How to change default text editor for virsh edit?

bash environment-variables editors libvirt virsh

13,258

Solution 1

I had to add the editor to sudoers by putting Defaults editor=/bin/nano at the end of /etc/sudoers AND THEN I could use sudo EDITOR=nano virsh edit myWINVM.

Update: at a later time, I got it working by adding export EDITOR=nano to /etc/environment.

Solution 2

Remove the file ~/.selected_editor, and virsh will prompt you for the editor to use. Probably, that's the one in /root, since one needs admin privilege to use virsh.

13,258

Stonecraft

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Stonecraft almost 2 years
I recently installed virt-manager on Arch Linux, and unlike under Ubuntu, I was not prompted to choose a text editor on the first launch of virsh-edit. Instead, the XML file was opened in vi (or vim, not sure).

From this thread in the RedHat archives, I thought that if I just added to ~/.bashrc:
```
export EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano
```
that would solve the problem. But setting EDITOR environment variable didn't work.

Also, launching it with EDITOR=geany sudo virsh edit myWINVM gave the same result, as did trying to use a different editor: EDITOR=geany sudo virsh edit myWINVM as described here

and I see that the variable has in fact been set:
```
[~]$ printenv
SHELL=/bin/bash
SESSION_MANAGER=local/virtland:@/tmp/.ICE-unix/5451,unix/virtland:/tmp/.ICE-unix/5451
WINDOWID=27262979
COLORTERM=truecolor
XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=/etc/xdg
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-j36TZui4fOt5/agent.5457
DESKTOP_SESSION=Xfce Session
SSH_AGENT_PID=5458
EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano
...
```
However virsh edit MYVM still opens the XML in vi.

Is there something different I need to do in Arch? Has the method of changing this setting been changed in recent updates of virsh?
- Freddy over 5 years
  
  Is the path correct? My nano is /bin/nano.
- Stonecraft over 5 years
  
  Yes, /usr/bin/nano opens nano. I also have it at /bin/nano. Both paths have the same effect.
- Roman Riabenko over 2 years
  
  Did you try exporting VISUAL instead? See How can I set "vi" as my default editor in UNIX? and VISUAL vs. EDITOR – what’s the difference?
Jeff Schaller over 5 years

I'm not sure how the sudoers change (of editor) solved your problem, since that's only the editor that visudo will use, and should have no bearing on virsh's EDITOR value.
Jeff Schaller over 5 years

You might have better luck with a sudoers change of env_keep += "EDITOR"
Stonecraft almost 5 years

Just to add, I encountered this problem again and now changing the visudo editor in /etc/sudoers has no effect. Still looking for a permanent solution.
Stonecraft almost 5 years

OK, I got it working by adding export EDITOR=nano to ` /etc/environment` .
muru almost 5 years

/etc/environment isn't a shell file, export has no business there.
Gediz GÜRSU over 2 years

EDITOR=nano to /etc/environment works