map <Esc> to vim command in vimrc

So, do someone have an ideas how to properly map ?

What you are doing is how you are supposed to do it. That / discrepancy seems to point to a terminal/environment issue. Note that this specific is not listed under :help terminal-key-codes, which adds to the confusion. Something in your stack is messing with key codes.

FWIW, Vim uses ^[ for many things. It is generally recommended to not map it.

Or maybe other ways to conveniently disable search matches highlighting?

:help 'incsearch' has this (I think it should be under :help :nohlsearch instead):

augroup vimrc-incsearch-highlight
    autocmd!
    autocmd CmdlineEnter [\/\?] :set hlsearch
    autocmd CmdlineLeave [\/\?] :set nohlsearch
augroup END

You can also try one of the various plugins designed around that use case. Mine, vim-cool is over there.

Seems like problems with integration between vim and kitty. Idk on which side. + Vim has problems with remapping in vimrc because it uses escape code on startup to communicate with terminal.

In short - simplest solution is to choose another key instead of .

Weird hack for the brave ones:

func! EscMapSetup(timerid)
    nnoremap  :nohlsearch
endfunc
autocmd VimEnter * call timer_start(100, 'EscMapSetup')

Some related links:

• https://github.com/vim/vim/issues/16401

• https://vi.stackexchange.com/questions/2614/why-does-this-esc-normal-mode-mapping-affect-startup

• https://vi.stackexchange.com/questions/28269/command-already-typed-in-when-i-open-vim

• https://vi.stackexchange.com/questions/19069/why-does-terminal-vim-enter-replace-mode-with-my-vimrc-file/19073#19073

I have this in my vimrc and it has worked perfectly:

set hlsearch
" Clear highlights.
" We need this noop mapping before, otherwise
" the esc mapping will just completely break.
nnoremap \ \
nnoremap    :noh
" Removes delay from closing fzf search popup.
tnoremap \ \
tnoremap    

Can't remember all the nuances in originally constructing it like this.