set expandtab
+"set textwidth=80
+
+" sync default register to clipboard {
+if has('unnamedplus')
+set clipboard=unnamedplus
+else
+set clipboard=unnamed
+endif
+" }
+
+" colored brackets {
+let g:rbpt_colorpairs = [
+  \ ['brown',       'RoyalBlue3'],
+  \ ['Darkblue',    'SeaGreen3'],
+  \ ['darkgray',    'DarkOrchid3'],
+  \ ['darkgreen',   'firebrick3'],
+  \ ['darkcyan',    'RoyalBlue3'],
+  \ ['darkred',     'SeaGreen3'],
+  \ ['darkmagenta', 'DarkOrchid3'],
+  \ ['brown',       'firebrick3'],
+  \ ['gray',        'RoyalBlue3'],
+  \ ['black',       'SeaGreen3'],
+  \ ['darkmagenta', 'DarkOrchid3'],
+  \ ['Darkblue',    'firebrick3'],
+  \ ['darkgreen',   'RoyalBlue3'],
+  \ ['darkcyan',    'SeaGreen3'],
+  \ ['darkred',     'DarkOrchid3'],
+  \ ['red',         'firebrick3'],
+  \ ]
+let g:rbpt_max = 16
+let g:rbpt_loadcmd_toggle = 0
+
+au VimEnter * RainbowParenthesesToggle
+au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadRound
+au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadSquare
+au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadBraces
+" }
+set backspace=indent,eol,start
+colorscheme PaperColor
+
+" Latex Related {{{
+au BufRead,BufNewFile *.tex,*.md,*.markdown setlocal spell spelllang=en_us
+
+let g:vimtex_view_method = 'zathura'
+let g:vimtex_complete_enabled = 1
+let g:vimtex_complete_close_braces = 1
+let g:vimtex_complete_recursive_bib = 1
+let g:vimtex_indent_enabled = 1
+let g:vimtex_indent_bib_enabled = 1
+let g:vimtex_fold_enabled = 1
+let g:vimtex_fold_comments = 1
+let g:vimtex_fold_preamble = 1
+
+let g:vimtex_latexmk_options = '-verbose -pdf -shell-escape -file-line-error -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode'
+
+if !exists('g:ycm_semantic_triggers')
+    let g:ycm_semantic_triggers = {}
+endif
+let g:ycm_semantic_triggers.tex = [
+    \ 're!\\[A-Za-z]*cite[A-Za-z]*(\[[^]]*\]){0,2}{[^}]*',
+    \ 're!\\[A-Za-z]*ref({[^}]*|range{([^,{}]*(}{)?))',
+    \ 're!\\hyperref\[[^]]*',
+    \ 're!\\includegraphics\*?(\[[^]]*\]){0,2}{[^}]*',
+    \ 're!\\(include(only)?|input){[^}]*',
+    \ 're!\\\a*(gls|Gls|GLS)(pl)?\a*(\s*\[[^]]*\]){0,2}\s*\{[^}]*',
+    \ 're!\\includepdf(\s*\[[^]]*\])?\s*\{[^}]*',
+    \ 're!\\includestandalone(\s*\[[^]]*\])?\s*\{[^}]*',
+    \ ]
+
+function! ViewerCallback() dict
+call self.forward_search(self.out)
+endfunction
+let g:vimtex_view_zathura_hook_callback = 'ViewerCallback'
+" }}}
+
+" hack to copy mendeley bibliography
+autocmd BufWritePost * execute ':silent ! cp /home/steveej/src/mendeley/Static-Code-Analysis-Kernel-Memory-Saftey.bib /home/steveej/src/steveej/msc-thesis/src/docs/thesis.bib >/dev/null 2>&1'
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
index f150e02..e376613 100644
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -43,127 +43,9 @@ in pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
     (pkgs.vim_configurable.customize {
       name = "vim"; 
       vimrcConfig = {
-        # add custom .vimrc lines like this:
-        customRC = ''
-          set nocompatible
-
-          " leader
-          let mapleader = ','
-
-          " save on ctrl-s
-          nnoremap <c-s> :w<CR>
-          inoremap <c-s> <Esc>:w<CR>a
-
-          set hidden
-          syntax on
-          set hlsearch
-          set number
-
-          " mappings to stop insert mode
-          imap jjj <ESC>
-          imap kkk <ESC>
-          imap lll <ESC>
-          imap hhh <ESC>
-          set scroll=11
-
-          " new scroll mappings
-          noremap <C-j> <C-f>
-          noremap <C-k> <C-u>
-
-          noremap <C-n> :tabn<CR>
-          noremap <C-p> :tabp<CR>
-          " TODO: get tab movement working with ctrl-alt-{n,p}
-          noremap <C-A-n> :tabm +1<CR>
