Helix Trainer

Master Helix editor keybindings through scientifically-optimized spaced repetition and gamified training.

Stop learning commands in isolation. Train real development workflows with FSRS-powered spaced repetition (20-30% faster mastery), daily quests, XP progression, and anti-farming mechanics that ensure genuine skill development.

Important

100% Offline & Privacy-First — No internet required, no telemetry, no cloud sync. All data stays on your machine in ~/.config/helix-trainer/

Features

Smart Learning System

• FSRS Spaced Repetition — 20-30% fewer reviews than traditional methods (research-proven)
• Interactive Review Sessions — Practice due commands with instant feedback and XP rewards
• Scenario Mastery Tracking — Three-tier progression (Learning → Proficient → Mastered) with graduated XP scaling
• Daily Quest System — Duolingo-style challenges with streak tracking
• Anti-Farming Protection — Session penalties prevent XP exploitation
• Profile & Statistics — Track your progress, view mastery levels, and see performance analytics

Mini-Games Mode

• Arcade Training — 60-second timed sessions with automatic scenario progression
• Streak Multiplier — Build combos up to 5x for consecutive completions
• Lives System — Start with 3 lives, earn bonus lives at score milestones
• XP Integration — Per-scenario XP awards with streak bonuses
• Pause & Resume — Access profile/stats mid-game

Training Features

• Smart Scenario Discovery — Filter by category, difficulty, commands, or completion status with 6 sort modes
• Rich Metadata — Every scenario tagged with category, difficulty, taught commands, and practice focus
• Real Helix Accuracy — Uses official helix-core library (v25.07.1)
• 45+ Commands — Movement, editing, clipboard, undo/redo, repeat
• 78 Training Scenarios — From basics to intermediate workflows with difficulty indicators
• 55 Daily Quests — Easy, medium, and hard challenges across all commands
• 100% Offline — No cloud, no tracking, all data stays local (~/.config/helix-trainer/)

Installation

Note

Requirements: Terminal with Unicode support. No additional dependencies needed for pre-built binaries.

Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)

Download for your platform from Releases:

Linux (x86_64)

# GNU libc (most distributions)
wget https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
./helix-trainer

# musl (Alpine Linux, static binary)
wget https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
./helix-trainer

Linux (ARM64/aarch64)

# GNU libc
wget https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
./helix-trainer

# musl
wget https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
./helix-trainer

macOS

# Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)
curl -LO https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-apple-darwin
./helix-trainer

# Intel
curl -LO https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer/releases/latest/download/helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz
tar -xzf helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz
cd helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-apple-darwin
./helix-trainer

Windows

Download from Releases page:

• x86_64: helix-trainer-v0.4.7-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip
• ARM64: helix-trainer-v0.4.7-aarch64-pc-windows-msvc.zip

Extract and run helix-trainer.exe

Tip

Security: Verify checksums after download to ensure binary integrity:

sha256sum -c helix-trainer-*.sha256

Build from Source

Warning

Requires Rust 1.85+ (2024 edition). Install via rustup.rs

git clone https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer.git
cd helix-trainer
cargo build --release
./target/release/helix-trainer

Quick Start

helix-trainer

Tip

First time? Start with Daily Quests! The system intelligently selects scenarios based on your current skill level and schedules reviews using FSRS spaced repetition.

The interactive TUI will guide you through:

1. Daily Quests — Fresh challenges every day (Practice, Learning, Review)
2. Training Scenarios — 20 scenarios with instant feedback
3. Progress Tracking — XP, levels, streaks, mastery progression
4. Performance Analytics — Review calendar, mastery stats

Example Training Session

Main Menu
├─ Daily Quests (3 active)
│  ├─ ✅ Practice: Complete 3 scenarios
│  ├─ ⏳ Learning: Try 2 new scenarios
│  └─ 🔄 Review: 5 cards due
├─ Training Scenarios (20 available)
│  ├─ Basic Movement (Mastered - 20% XP)
│  ├─ Word Navigation (Proficient - 50% XP)
│  └─ Delete Line (Learning - 100% XP)
├─ Profile (Level 5, 842 XP)
└─ Statistics

Commands Supported

Category	Commands
Movement	h, j, k, l, w, b, e, 0, $, gg, ge, gh, gl, gs
Match Mode	mm (jump to matching bracket)
Editing	i, a, I, A, o, O, r, c, x, d, J, >, <
Clipboard	y, p, P
Undo/Redo	u, U
Repeat	. (repeat last action)
Count Prefix	3h, 5j, 2w (execute N times)
Insert Mode	Text input, Backspace, arrow keys, Esc

All commands powered by helix-core v25.07.1 for 100% accuracy.

