How do I save and restore my entire Vim session?

Explanation

The :mksession command saves the current Vim session (windows, buffers, tabs, cursor positions) to a file. :source restores it later.

How it works

• :mksession session.vim saves the session
• :source session.vim restores the session
• vim -S session.vim starts Vim with the saved session

Example

:mksession ~/session.vim    " Save session
" ... close Vim ...
vim -S ~/session.vim         " Restore session

Tips

• :mksession! overwrites an existing session file
• sessionoptions controls what is saved (buffers, folds, globals, etc.)
• :set sessionoptions-=options prevents saving options
• Neovim and plugins like vim-obsession automate session management
• Sessions include window layout, tab pages, and cursor positions