diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..998724c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+require("initializer")
+vim.opt.mouse = "c" -- set mouse in command line mode
+vim.opt.colorcolumn = "80" -- highlight this column
+vim.opt.relativenumber = true
+vim.opt.number = true
+vim.opt.clipboard = "unnamedplus" -- synchronize with system clipboard
+vim.opt.swapfile = false
+vim.opt.cursorline = true
+vim.opt.termguicolors = true
+vim.cmd [[
+    highlight clear
+    colorscheme dracula
+]]
diff --git a/init.vim b/init.vim
deleted file mode 100644
index 9203b5e..0000000
--- a/init.vim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-" load main lua file with additional configs
-lua require("initializer")
-
-" highlight all .conf files as apache config (:])
-autocmd BufEnter *.conf :setlocal filetype=apache
-"au BufNewFile,BufRead *.sls set filetype=sls.yaml
-"nerdtree bindings
-nnoremap <leader>n :NvimTreeFocus<CR>
-nnoremap <C-t> :NvimTreeToggle<CR>
-
-" nerdcommenter custom bindings
-nmap <c-/> <plug>NERDCommenterToggle
-vmap <c-/> <plug>NERDCommenterToggle
-
-set termguicolors
-highlight clear
-colorscheme dracula
-
-set splitright
-set splitbelow
-
-
-" indent/unindent with tab/shift-tab
-nmap <Tab> >>
-nmap <S-tab> <<
-imap <S-Tab> <Esc><<i
-vmap <Tab> >gv
-vmap <S-Tab> <gv
-
-" Find files using Telescope command-line sugar.
-nnoremap <leader>ff <cmd>Telescope find_files<cr>
-nnoremap <leader>fg <cmd>Telescope live_grep<cr>
-nnoremap <leader>fb <cmd>Telescope buffers<cr>
-nnoremap <leader>fh <cmd>Telescope help_tags<cr>
-
-" general configs
-set modeline
-set encoding=UTF-8
-set showmatch               " show matching
-set ignorecase              " case insensitive
-set mouse=v                 " middle-click paste with
-set hlsearch                " highlight search
-set incsearch               " incremental search
-set tabstop=4               " number of columns occupied by a tab
-set softtabstop=4           " see multiple spaces as tabstops so <BS> does the right thing
-set expandtab               " converts tabs to white space
-set shiftwidth=4            " width for autoindents
-set autoindent              " indent a new line the same amount as the line just typed
-set number                  " add line numbers
-set relativenumber          " add relative line numbers
-set wildmode=longest,list   " get bash-like tab completions
-set cc=80                   " set an 80 column border for good coding style
-filetype plugin indent on   "allow auto-indenting depending on file type
-syntax on                   " syntax highlighting
-"set mouse=a                " enable mouse click
-set clipboard+=unnamedplus  " using system clipboard
-filetype plugin on
-set cursorline              " highlight current cursorline
-set ttyfast                 " Speed up scrolling in Vim
-" set spell                 " enable spell check (may need to download language package)
-set noswapfile              " disable creating swap file
-" set backupdir=~/.cache/vim " Directory to store backup files.
diff --git a/lua/conf-nvim-tree.lua b/lua/conf-nvim-tree.lua
index f77f98b..1f69797 100644
--- a/lua/conf-nvim-tree.lua
+++ b/lua/conf-nvim-tree.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 require("nvim-tree").setup({
     hijack_cursor = true,
-    open_on_setup = true,
-    open_on_setup_file = true,
     sync_root_with_cwd = true,
     view = {
         adaptive_size = true,
diff --git a/lua/config-noice.lua b/lua/config-noice.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f60d65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/config-noice.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+return {
+    config = {
+        lsp = {
+            -- override markdown rendering so that **cmp** and other plugins use **Treesitter**
+            override = {
+                ["vim.lsp.util.convert_input_to_markdown_lines"] = true,
+                ["vim.lsp.util.stylize_markdown"] = true,
+                ["cmp.entry.get_documentation"] = true,
+            },
+        },
+        -- you can enable a preset for easier configuration
+        presets = {
+            bottom_search = true, -- use a classic bottom cmdline for search
+            command_palette = true, -- position the cmdline and popupmenu together
+            long_message_to_split = true, -- long messages will be sent to a split
+            inc_rename = false, -- enables an input dialog for inc-rename.nvim
+            lsp_doc_border = false, -- add a border to hover docs and signature help
+        },
+        hover = {
+            enabled = true,
+            view = nil, -- when nil, use defaults from documentation
+            ---@type NoiceViewOptions
+            opts = {}, -- merged with defaults from documentation
+        },
+        signature = {
+            enabled = false,
+            auto_open = {
+                enabled = true,
+                trigger = true, -- Automatically show signature help when typing a trigger character from the LSP
+                luasnip = true, -- Will open signature help when jumping to Luasnip insert nodes
+                throttle = 50, -- Debounce lsp signature help request by 50ms
+            },
+            view = nil, -- when nil, use defaults from documentation
+            ---@type NoiceViewOptions
+            opts = {}, -- merged with defaults from documentation
+        },
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lua/general.lua b/lua/general.lua
index b1398c9..3cbb179 100644
--- a/lua/general.lua
+++ b/lua/general.lua
