MVP .vimrc, pilfered from @romainl

.vimrc

" filetype support
filetype plugin indent on
syntax on

" because it's there
runtime macros/matchit.vim

" various settings
set autoindent
set backspace=indent,eol,start
set complete+=d
set foldlevelstart=999
set foldmethod=indent
set grepprg=LC_ALL=C\ grep\ -nrsH
set hidden
set incsearch
" set mouse=a
set noswapfile
set path& | let &path .= "**"
set ruler
set shiftround
set shiftwidth=0
let &softtabstop = &tabstop
set tags=./tags;,tags;
set wildcharm=<C-z>
set wildmenu
set wildmode=full

" various autocommands
augroup minivimrc
	autocmd!
	" automatic location/quickfix window
	autocmd QuickFixCmdPost [^l]* cwindow
	autocmd QuickFixCmdPost    l* lwindow
	autocmd VimEnter            * cwindow
	" various adjustments of the default colorscheme
	autocmd ColorScheme * hi ModeMsg      cterm=NONE ctermbg=green    ctermfg=black
			    \ hi Search       cterm=NONE ctermbg=yellow   ctermfg=black
			    \ hi StatusLineNC cterm=bold ctermbg=darkgrey
			    \ hi Visual       cterm=NONE ctermbg=white    ctermfg=darkblue
	" Git-specific settings
	autocmd FileType gitcommit nnoremap <buffer> { ?^@@<CR>|nnoremap <buffer> } /^@@<CR>|setlocal iskeyword+=-
augroup END

" commands for adjusting indentation rules manually
command! -nargs=1 Spaces execute "setlocal tabstop=" . <args> . " shiftwidth=" . <args> . " softtabstop=" . <args> . " expandtab" | setlocal ts? sw? sts? et?
command! -nargs=1 Tabs   execute "setlocal tabstop=" . <args> . " shiftwidth=" . <args> . " softtabstop=" . <args> . " noexpandtab" | setlocal ts? sw? sts? et?

" juggling with jumps
nnoremap ' `

" juggling with files
nnoremap ,f :find *
nnoremap ,s :sfind *
nnoremap ,v :vert sfind *
nnoremap ,t :tabfind *

" juggling with buffers
nnoremap ,b         :buffer *
nnoremap ,B         :sbuffer *
nnoremap <PageUp>   :bprevious<CR>
nnoremap <PageDown> :bnext<CR>
nnoremap <BS>       :buffer#<CR>

" juggling with tags
nnoremap ,j :tjump /
nnoremap ,p :ptjump /

" juggling with definitions
nnoremap ,d :dlist /
nnoremap [D [D:djump<Space><Space><Space><C-r><C-w><S-Left><Left>
nnoremap ]D ]D:djump<Space><Space><Space><C-r><C-w><S-Left><Left>

" juggling with matches
nnoremap ,i :ilist /
nnoremap [I [I:ijump<Space><Space><Space><C-r><C-w><S-Left><Left><Left>
nnoremap ]I ]I:ijump<Space><Space><Space><C-r><C-w><S-Left><Left><Left>

" juggling with changes
nnoremap ,; *``cgn
nnoremap ,, #``cgN

" juggling with quickfix entries
nnoremap <End>  :cnext<CR>
nnoremap <Home> :cprevious<CR>

" super quick search and replace
nnoremap <Space><Space> :'{,'}s/\<<C-r>=expand("<cword>")<CR>\>/
nnoremap <Space>%       :%s/\<<C-r>=expand("<cword>")<CR>\>/

" better completion menu
inoremap <expr> <Tab>   pumvisible() ? "\<C-n>" : "\<Tab>"
inoremap <expr> <S-Tab> pumvisible() ? "\<C-p>" : "\<S-Tab>"
inoremap        ,,      <C-n><C-r>=pumvisible() ? "\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>" : ""<CR>
inoremap        ,:      <C-x><C-f><C-r>=pumvisible() ? "\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>" : ""<CR>
inoremap        ,=      <C-x><C-l><C-r>=pumvisible() ? "\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>\<lt>Down>\<lt>C-p>" : ""<CR>

" pair expansion on the cheap
inoremap (<CR> (<CR>)<Esc>O
inoremap (;    (<CR>);<Esc>O
inoremap (,    (<CR>),<Esc>O
inoremap {<CR> {<CR>}<Esc>O
inoremap {;    {<CR>};<Esc>O
inoremap {,    {<CR>},<Esc>O
inoremap [<CR> [<CR>]<Esc>O
inoremap [;    [<CR>];<Esc>O
inoremap [,    [<CR>],<Esc>O

" smooth grepping
command! -nargs=+ -complete=file_in_path -bar Grep silent! grep! <args> | redraw!

" smooth searching
cnoremap <expr> <Tab>   getcmdtype() == "/" \|\| getcmdtype() == "?" ? "<CR>/<C-r>/" : "<C-z>"
cnoremap <expr> <S-Tab> getcmdtype() == "/" \|\| getcmdtype() == "?" ? "<CR>?<C-r>/" : "<S-Tab>"

" smooth listing
cnoremap <expr> <CR> <SID>CCR()
function! s:CCR()
	command! -bar Z silent set more|delcommand Z
	if getcmdtype() == ":"
		let cmdline = getcmdline()
		    if cmdline =~ '\v\C^(dli|il)' | return "\<CR>:" . cmdline[0] . "jump   " . split(cmdline, " ")[1] . "\<S-Left>\<Left>\<Left>"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\v\C^(cli|lli)' | return "\<CR>:silent " . repeat(cmdline[0], 2) . "\<Space>"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\C^changes' | set nomore | return "\<CR>:Z|norm! g;\<S-Left>"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\C^ju' | set nomore | return "\<CR>:Z|norm! \<C-o>\<S-Left>"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\v\C(#|nu|num|numb|numbe|number)$' | return "\<CR>:"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\C^ol' | set nomore | return "\<CR>:Z|e #<"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\v\C^(ls|files|buffers)' | return "\<CR>:b"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\C^marks' | return "\<CR>:norm! `"
		elseif cmdline =~ '\C^undol' | return "\<CR>:u "
		else | return "\<CR>" | endif
	else | return "\<CR>" | endif
endfunction

" statusline
set laststatus=2
set statusline=%t\ %m%r%h%w%=\ %{&ft}\ %{&ff}\ %{&fenc}\ %l,%v\ -\ %L