How to use vim for editor when running fc?

Question

I have a machine for which when I run fc it opens in the nano editor. How can I switch the editor to vim when I edit a command with fc?

Kusalananda · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-08T09:11:37.923

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If your shell follow the POSIX standard, the fc command will use the variable FCEDIT as the editor.

Setting FCEDIT in your shell's initialisation files will make the built-in fc command use the indicated editor in any new shell sessions:

FCEDIT=vim

You may also specify an editor with fc -e vim.

edited Jun 08 '18 at 09:11

answered Jun 08 '18 at 06:44

Kusalananda

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There is no need to export this. It is used by the shell internally only. – schily Jun 08 '18 at 08:58
@schily Unless `fc` is an external command. – Kusalananda Jun 08 '18 at 08:59
`fc` cannot be an external command as it works on internal data structures of the shell. It is a hack to do some primitive history editing using an external editor instead of implementing a real history editor in the shell. BTW: I implemented a prototype of an integrated history editor in 1982 and the first shell with fully integrated history editing under cursor control in 1984. The Korn Shell introduced `fc` in 1983 and a real history editor in 1986. Using `fc` today looks like an anachronism. I am used to have an integrated history editor in the shell since 34 years... – schily Jun 08 '18 at 09:05
@schily When pondering how I would implement `fc` as an external command, I realise that you may well be correct. I use `fc` daily, but mostly through `alias r='fc -s'`, and only rarely to actually edit old commands. – Kusalananda Jun 08 '18 at 09:10
The shell I used in 1984 is called `bsh` and has been written at H.Berthold AG. It is not a Bourne like shell but rather similar to `csh` but still closer to `sh` than csh. I never had the need for something like `fc` and I only implemented it in the Bourne Shell (`bosh`) , see http://schilytools.sourceforge.net/bosh.html because the author of the POSIX test suite claims that XSI support is needed for compliance unless you like to write only a shell for an embedded system. `dash` identifies as such a shell. It has no editor and no multi byte support. – schily Jun 08 '18 at 09:29

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 08 '18 at 06:46

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Just add to your /etc/profile following line, then log out and in again to make changes take affect.

export EDITOR=vim

answered Jun 08 '18 at 06:46

Winnie Tigger

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I use it with `bash`. – Winnie Tigger Jun 08 '18 at 06:50
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Ah, yes, `bash` seems to use `EDITOR` if `FCEDIT` is unset, but not in POSIX mode. – Kusalananda Jun 08 '18 at 06:53

score 2 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 12 '22 at 17:41

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On Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo update-alternatives --config editor

edited Jan 12 '22 at 17:41

q0rban

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answered Jun 02 '21 at 09:56

max

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How to use vim for editor when running fc?

3 Answers3