Minimal emacs init.el for fun or profit. With evil and counsel but without use-package or straight. Ready for both terminal and GUI.

init.el

;; Setup packages and stuff
(require 'package)

;; Add MELPA
(add-to-list 'package-archives
             '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)

(unless package--initialized
  (package-initialize))

;; List of packages to install
(setq package-selected-packages
      '(
        evil
        evil-leader
        evil-collection
        counsel
        ivy-hydra
        mood-line
        evil-terminal-cursor-changer
        modus-operandi-theme
        modus-vivendi-theme
        rainbow-delimiters
        ))

;; Ensure all the packages are installed
(dolist (package package-selected-packages)
  (unless (package-installed-p package)
    (unless package-archive-contents
      (package-refresh-contents))
    (package-install package)))



;; Sane defaults
(setq
 confirm-kill-processes nil
 frame-title-format '("%b - Emacs Vanilla")
 create-lockfiles nil
 make-backup-files nil
 custom-file (expand-file-name "custom.el" user-emacs-directory)
 )

(setq-default indent-tabs-mode nil
              tab-width 4)

;; Clear whitespace when saving file
(add-hook 'before-save-hook 'whitespace-cleanup)

;; Setup evil and stuff
(setq evil-want-keybinding nil)
(require 'evil)
(when (require 'evil-collection nil t)
  (evil-collection-init))
(evil-mode 1)

;; Setup counsel and ivy
(require 'counsel)
(counsel-mode)
(setq ivy-initial-inputs-alist nil)
(setq ivy-read-action-function #'ivy-hydra-read-action)
(setq ivy-read-action-format-function #'ivy-read-action-format-columns)

;; Collect list of recently opened files
(recentf-mode)

;; Highlight matching parens
(show-paren-mode)

;; Enable rainbow parens
(add-hook 'prog-mode-hook #'rainbow-delimiters-mode)

;; Misc GUI settings
(setq inhibit-splash-screen t)
(menu-bar-mode -1)
(tool-bar-mode -1)
(scroll-bar-mode -1)

;; Enable nice minimal mode-line
(mood-line-mode)

(if (display-graphic-p)
    ;; settings for GUI
    (progn
      (load-theme 'modus-vivendi t)
      (set-face-attribute 'default nil
                          :height 110
                          :family "Monospace"
                          )
      )

  ;; settings for terminal
  (progn
    (require 'evil-terminal-cursor-changer)
    (evil-terminal-cursor-changer-activate)
    (setq evil-motion-state-cursor 'box)
    (setq evil-visual-state-cursor 'box)
    (setq evil-normal-state-cursor 'box)
    (setq evil-insert-state-cursor 'bar)
    (setq evil-emacs-state-cursor  'hbar)
    (load-theme 'modus-vivendi t)
    (custom-theme-set-faces
     'modus-vivendi
     '(default ((t (:background nil)))))))


;; Global Key Bindings
(global-set-key (kbd "M-a") 'mark-whole-buffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-s") 'save-buffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-f") 'swiper)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-q") 'save-buffers-kill-emacs)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-j") 'evil-window-down)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-k") 'evil-window-up)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h") 'evil-window-left)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-l") 'evil-window-right)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-SPC") 'complete-symbol)

;; Evil Leader
(require 'evil-leader)
(global-evil-leader-mode)
(evil-leader/set-leader "SPC")

(evil-leader/set-key
  "." 'counsel-find-file
  "," 'counsel-switch-buffer
  "fr" 'counsel-recentf
  "bs" 'save-buffer
  "bk" (lambda ()
         (interactive)
         (kill-buffer (current-buffer)))
  "ws" 'evil-window-split
  "wv" 'evil-window-vsplit
  "wc" 'evil-window-delete
  "cs" 'eval-last-sexp
  "q"  'evil-quit
  "he" 'view-echo-area-messages
  "hf" 'counsel-describe-function
  "hv" 'counsel-describe-variable
  "h." 'describe-symbol
  "sb" 'swiper
  "sd" 'counsel-rg
  )