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question: DIFFNAV_EDITOR is not running in Windows #138
Description
Description
When I'm checking a diff, I cannot open the editor to see the selected file.
Steps to reproduce
- Set DIFFNAV_EDITOR environment variable with value
zed - Open a diff with "diffnav" as pager
- Select a file
- Click
o
Expected behaviour
The file should be opened using the defined editor.
Environment
- Windows 11 Pro x64
- Command line: DOS or Powershell
- diffnav version v0.10.0
Additional context
echo %DIFFNAV_EDITOR%# response
zedI use diffnav from gh dash but if I do it manually the result is the same.
gh pr diff https://github.com/<my_organization>/icon/pull/664 | diffnavIt does not work under these test conditions:
- Using PowerShell.
- Setting the editor to code.
- Changing the user variable to a system variable.
Activity
Booyaka101 commentedon Jun 6, 2026
diffnav reads
$EDITORfor theoaction (it's in the README keybindings: "Open file in $EDITOR").DIFFNAV_EDITORisn't a variable diffnav looks at, so with it unset nothing happens — settingEDITOR=zedshould do it.One Windows gotcha I confirmed while looking into this: if the editor isn't on your
PATH, the launch fails quietly with no message, so it looks like nothing happened. So either make surezedis on PATH, or pointEDITORat the full path tozed.exe.Disclosure per AI_POLICY: investigated with Claude Code; I verified the
$EDITORbehaviour and the silent-failure-when-not-on-PATH case on a Windows machine myself before posting.AlbertoVPersonal commentedon Jul 7, 2026
I fixed it using this one: