git rebase --interactive throws an error

Question

I'm relatively new to git. Could anyone, please, help running git rebase --interactive properly? It throws an error when I try to execute it.

Note: I don't want to uninstall Xcode unless it's inevitable (because some packages require it's tools to compile).

Here's the error:

$ git rebase -i /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/libexec/git-core/git-rebase--interactive: line 234: -w: command not found Could not execute editor

This file, of course, exists, is an executable shell script and has no --help option.

git version 1.9.3 (Apple Git-50)

Solution

The problem is that my git rebase -i wasn't told what editor to use. Thus, it is fixed by setting one.

Let's claim that out editor is vim (or nano, or w/e). Then either

export GIT_EDITOR=vim (global)

or

git config --global core.editor "vim" (local)

Would solve the problem.

Credit goes to glenn jackman https://superuser.com/users/4714/glenn-jackman

Related question https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2596805/how-do-i-make-git-use-the-editor-of-my-choice-for-commits

Comments

[glenn jackman]

Tangentially, you can use [0-9] instead of [0123456789]

[theoden8]

@glennjackman thanks, worked for me. didn't suspect it to be so easy.

[Daniel B]

If you have an answer, make it an answer. ;) That being said, I recommend using the Git version available via brew.

[theoden8]

@DanielB You mean me or glenn jackman? Isn't it quite shizo-like to answer questions u ask?

[glenn jackman]

Answering your own questions is encouraged -- imagine someone who found your question through google: it would be good to provide that person your solution.