Why This Project Exists

Traditional editor tutorials teach commands. Real development requires workflows.

Most Helix/Vim tutorials:

• Teach xd (delete line) in isolation ❌
• Show w (next word) on synthetic text ❌
• Stop at "congratulations, you know the basics!" ❌

Real development requires:

• Navigate to failing test → jump to implementation → fix bug → stage changes → commit ✅
• Refactor function across 3 files using LSP ✅
• Debug by jumping between error logs and source code ✅

Helix Trainer bridges this gap through:

Important

The Key Differentiator: Phase 2 will introduce full workflow simulation with mock LSP and git state. No other editor trainer does this. We're building the foundation (habits, engagement) before the flagship feature.

1. Scientifically-Optimized Learning (FSRS)

• 20-30% fewer reviews than traditional spaced repetition
• 99.6% better accuracy than older algorithms (tested on 350M+ reviews)
• Identifies YOUR weaknesses and schedules smart practice
• Same algorithm as Anki 23.10+ (research-proven)

2. Scenario Mastery System

Prevents XP farming while ensuring genuine skill development:

• Three-tier progression: Learning (100% XP) → Proficient (50% XP) → Mastered (20% XP)
• Session spam protection: Same-day penalties (100% → 70% → 30%)
• Bounded tracking: 10,000 scenario limit with validation
• Performance benchmarks: <1ms XP calculations, ~288 bytes per scenario

3. Gamification That Works

Duolingo-proven mechanics:

• Daily quests with fresh challenges
• Streak tracking with loss aversion
• XP & levels (exponential scaling)
• Achievements for milestones

4. 100% Offline & Privacy-First

• No cloud services, no internet required
• All data stored locally (~/.config/helix-trainer/)
• No telemetry, tracking, or data collection
• Your learning stays on your machine

Current Status

Note

Active Development: Phase 2.1 (Mini-Games) is complete! The project now includes both deliberate training and arcade modes with full XP/quest integration.

✅ Phase 1: Smart Learning & Gamification (COMPLETE - v0.1.3)

• FSRS spaced repetition system
• Daily quest system
• XP/leveling with scenario mastery
• Profile & statistics tracking
• Anti-farming protection
• Repeat command (.) for efficient workflows
• 164 passing tests, zero clippy warnings

✅ Phase 1.5: Scenario Metadata & Discovery (COMPLETE - v0.3.0)

• Rich metadata system (category, difficulty, tags, taught commands)
• Flexible filtering (category, difficulty, commands, completion status)
• Six sort modes (alphabetical, difficulty, category, completion, recent, random)
• Visual indicators (🟢 Beginner / 🟡 Intermediate / 🔴 Advanced + ✅ completed)
• 25 fully categorized scenarios (Movement: 5, Editing: 11, Clipboard: 3, Advanced: 6)
• Performance benchmarks for filtering/sorting (<1ms for 1000 scenarios)
• Automated scenario validation tests

✅ Phase 2.1: Mini-Games Mode (COMPLETE - v0.4.1)

Arcade-style training with time pressure:

• Mode Selection — Choose between Training (deliberate practice) and Arcade (fast-paced)
• Timed Sessions — 60-second games with 5-10 seconds per scenario
• Lives System — Start with 3 lives, earn bonus at 1000/2500/5000 points
• Score Multiplier — Build streaks up to x5.0 for consecutive completions
• XP Integration — Per-scenario rewards (15 base + streak bonus)
• Pause Menu — Access profile/stats mid-game with proper navigation
• Key History — Visual display of last 5 keys pressed
• 645 passing tests, zero clippy warnings

Why this matters: Build muscle memory through fast-paced repetition while having fun.

