How do I use Notepad++ (or any other editor besides vim) with msysgit?
I tried all of the following to no avail:
git config --global core.editor C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe git config --global core.editor "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" git config --global core.editor C:/Program Files/Notepad++/notepad++.exe git config --global core.editor C:\\Program Files\\Notepad++\\notepad++.exe Update 2010-2011:
zumalifeguard's solution (upvoted) is simpler than the original one, as it doesn't need anymore a shell wrapper script.
As I explain in "How can I set up an editor to work with Git on Windows?", I prefer a wrapper, as it is easier to try and switch editors, or change the path of one editor, without having to register said change with a git config again.
But that is just me.
Additional information: the following solution works with Cygwin, while the zuamlifeguard's solution does not.
Original answer.
The following:
C:\prog\git>git config --global core.editor C:/prog/git/npp.sh C:/prog/git/npp.sh: #!/bin/sh "c:/Program Files/Notepad++/notepad++.exe" -multiInst "$*" does work. Those commands are interpreted as shell script, hence the idea to wrap any windows set of commands in a sh script.
(As Franky comments: "Remember to save your .sh file with Unix style line endings or receive mysterious error messages!")
More details on the SO question How can I set up an editor to work with Git on Windows?
Note the '-multiInst' option, for ensuring a new instance of notepad++ for each call from Git.
Note also that, if you are using Git on Cygwin (and want to use Notepad++ from Cygwin), then scphantm explains in "using Notepad++ for Git inside Cygwin" that you must be aware that:
gitis passing it acygwinpath andnppdoesn't know what to do with it
So the script in that case would be:
#!/bin/sh "C:/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++/notepad++.exe" -multiInst -notabbar -nosession -noPlugin "$(cygpath -w "$*")" Multiple lines for readability:
#!/bin/sh "C:/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++/notepad++.exe" -multiInst -notabbar \ -nosession -noPlugin "$(cygpath -w "$*")" With "$(cygpath -w "$*")" being the important part here.
Val commented (and then deleted) that you should not use -notabbar option:
It makes no good to disable the tab during rebase, but makes a lot of harm to general Notepad usability since
-notabbecomes the default setting and you mustSettings>Preferences>General>TabBar> Hide>uncheckevery time you start notepad after rebase. This is hell. You recommended the hell.
So use rather:
#!/bin/sh "C:/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++/notepad++.exe" -multiInst -nosession -noPlugin "$(cygpath -w "$*")" That is:
#!/bin/sh "C:/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++/notepad++.exe" -multiInst -nosession \ -noPlugin "$(cygpath -w "$*")" If you want to place the script 'npp.sh' in a path with spaces (as in 'c:\program files\...',), you have three options:
Either try to quote the path (single or double quotes), as in:
git config --global core.editor 'C:/program files/git/npp.sh' or try the shortname notation (not fool-proofed):
git config --global core.editor C:/progra~1/git/npp.sh or (my favorite) place 'npp.sh' in a directory part of your %PATH% environment variable. You would not have then to specify any path for the script.
git config --global core.editor npp.sh Steiny reports in the comments having to do:
git config --global core.editor '"C:/Program Files (x86)/Git/scripts/npp.sh"' git config --global core.editor "'C:/Program Files/Notepad++/notepad++.exe' -multiInst -notabbar -nosession -noPlugin" Or, for 64-bit Windows and a 32-bit install of Notepad++:
git config --global core.editor "'C:/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++/notepad++.exe' -multiInst -notabbar -nosession -noPlugin" Or, the following can be issued on the command line on either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. It will pull the location of notepad++.exe from the registry and configure git to use it automatically:
FOR /F "usebackq tokens=2*" %A IN (`REG QUERY "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad++.exe" /ve`) DO git config --global core.editor "'%B' -multiInst -notabbar -nosession -noPlugin" If you wish to place the above from a .BAT or .CMD file, you must replace %A with %%A and %B with %%B
This works for me
git config --global core.editor C:/Progra~1/Notepad++/notepad++.exe git config core.editor "\"C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe\"" I use the approach with PATH variable. Path to Notepad++ is added to system's PATH variable and then core.editor is set like following:
git config --global core.editor notepad++ Also, you may add some additional parameters for Notepad++:
git config --global core.editor "notepad++.exe -multiInst" (as I detailed in "Git core.editor for Windows")
And here you can find some options you may use when stating Notepad++ Command Line Options.
As of Git for Windows v2.15.0 (October 30th 2017) it is now possible to configure nano or Notepad++ as Git's default editor instead of vim.
During the installation you'll see the following screen:
UPDATE 2015
If you unpack/install Notepad++ into c:\utils\npp\ and rename notepad++.exe to npp.exe for simplicity, then all you have to do is
git config --global core.editor c:/utils/npp/npp.exe No wrapper scripts or other trickery. No need to have Notepad++ in PATH.
Follow these instructions,
First make sure you have notepad++ installed on your system and that it is the default programme to open .txt files.
Then Install gitpad on your system. Note the last I checked the download link was broken, so download it from here as explained.
Then while committing you should see your favorite text editor popping up.
I used starikovs' solution. I started with a bash window and gave the commands
cd ~ touch .bashrc Then I found the .bashrc file in windows explorer, opened it with notepad++ and added
PATH=$PATH:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++" so that bash knows where to find Notepad++. (Having Notepad++ in the bash PATH is a useful thing on its own!) Then I pasted his line
git config --global core.editor "notepad++.exe -multiInst" into a bash window. I started a new bash window for a git repository to test things with the command
git rebase -i HEAD~10 and the file opened in Notepad++ as hoped.
Here is a solution with Cygwin:
#!/bin/dash -e if [ "$1" ] then k=$(cygpath -w "$1") elif [ "$#" != 0 ] then k= fi Notepad2 ${k+"$k"} If no path, pass no path
If path is empty, pass empty path
If path is not empty, convert to Windows format.
Then I set these variables:
export EDITOR=notepad2.sh export GIT_EDITOR='dash /usr/local/bin/notepad2.sh' EDITOR allows script to work with Git
GIT_EDITOR allows script to work with Hub commands