Replacing nano with vim - logout needed?

[Robert Moskowitz]

I ran:

dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing

But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"

Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an 
easier way?

[Michal Schorm]

Just a guess - even when configuration changes on the disk, the
already running instance (of the shell?) won't get updated.
Assuming you use bash, can you just call new 'bash' after that to
spring up a new instance which will correctly load the new settings,
inside of the one you currently have?
I guess "logging out and back again" usually solves stuff exactly
because it means you will get a fresh new shell instance.

Michal

--

Michal Schorm
Software Engineer
Databases Team
Red Hat

--

On Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM Robert Moskowitz  wrote:
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an
> easier way?
>
> --
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[Robert Moskowitz]

On 2/26/25 6:02 PM, Michal Schorm wrote:
> Just a guess - even when configuration changes on the disk, the
> already running instance (of the shell?) won't get updated.
> Assuming you use bash, can you just call new 'bash' after that to
> spring up a new instance which will correctly load the new settings,
> inside of the one you currently have?
> I guess "logging out and back again" usually solves stuff exactly
> because it means you will get a fresh new shell instance.

If I understand you correctly I should be able to just run "bash" within 
a terminal window and then vi will be called, rather than nano?

Well I tried the above and crontab -e still dropped into nano. Grumble.  
I HATE logging out.  :)
> --
>
> On Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM Robert Moskowitz  wrote:
> > I ran:
> >
> > dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
> >
> > But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
> >
> > Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an
> > easier way?
> >
> > --
> > _______________________________________________
> > users mailing list -- [e-mail]
> > To unsubscribe send an email to [e-mail]
> > Fedora Code of Conduct: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/project/code-of-conduct/
> > List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
> > List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[e-mail]
> > Do not reply to spam, report it: https://pagure.io/fedora-infrastructure/new_issue

[Robert Moskowitz]

$ set|grep nano
EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano
export EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
$ set|grep /vi
EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
_=EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi

And "crontab -e" is using vi!

This only fixes the terminal session I am in, but that is OK for right now.

On 2/26/25 6:08 PM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> On 2/26/25 6:02 PM, Michal Schorm wrote:
> > Just a guess - even when configuration changes on the disk, the
> > already running instance (of the shell?) won't get updated.
> > Assuming you use bash, can you just call new 'bash' after that to
> > spring up a new instance which will correctly load the new settings,
> > inside of the one you currently have?
> > I guess "logging out and back again" usually solves stuff exactly
> > because it means you will get a fresh new shell instance.
>
> If I understand you correctly I should be able to just run "bash" 
> within a terminal window and then vi will be called, rather than nano?
>
> Well I tried the above and crontab -e still dropped into nano. 
> Grumble.  I HATE logging out.  :)
> > --
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM Robert Moskowitz 
> >  wrote:
> > > I ran:
> > >
> > > dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
> > >
> > > But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
> > >
> > > Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is 
> > > there an
> > > easier way?
> > >
> > > -- 
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > users mailing list -- [e-mail]
> > > To unsubscribe send an email to [e-mail]
> > > Fedora Code of Conduct: 
> > > https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/project/code-of-conduct/
> > > List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
> > > List Archives: 
> > > https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[e-mail]
> > > Do not reply to spam, report it: 
> > > https://pagure.io/fedora-infrastructure/new_issue

[Joe Zeff]

On 02/26/2025 04:08 PM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> Well I tried the above and crontab -e still dropped into nano. Grumble. 
> I HATE logging out.  :)

Then don't.  Just close that terminal and open a new one.  That should 
be all you need.

[Samuel Sieb]

On 2/26/25 4:20 PM, Joe Zeff wrote:
> On 02/26/2025 04:08 PM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> > Well I tried the above and crontab -e still dropped into nano. 
> > Grumble. I HATE logging out.  :)
>
> Then don't.  Just close that terminal and open a new one.  That should 
> be all you need.

It's set in the global /etc/profile.d, so that might not be enough.
Try "bash -l".

[Michael D. Setzer II]

On 26 Feb 2025 at 17:41, Robert Moskowitz wrote:

Date sent:      	Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:41:56 -0500
To:             	Community support for Fedora users 

From:           	Robert Moskowitz 
Subject:        	Replacing nano with vim - logout needed?
Send reply to:  	Community support for Fedora users 
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an 
> easier way?

-e     Edits the current crontab using the editor specified by the VISUAL  or  EDITOR  environment  variables.
              After you exit from the editor, the modified crontab will be installed automatically.

tested with 
export EDITOR=geany 
cronttab -e 
Then used geany, so should work with vim

Could add export to your bashrc to setup on login
> -- 
> _______________________________________________
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+------------------------------------------------------------+
 Michael D. Setzer II - Computer Science Instructor (Retired)     
 mailto:[e-mail]                            
 mailto:[e-mail]
 mailto:[e-mail]
 Guam - Where America's Day Begins                        
 G4L Disk Imaging Project maintainer 
 http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l/
+------------------------------------------------------------+

[Patrick O'Callaghan]

On Wed, 2025-02-26 at 17:41 -0500, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an 
> easier way?