🔄 Phase 2.2: Mini-Games Enhancements (Planned)

• Adaptive difficulty based on performance
• Sound effects with volume control
• Leaderboards (local)
• More game modes (survival, challenge)

🔄 Phase 3: Workflow Simulator (Planned)

The flagship feature that makes Helix Trainer unique:

• Mock LSP server for realistic scenarios
• Git repository state simulation
• Multi-file navigation training
• Real development workflow scenarios (CI debugging, refactoring, etc.)

Why this matters: Bridges the tutorial → productivity gap that nobody else solves.

Technology Stack

Component	Library	Version
TUI Framework	ratatui	0.29
Terminal I/O	crossterm	0.29
Async Runtime	tokio	1.48
Editor Core	helix-core	25.07.1
Spaced Repetition	fsrs	5.2
Large Text	tui-big-text	0.7

Project Metrics:

• Language: Rust 2024 Edition
• MSRV: 1.85
• Lines of Code: ~18,500 (Rust)
• Tests: 645 (all passing)
• Scenarios: 25 (fully categorized with metadata)
• Binary Size: ~3MB (release mode)
• Build Time: ~1.5-2s (incremental, with sccache)

Contributing

Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for:

• Development setup and workflow
• Code standards and quality checks
• Pull request process
• Testing requirements

Caution

Zero-Tolerance Quality Standards: All PRs must pass clippy (with -D warnings), tests, and formatting checks. CI enforces these automatically.

Quick contributor setup:

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/bug-ops/helix-trainer.git
cd helix-trainer

# Run quality checks before committing
cargo +nightly fmt
cargo nextest run
cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings
cargo build --release

With sccache configured, rebuilds are 5x faster (~10s incremental).

Documentation

• CHANGELOG.md — Release history and version notes
• CONTRIBUTING.md — Contribution guidelines
• SECURITY.md — Security policy

FAQ

Why not just use :tutor in Helix?

:tutor is excellent for one-time learning. Helix Trainer adds:

• Spaced repetition for long-term retention
• Gamification for daily habit formation
• Progress tracking and analytics
• (Phase 2) Full workflow training

They're complementary tools, not competitors.

Why FSRS instead of traditional spaced repetition?

FSRS is 20-30% more efficient (research-proven on 350M+ reviews). It's the same algorithm Anki switched to in v23.10+. We use the best available learning science.

Can I use this offline?

Yes, 100% offline. No internet required, all data local, zero telemetry.

When is Phase 2 (Workflow Simulator)?

After Phase 1 stabilizes (~3 months). We're building the foundation (habits, engagement) before the flagship feature.

Is this only for Helix, or can I learn Vim/Neovim?

Helix-specific. Many commands overlap with Vim, but Helix uses a different selection-first model. For Vim, try OpenVim or VimGenius.

Roadmap

Note

Transparent Development: We prioritize stability over speed. Phase 2's 6-month timeline ensures Phase 1 is battle-tested before adding complexity.

Phase	Status	Focus
Phase A	✅ Complete	Foundation (30+ commands, 20 scenarios, TUI)
Phase 1	✅ Complete	Smart learning (FSRS, quests, mastery)
Phase 2.1	✅ Complete	Mini-Games mode (arcade, time pressure, lives)
Phase 2.2	📋 Planned	Mini-Games enhancements (sound, adaptive difficulty)
Phase 3	📋 Planned	Workflow simulator (LSP, git, multi-file)
Phase 4	💡 Future	Network effects (multiplayer, scenarios marketplace)

Success Metrics

We're tracking:

• 80%+ users practice recommended scenarios (spaced repetition)
• 70%+ users complete 1+ quest per day
• Average streak: >7 days
• D7 retention: >40%
• Review efficiency: 20-30% fewer reviews vs random practice

Research-backed targets, not arbitrary KPIs.

Acknowledgments

• Helix Editor — For the amazing modal editor
• Ratatui — For the excellent TUI framework
• FSRS Research Team — For the algorithm
• Anki — Inspiration for spaced repetition

Inspired by vim-tutor, OpenVim, and decades of learning science research.

License

Licensed under MIT — see LICENSE for details.