Git commit -a error

Question

I'm trying to commit some git changes but when I run:

git commit -a

it returns

gvim -f: gvim: command not found
error: There was a problem with the editor 'gvim -f'.
Please supply the message using either -m or -F option.

I am a noob and I have no idea what this means.

Atropo · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-28 16:25:09Z

3

You have configured gvim as the default editor in git but you don't have it installed in your system. You've 3 choices:

1) install the gvim editor on your system

2) change the default editor of git with:

git config --global core.editor "path_of_your_favourite_text_editor"

3) keep on commiting without using a text-editor (not really a good solution)

git commit -a -m 'commit message'

answered Mar 28, 2013 at 16:25

Atropo

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1 Comment

Kevin Hough Over a year ago

Hoorah! I actually did have Vim/Gvim installed so I tried your third option and that worked.

jvnill · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-28 16:22:49Z

1

not sure about this but looking at the Git documentation for default editor, it falls back to vi when no editor is set. As the error suggested, you can pass a -m option so you dont have to use an editor.

git commit -a -m 'committing all files'

answered Mar 28, 2013 at 16:22

jvnill

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1 Comment

Kevin Hough Over a year ago

Thanks; That did the trick. I didn't realize that all of my previous commits included a -m message. When I added a filler message in the commit command, that fixed it. Hoorah!

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