How can I set up an editor to work with Git on Windows?

Question

I\'m trying out Git on Windows. I got to the point of trying \"git commit\" and I got this error:

Terminal is dumb but no VISUAL nor

Answer 1

I prefer to use Emacs. Getting it set up can be a little tricky.

1. Download Emacs and unpack it somewhere like c:\emacs.
2. Run c:\emacs\bin\addpm.exe. You need to right-click and "Run as Administrator" if you are using Windows Vista or above. This will put the executables in your path.
3. Add (server-start) somewhere in your .emacs file. See the Emacs Windows FAQ for advice on where to put your .emacs file.
4. git config --global core.editor emacsclientw

Git will now open files within an existing Emacs process. You will have to run that existing process manually from c:\emacs\bin\runemacs.exe.