Respuestas:
Ellos no son los mismos. El vimrc es el archivo que edita para cambiar el comportamiento de vim. Es un archivo de configuración.
El viminfo es como un caché, para almacenar búferes de corte de forma persistente y otras cosas.
De los documentos ( :help viminfo
):
The viminfo file is used to store:
- The command line history.
- The search string history.
- The input-line history.
- Contents of non-empty registers.
- Marks for several files.
- File marks, pointing to locations in files.
- Last search/substitute pattern (for 'n' and '&').
- The buffer list.
- Global variables.
En otras palabras, Vim escribe este archivo, no tú.
Aquí hay un ejemplo (versión mía modificada).
if has("python")
python import sys
python import os
python import vim
python sys.argv = [vim.eval("v:progname")]
endif
set nocompatible " Use Vim defaults (much better!)
set bs=2 " allow backspacing over everything in insert mode
set nobackup " Don't keep a backup file
set viminfo='20,\"90,h,% " read/write a .viminfo file
set history=500
set statusline=%<%f%m%r%y%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
set laststatus=2 " always a status line
set dir=~/.vim/tmp// " Put all swap files in common location (out of workspace and NFS volumes)
" set undodir=~/.vim/tmp/undo//
" set undofile
set hidden " allow editing in multiple buffers
set incsearch
set ignorecase
set smartcase
set scrolloff=3
" GUI options that need to be set here first
" Remove exta, useless button bar.
set guioptions-=T
set guioptions+=t
set encoding=utf-8
" Don't use Ex mode, use Q for formatting
map Q gq
" Switch syntax highlighting on, when the terminal has colors
" Also switch on highlighting the last used search pattern.
if &t_Co > 2 || has("gui_running")
syntax enable
set hlsearch
" colorscheme mycolors
endif
filetype plugin on
filetype indent on
augroup cprog
" Remove all cprog autocommands
au!
" When starting to edit a file:
" For C and C++ files set formatting of comments and set C-indenting on.
" For other files switch it off.
" Don't change the order, it's important that the line with * comes first.
autocmd FileType * set formatoptions=tcql nocindent comments&
autocmd FileType c,cpp set formatoptions=croql cindent comments=sr:/*,mb:*,el:*/,://
augroup END
augroup newfile
au!
autocmd BufNewFile *.html 0r ~/Templates/HTML4.html
autocmd BufNewFile *.xhtml 0r ~/Templates/XHTML.xhtml
autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/Templates/C.c
autocmd BufNewFile *.py 0r ~/Templates/Python.py
autocmd BufNewFile *.js 0r ~/Templates/Javascript.js
autocmd BufNewFile *.txt 0r ~/Templates/RST.rst
autocmd BufNewFile *.rst 0r ~/Templates/RST.rst
augroup END
.vimrc
, puede ser útil para indicar qué hace cada línea. (Ya has comentado algunos de ellos)
Si .vimrc no existe, debe crearlo. Recomiendo alojar el archivo de configuración en github y crear un enlace simbólico a su .vimrc