[SOLVED] v key in less starts vi.

stf92 · 05-20-2014, 04:31 PM

Slackware 14.0
less 451

Hi:

Code:

semoi@server:~$ echo $LESSEDIT

semoi@server:~$ echo $VISUAL
/usr/bin/vim
semoi@server:~$ v /usr/bin/vim
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2006812 2012-08-29 18:49:57 /usr/bin/vim*
semoi@server:~$

However, when in less, if I press 'v', then the vi, and not the vim editor starts. How can this be?

TobiSGD · 05-20-2014, 04:47 PM

less starts the editor specified in $EDITOR, not $VISUAL.

GazL · 05-20-2014, 05:01 PM

From the man-page:

Quote:

v Invokes an editor to edit the current file being viewed. The editor is taken from the environment variable VISUAL if defined, or
EDITOR if VISUAL is not defined, or defaults to "vi" if neither VISUAL nor EDITOR is defined.

If it's not working then my guess would be that VISUAL is set but not exported and thus not available to less.

stf92 · 05-20-2014, 05:52 PM

echo $VISUAL from the prompt echoes '/usr/bin/vim'. Does it not mean $VISUAL is available to less?

TobiSGD · 05-20-2014, 06:54 PM

My fault, I don't have $VISUAL defined on my machines and setting $EDITOR to nano worked, so I assumed that less looks for $EDITOR instead.

stf92 · 05-20-2014, 07:00 PM

ok, but I do 'echo $VISUAL' and get '/usr/bin/vim'. Does it not mean $VISUAL is available to less?

Richard Cranium · 05-20-2014, 07:10 PM

Are you running the "echo $VISUAL" command in the same shell where you are invoking less?

stf92 · 05-20-2014, 07:47 PM

Yes, I am.

TobiSGD · 05-20-2014, 07:54 PM

Have you tried to run it directly with

Code:

VISUAL=/usr/bin/vim less textfile

Works for me in a Slackware 14.1 chroot with less 451 and on Gentoo with less 457.

saulgoode · 05-20-2014, 11:16 PM

If there is no output from running "printenv | grep VISUAL" then you need to "export VISUAL". (echo expands both shell parameters and environment variables; printenv will print only the environment variables).

phi11ip · 05-21-2014, 06:27 AM

I have neither $VISUAL nor $EDITOR set on my system, but when I press "v" in less I get vim editor. In the /usr/bin directory I have changed the link so that vi points at vim not elvis.

pan64 · 05-21-2014, 07:22 AM

there is an additional environment variable, LESSEDIT to check.

stf92 · 05-21-2014, 09:18 AM

I always had this in /etc/profile:

Code:

##### MODIFICO
alias x="d -1|grep -v \~"
alias m0="mount -tiso9660 /dev/sr0 /mnt/cd0"
VIM="/usr/share/vim"
VISUAL="/usr/bin/vim"
alias r="fc -s"
alias date="date +\"%a %F %T\""
# ( sudo setsid /almacen/soft/z80/cpu/c_progs/kbd_monitor/kbd_monitor_2 /dev/input/event5 </dev/null &>/tmp/input.log & )
alias diff2="diff --minimal --context=1 --ignore-all-space"

This is from the backup copy of /etc/profile I keep among my personal data. That is why I was reluctant to add an 'export' in the line for VISUAL. But is is clear to me now that at some point after installation I
add the export token.

What is not clear is why vim does not have any problem with the VIM variable. vim obediently uses the vimrc I have in /usr/share/vim despite the fact that I do not export VIM. Anyways, the problem is now solved and the whys I'll leave them for a later time.