-          noremap <C-A-p> :tabm -1<CR>
-          let g:ctrlp_map = '<tab>'
-          let g:ctrlp_custom_ignore = {
-            \ 'dir':  '\v[\/]\.(git|hg|svn|)$$',
-            \ 'file': '\v\.(exe|so|dll|so|swp|zip|aux|log|fdb_latexmk|fdb|dvi|lof|lot|pdf|fls|toc|gz|latexmain)$$',
-            \ }
-
-          " allways show status line
-          set ls=2
-          set tabstop=4
-          set shiftwidth=4
-          set softtabstop=4
-          set expandtab
-          "set textwidth=80
-
-          " sync default register to clipboard {
-          if has('unnamedplus')
-            set clipboard=unnamedplus
-          else
-            set clipboard=unnamed
-          endif
-          " }
-
-          " colored brackets {
-          let g:rbpt_colorpairs = [
-              \ ['brown',       'RoyalBlue3'],
-              \ ['Darkblue',    'SeaGreen3'],
-              \ ['darkgray',    'DarkOrchid3'],
-              \ ['darkgreen',   'firebrick3'],
-              \ ['darkcyan',    'RoyalBlue3'],
-              \ ['darkred',     'SeaGreen3'],
-              \ ['darkmagenta', 'DarkOrchid3'],
-              \ ['brown',       'firebrick3'],
-              \ ['gray',        'RoyalBlue3'],
-              \ ['black',       'SeaGreen3'],
-              \ ['darkmagenta', 'DarkOrchid3'],
-              \ ['Darkblue',    'firebrick3'],
-              \ ['darkgreen',   'RoyalBlue3'],
-              \ ['darkcyan',    'SeaGreen3'],
-              \ ['darkred',     'DarkOrchid3'],
-              \ ['red',         'firebrick3'],
-              \ ]
-          let g:rbpt_max = 16
-          let g:rbpt_loadcmd_toggle = 0
-
-          au VimEnter * RainbowParenthesesToggle
-          au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadRound
-          au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadSquare
-          au Syntax * RainbowParenthesesLoadBraces
-          " }
-          set backspace=indent,eol,start
-          colorscheme PaperColor
-
-          " Latex Related {{{
-          au BufRead,BufNewFile *.tex,*.md,*.markdown setlocal spell spelllang=en_us
-
-          let g:vimtex_view_method = 'zathura'
-
-          let g:vimtex_complete_enabled = 1
-          let g:vimtex_complete_close_braces = 1
-          let g:vimtex_complete_recursive_bib = 1
-					let g:vimtex_indent_enabled = 1
-					let g:vimtex_indent_bib_enabled = 1
-					let g:vimtex_fold_enabled = 1
-          let g:vimtex_fold_comments = 1
-          let g:vimtex_fold_preamble = 1
-
-          let g:vimtex_latexmk_options = '-verbose -pdf -shell-escape -file-line-error -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode'
-
-					if !exists('g:ycm_semantic_triggers')
-						let g:ycm_semantic_triggers = {}
-					endif
-          let g:ycm_semantic_triggers.tex = [
-						\ 're!\\[A-Za-z]*cite[A-Za-z]*(\[[^]]*\]){0,2}{[^}]*',
-						\ 're!\\[A-Za-z]*ref({[^}]*|range{([^,{}]*(}{)?))',
-						\ 're!\\hyperref\[[^]]*',
-						\ 're!\\includegraphics\*?(\[[^]]*\]){0,2}{[^}]*',
-						\ 're!\\(include(only)?|input){[^}]*',
-						\ 're!\\\a*(gls|Gls|GLS)(pl)?\a*(\s*\[[^]]*\]){0,2}\s*\{[^}]*',
-						\ 're!\\includepdf(\s*\[[^]]*\])?\s*\{[^}]*',
-						\ 're!\\includestandalone(\s*\[[^]]*\])?\s*\{[^}]*',
-						\ ]
-
-          function! ViewerCallback() dict
-            call self.forward_search(self.out)
-          endfunction
-          let g:vimtex_view_zathura_hook_callback = 'ViewerCallback'
-          " }}}
-
-          autocmd BufWritePost * execute ':silent ! cp /home/steveej/src/mendeley/Static-Code-Analysis-Kernel-Memory-Saftey.bib /home/steveej/src/steveej/msc-thesis/src/docs/thesis.bib >/dev/null 2>&1'
+        
+         customRC = ''
+            source .vimrc
          '';
 
          vam.knownPlugins = pkgs.vimPlugins;