Setting up sublimetext 3 as git commit text editor

Question

I'm having trouble setting up sublime as my git commit message editor.

Using:

git config --global core.editor "subl"

Error: error: cannot run subl: No such file or directory error: unable to start editor 'subl' Please supply the message using either -m or -F option.

subl work perfectly otherwise.

score 133 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 31 '16 at 21:30

133

For what it's worth, here's how I solved it:

1) Run in Terminal:

sudo ln -s /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl /usr/local/bin/subl

This adds a subl alias to /usr/local/bin/ pointing to Sublime Text 3 app’s binary file. Now running subl in Terminal will launch Sublime Text 3 app.

2) Run in Terminal:

git config --global core.editor "subl -n -w"

This adds editor = subl -n -w to the [core] section of the ~/.gitconfig file. Now running git commit in Terminal will launch Sublime Text 3 app (subl) in a new window (-n), and the command line will wait (-w) until the commit message is saved and closed.

Image of final workflow added in response to clarifying question in comments below:

enter image description here

Official Sublime Text 3 doc: http://www.sublimetext.com/docs/3/osx_command_line.html

edited Aug 31 '16 at 21:30

ZMitton

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answered Aug 12 '14 at 03:26

2540625

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what it means `and the command line will wait (-w) until the commit message is saved.` I write comment in sublime open file and press W but do not ends. how to do it? – xkeshav Dec 01 '14 at 10:07
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@diEcho, just save and close the Sublime window containing your commit message, and switch to Terminal again if you aren't switched there automatically. The `-w` at the end of the string in the Terminal command is an optional flag to trigger a 'wait'—you don't need to type it again. – 2540625 Dec 01 '14 at 14:53
when I am about to close it ask to save on some location. where do I save this file – xkeshav Dec 02 '14 at 05:37
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@diEcho, it shouldn't ask where to save. The file should automatically be named `COMMIT_EDITMSG` and its location should automatically be `.git` (visible on Mac by command-clicking the filename in the Sublime window's title bar). All that should be necessary (once steps 1 & 2 above are complete) is to run `git commit` in Terminal, write your commit message in the file that auto-launches in Sublime, save that Sublime file, and close that Sublime window. Your file in Sublime was automatically created, yes? And your window in Sublime was automatically launched? – 2540625 Dec 02 '14 at 16:06
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@diEcho, I've added an image above hopefully to help. – 2540625 Dec 02 '14 at 16:59
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I have performed steps 1 and 2, but when I save and exit, the terminal just hangs...Why could that be? – layser Oct 29 '16 at 08:43
I have the same issue as @layser. git just sites there and does nothing after saving and closing sublimeText3. – Andrew Magill Sep 19 '17 at 19:08
The difference that I've noticed is whether sublime is already running or not. If it's not running, it's possible that several windows got spawned (from a previous session), and you have to close all of them to get it to save. If it is already running, it creates a new process with one window, and behaves how you'd expect. – Ronnie76er Nov 04 '18 at 22:40

score 73 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 03 '19 at 18:28

73

You can solve this by putting in a full path

git config --global core.editor "/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -n -w"

Source: OS X Command Line

EDIT: If the name of the app is not Sublime Text.app you will want to replace that with the correct name.

edited Mar 03 '19 at 18:28

Volker E.

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answered Mar 25 '14 at 10:45

Daniël W. Crompton

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Your answer is correct but it didn't solve my problem, I must have a wider configuration issue. – Alan Quigley Mar 25 '14 at 12:59
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No, I had to use this `git config --global core.editor '/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl'` – mainframer Oct 05 '15 at 14:04
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This is not the right answer. The second one should be accepted. – Evert Jun 16 '16 at 20:46
Thanks for the pointer, corrected the command line options which I misses first time round. – Daniël W. Crompton Jun 20 '16 at 19:13

score 16 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 07 '19 at 17:01

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Sublime Text 2

git config --global core.editor "'c:/program files/sublime text 2/sublime_text.exe' -n -w"

Sublime Text 3 ( Tested this on my Windows 10 MS Surface Pro 3 )

git config --global core.editor "'C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/subl.exe' -n -w"

You can also add following line to your .gitconfig file

[core]
 editor = "'C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/subl.exe' -n -w"

Hope it helps.

edited Feb 07 '19 at 17:01

TeeTrinker

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answered Aug 07 '16 at 05:28

Anmol Saraf

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Add the -n option if you want it to open in a new window! – Alex Guerra Jan 29 '17 at 01:58

score 8 · Answer 4 · edited Oct 30 '15 at 16:58

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I found out that I receive messages like:

subl -n -w: subl: command not found.

error: There was a problem with the editor 'subl -n -w'

error: There was a problem with the editor 'subl'

even though Sublime works well and can be launched from Terminal.

To fix it, run the following in Terminal:

git config --global core.editor " 'XXXXX' -n -w"

while 'XXXXX' is the path which Sublime is launched from.

It could be /usr/bin/subl as Pranav Misra mentioned, or /Applications/Sublime\ Text\ 2.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl, or whatever you put in the symlink you have created.

edited Oct 30 '15 at 16:58

Luis Gouveia

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answered Oct 30 '15 at 16:24

N. Osil

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Yup, I was struggling with escape sequences and this solved my problem. I don't know whether the space character right after the `"` is necessary, and I don't want to right now. – jrsala Apr 05 '16 at 12:00

Pranav Misra · Answer 5 · 2015-10-13T16:17:28.627

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I'm new to the community, and apologize if the answer is not in the proper format. For me the following things worked for Sublime 3 git config --global core.editor " '/usr/bin/subl' -n -w" Thank you all.

edited Oct 13 '15 at 16:17

answered Oct 13 '15 at 13:07

Pranav Misra

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score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 18 '17 at 22:20

To add sublime Text as the default text editor , first create a symlink :

ln -s "/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl" ~/bin/subl

Also , make it the default editor for any time when input is asked by

export EDITOR='subl -w'

Finally ,

git config --global core.editor "subl -n -w"

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 07 '18 at 18:36

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I tried all of these answers, but nothing worked. ~/.gitconfig showed that sublime was set, but git wouldn't pick up the change. In the end, I restarted my macbook, and that did it. srsly.

git config --global core.editor "subl -n -w"

answered Apr 07 '18 at 18:36

domoarigato

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Setting up sublimetext 3 as git commit text editor

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