(Updated as per discussion in comments)

Ok so just follow these frustrating steps to make vim behave sanely:

Option 1: 'system-wide'

1. in /etc/vimrc, uncomment source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
2. in /etc/vimrc.local add set mouse=v
3. for every user that is effected create a a .vimrc eg.:
   • touch ~/.vimrc
   • sudo touch /root/.vimrc

Option 2: per user

For every affected user add this to their ~/.vimrc

unlet! skip_defaults_vim 
source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
set mouse=v

More info / rant:

I had to play around a lot to figure this out, mainly on debian/mxlinux. I'm baffled why there is no easier way to configure system-wide defaults without having a .vimrc in each user home :'(

Apparently /etc/vimrc and /etc/vimrc.local are ignored if there is no ~/.vimrc https://github.com/vim/vim/issues/2042

Not having mouse select by default is sooo annoying :'(

(Updated as per discussion in comments)

Ok so just follow these frustrating steps to make vim behave sanely (allow mouse copy and keep syntax highlighting):

Option 1: 'system-wide'

1. in /etc/vimrc, uncomment source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
2. in /etc/vimrc.local add set mouse=v
3. for every user that is effected create a a .vimrc eg.:
   • touch ~/.vimrc
   • sudo touch /root/.vimrc

Option 2: per user

For every affected user add this to their ~/.vimrc

unlet! skip_defaults_vim 
source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
set mouse=v

More info / rant:

I had to play around a lot to figure this out, mainly on debian/mxlinux. I'm baffled why there is no easier way to configure system-wide defaults without having a .vimrc in each user home :'(

Apparently /etc/vimrc and /etc/vimrc.local are ignored if there is no ~/.vimrc https://github.com/vim/vim/issues/2042

Not having mouse select by default is sooo annoying :'(

On debian and thus mxlinux you can add set mouse=v in /usr/share/vim/vim90/defaults.vim

(because it ignores /etc/vimrc and /etc/vimrc.local :'( and if you add it to ~/.vimrc syntax highlighting goes out the window)

(Not having mouse select by default is sooo annoying :'( )

(Updated as per discussion in comments)

Ok so just follow these frustrating steps to make vim behave sanely:

Option 1: 'system-wide'

1. in /etc/vimrc, uncomment source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
2. in /etc/vimrc.local add set mouse=v
3. for every user that is effected create a a .vimrc eg.:
   • touch ~/.vimrc
   • sudo touch /root/.vimrc

Option 2: per user

For every affected user add this to their ~/.vimrc

unlet! skip_defaults_vim 
source $VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim
set mouse=v

More info / rant:

I had to play around a lot to figure this out, mainly on debian/mxlinux. I'm baffled why there is no easier way to configure system-wide defaults without having a .vimrc in each user home :'(

Apparently /etc/vimrc and /etc/vimrc.local are ignored if there is no ~/.vimrc https://github.com/vim/vim/issues/2042

Not having mouse select by default is sooo annoying :'(