Vim Powerline symbol errors (2B80, 2B83, 28(xx), 2B61 etc)

Question

Recently I decided to delve into Vim after looking for a new text editor after adopting a Linux distro as a secondary operating system. I've installed Powerline as it seems the norm to do and for about 20 minutes I had it fully working (until I closed Vim), though after that (about a week ago) they failed to appear again (pretty sure they were just separators, not actual symbols - although that coming from me is entirely unqualified).

I've followed just about every fix I could find under the Sun, followed the documentation on font patching etc, nothing seems to be working.

I'm sure it's a stupidly easy fix and I'm just a bit too dull to find it, but hopefully I can fix it somehow as it's really, really bugging me.

Have a good Christmas!

PS. I just registered (I could've sworn I already had an account though apparently not), so I'm unable to post images. But I'll do my best to explain it: On the left of the status bar you have the mode, then next to that it the first symbol error (again, it might not even be a symbol error, I'm just going off what I think was my issue online), it's a rectangle (portrait) with 2B80 in it, after that there's the filename, and immediately after is the very same rectangle with the same code in it. But there are other errors as stated in the title such as 2B83 and 2B61, as well as just 28.

I'd imagine they are supposed to be separators as they're after every segment of the status bar, but I have no idea. I'm stumped.

Thanks for any/all help!

Answer 1

Apparently I was following some outdated instructions. This worked fine for me:

• Completely remove anything I'd already done with the modification (a fresh start)

sudo apt-get install python-pip
pip install --user git+git://github.com/Lokaltog/powerline

• Add the following to your .vimrc

python from powerline.vim import setup as powerline_setup
python powerline_setup()
python del powerline_setup

set laststatus=2
call vundle#end() (only applicable if you use Vundle)

• You should then download the latest version of the Powerline Symbols OpenType font (use the commands below)

cd ~
wget https://github.com/Lokaltog/powerline/raw/develop/font/PowerlineSymbols.otf

• Move the downloadef file to one of your font directories (either ~/.local/share/fonts/ or ~/usr/local/share/fonts as ~/.fonts is deprecated and won't be used in future versions).

mv PowerlineSymbols.otf ~/.local/share/fonts

• Update your system's font chahe

sudo fc-cache -f -v

• Download and move the fontconfig file to ~/.fonts.conf

wget https://github.com/Lokaltog/powerline/raw/develop/font/10-powerline-symbols.conf

• Create a per-user fontconfig folder if it doesn't already exist

mkdir -p ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf
mv 10-powerline-symbols.conf ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf/

Again, this worked for me, can't guarantee that it will for others but it certainly worked charms for me.