I've no idea what that does, but just installing that package is
unlikely to affect anything that's already running. If you don't want
to log out, try 'exec bash', which will re-initialize Bash within the
same process and may have the desired effect.

poc

[Robert Moskowitz]

On 2/26/25 6:36 PM, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
> On Wed, 2025-02-26 at 17:41 -0500, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> > I ran:
> >
> > dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
> >
> > But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
> >
> > Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an
> > easier way?
>
> I've no idea what that does, but just installing that package is
> unlikely to affect anything that's already running. If you don't want
> to log out, try 'exec bash', which will re-initialize Bash within the
> same process and may have the desired effect.

$ set|grep -i editor
EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano
$ exec bash
$ set|grep -i editor
EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano

so "exec bash" does not change it.

vim-default-editor I picked up a lot of releases ago when Fedora moved 
to nano (or maybe it is Xfce) as the default editor to switch to vi.

Guess for now use the export command until my next logout which will 
probably be the next boot...

[Michael D. Setzer II]

Seems to be set by this file.
cat /etc/profile.d/nano-default-editor.sh 
# Ensure GNU nano is set as EDITOR if it isn't already set

if [ -z "$EDITOR" ]; then
    export EDITOR="/usr/bin/nano"
fi

On 26 Feb 2025 at 17:41, Robert Moskowitz wrote:

Date sent:      	Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:41:56 -0500
To:             	Community support for Fedora users 

From:           	Robert Moskowitz 
Subject:        	Replacing nano with vim - logout needed?
Send reply to:  	Community support for Fedora users 
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an 
> easier way?
>
> -- 
> _______________________________________________
> users mailing list -- [e-mail]
> To unsubscribe send an email to [e-mail]
> Fedora Code of Conduct: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/project/code-of-conduct/
> List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
> List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[e-mail]
> Do not reply to spam, report it: https://pagure.io/fedora-infrastructure/new_issue

+------------------------------------------------------------+
 Michael D. Setzer II - Computer Science Instructor (Retired)     
 mailto:[e-mail]                            
 mailto:[e-mail]
 mailto:[e-mail]
 Guam - Where America's Day Begins                        
 G4L Disk Imaging Project maintainer 
 http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l/
+------------------------------------------------------------+

[Dave Close]

Try "dnf remove nano-default-editor".

[Robert Moskowitz]

On 2/26/25 8:43 PM, Dave Close wrote:
> Try "dnf remove nano-default-editor".

I think that is what allowerasing did...

dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
Updating and loading repositories:
  Fedora 41 - x86_64 - Updates                        100% |  10.9 KiB/s 
|  15.5 KiB |  00m01s
Repositories loaded.
Package                      Arch     Version Repository            Size
Removing dependent packages:
  nano-default-editor         noarch   8.1-1.fc41 fedora           514.0   B
Installing:
  vim-default-editor          noarch   2:9.1.1122-1.fc41 
updates          505.0   B

Transaction Summary:
  Installing:         1 package
  Removing:           1 package

Total size of inbound packages is 14 KiB. Need to download 14 KiB.
After this operation, 9 B will be freed (install 505 B, remove 514 B).
Is this ok [y/N]: y
[1/1] vim-default-editor-2:9.1.1122-1.fc41.noarch    100% |  27.0 KiB/s 
|  14.3 KiB |  00m01s
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1/1] Total                                          100% |   9.7 KiB/s 
|  14.3 KiB |  00m01s
Running transaction
[1/4] Verify package files                           100% | 66.0   B/s 
|   1.0   B |  00m00s
[2/4] Prepare transaction                            100% | 1.0   B/s 
|   2.0   B |  00m02s
[3/4] Installing vim-default-editor-2:9.1.1122-1.fc4 100% |  12.4 KiB/s 
|   1.2 KiB |  00m00s
[4/4] Removing nano-default-editor-0:8.1-1.fc41.noar 100% | 2.0   B/s 
|   5.0   B |  00m02s
Complete!

[Peter Boy Uni]

> Am 26.02.2025 um 23:41 schrieb Robert Moskowitz :
>
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there an easier way?

The editor to use is specified in the EDITOR environment variable. It is set by executing /etc/profile when you open a new login ter

I guess, you still get:
[…]$ env | grep EDITOR
EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano

You can try

[…]$  .  /etc/profile

(it „sources" the initial profile again) But I guess, the script sets the variable only if it is undefined.

So you have to add to your

[…]$  vim  ~/.bashrc

A line like

export EDITOR="/usr/bin/vim“

At the end of the file and then source this file

[…]$ . ~/.bashrc

Afterwards a

[…]$ env | grep EDITOR

Should get you a

EDITOR=/usr/bin/vim

—
Peter Boy
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Pboy
[e-mail]

Timezone: CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

Fedora Server Edition Working Group member
Fedora Docs team contributor and board member
Java developer and enthusiast

Solved - Re: Replacing nano with vim - logout needed?

[Robert Moskowitz]

System did not recover from suspend and had to cold start.  As expected, 
default editor is not as I want it:

set|grep "/vi"
EDITOR=/usr/bin/vim

First reboot since the initial one after install!

On 2/26/25 5:41 PM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> I ran:
>
> dnf install vim-default-editor --allowerasing
>
> But I am still getting nano when I try to "crontab -e"
>
> Do I have to logout and back in for this change to take?  Or is there 
> an easier way?