@@ -12,3 +12,33 @@ codewindow.setup({
     z_index = 1, -- The z-index the floating window will be on
 })
 codewindow.apply_default_keybinds()
+
+local function open_nvim_tree()
+
+  -- open the tree
+  require("nvim-tree.api").tree.open()
+end
+
+-- Functional wrapper for mapping custom keybindings
+local function map(mode, lhs, rhs, opts)
+    local options = { noremap = true }
+    if opts then
+        options = vim.tbl_extend("force", options, opts)
+    end
+    vim.api.nvim_set_keymap(mode, lhs, rhs, options)
+end
+
+----------------------
+-- general setup start
+----------------------
+
+-- open nvim tree on start
+vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ "VimEnter" }, { callback = open_nvim_tree })
+
+-- tab lines in normal and visual mode
+map("n", "<Tab>", ">>")
+map("n", "<S-Tab>", "<<")
+map("i", "<S-Tab>", "<Esc><<i")
+map("n", "<Tab>", ">>")
+map("v", "<Tab>", ">gv")
+map("v", "<S-Tab>", "<gv")
diff --git a/lua/lazy-setup.lua b/lua/lazy-setup.lua
index 6e35c52..3fe995d 100644
--- a/lua/lazy-setup.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy-setup.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 require("lazy").setup({
     -- NERDTree stuff
     { 'nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons' }, -- optional, for file icons
-    { 'nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua' },
+    { 'nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua',
+        keys = {
+            { "<leader>n", "<cmd>NvimTreeFocus<cr>" },
+            { "<C-t>", "<cmd>NvimTreeToggle<cr>" }
+        } },
 
     -- neovim lsp plugins and depencencies
     { 'neovim/nvim-lspconfig' },
@@ -28,58 +32,26 @@ require("lazy").setup({
     { 'lewis6991/gitsigns.nvim' },
     { 'petertriho/nvim-scrollbar' },
     { 'kevinhwang91/nvim-hlslens' },
-    { 'L3MON4D3/LuaSnip',                   version = '*' },
+    { 'L3MON4D3/LuaSnip',         version = '*' },
     { 'saadparwaiz1/cmp_luasnip' },
     { 'lambdalisue/suda.vim' },
-    { 'akinsho/bufferline.nvim',            version = '*' },
+    { 'akinsho/bufferline.nvim',  version = '*' },
     { 'gorbit99/codewindow.nvim' },
-    { 'preservim/nerdcommenter' },
+    { 'preservim/nerdcommenter',
+        keys = {
+            { "<c-/>", "<plug>NERDCommenterToggle", mode = "v" },
+            { "<c-/>", "<plug>NERDCommenterToggle", mode = "n" }
+        } },
     { 'rmagatti/auto-session' },
     { 'tpope/vim-fugitive' },
     { 'Glench/Vim-Jinja2-Syntax' },
     { 'vmware-archive/salt-vim' },
     { 'stephpy/vim-yaml' },
     { 'lukas-reineke/indent-blankline.nvim' },
-    { 'rcarriga/nvim-notify' },
     { 'MunifTanjim/nui.nvim' },
     { 'folke/noice.nvim',
-        config = {
-            lsp = {
-                -- override markdown rendering so that **cmp** and other plugins use **Treesitter**
-                override = {
-                    ["vim.lsp.util.convert_input_to_markdown_lines"] = true,
-                    ["vim.lsp.util.stylize_markdown"] = true,
-                    ["cmp.entry.get_documentation"] = true,
-                },
-            },
-            -- you can enable a preset for easier configuration
-            presets = {
-                bottom_search = true, -- use a classic bottom cmdline for search
-                command_palette = true, -- position the cmdline and popupmenu together
-                long_message_to_split = true, -- long messages will be sent to a split
-                inc_rename = false, -- enables an input dialog for inc-rename.nvim
-                lsp_doc_border = false, -- add a border to hover docs and signature help
-            },
-            hover = {
-                enabled = true,
-                view = nil, -- when nil, use defaults from documentation
-                ---@type NoiceViewOptions
-                opts = {}, -- merged with defaults from documentation
-            },
-            signature = {
-                enabled = false,
-                auto_open = {
-                    enabled = true,
-                    trigger = true, -- Automatically show signature help when typing a trigger character from the LSP
-                    luasnip = true, -- Will open signature help when jumping to Luasnip insert nodes
-                    throttle = 50, -- Debounce lsp signature help request by 50ms
-                },
-                view = nil, -- when nil, use defaults from documentation
-                ---@type NoiceViewOptions
-                opts = {}, -- merged with defaults from documentation
-            },
-        },
         dependencies = {
+            config = require("config-noice").config,
             "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
             -- OPTIONAL:
             --   `nvim-notify` is only needed, if you want to use the notification view.
@@ -104,10 +76,17 @@ require("lazy").setup({
     { 'projekt0n/github-nvim-theme' },
 
     --Fuzzy search by Telescope and its dependencies:
-    { 'nvim-lua/plenary.nvim' },
     {
         'nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim', branch = 'master',
-        dependencies = { 'nvim-lua/plenary.nvim' }
+        dependencies = { 'nvim-lua/plenary.nvim' },
+        keys = {
+            { "<leader>ff", "<cmd>Telescope find_files<cr>" },
+            { "<leader>fg", "<cmd>Telescope live_grep<cr>" },
+            { "<leader>fb", "<cmd>Telescope buffers<cr>" },
+            { "<leader>fh", "<cmd>Telescope help_tags<cr>" }
+
+        }
+
     },
     { 'BurntSushi/ripgrep' },
     { 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter', build = ':TSUpdate' },