ghostty +edit-config fails to use $EDITOR with arg

[jamesboehmer]

Issue Description

When invoking ghostty +edit-config, the command fails because it cannot find the editor defined by $VISUAL or $EDITOR. The command in question has an option with it, in my case subl -w, which opens a new Sublime Text window instead of adding a tab to an existing window.

Expected Behavior

When running ghostty +edit-config from the command line it should open the config in $VISUAL or $EDITOR, e.g. subl -w or vim -p.

Actual Behavior

Command fails

Failed to execute the editor. Error code=error.FileNotFound.

This is usually due to the executable path not existing, invalid
permissions, or the shell environment not being set up
correctly.

Editor: subl -w
Path: /Users/jim.boehmer/Library/Application Support/com.mitchellh.ghostty/config

Reproduction Steps

1. Install vim or Sublime Text
2. export VISUAL="vim -p" or VISUAL="subl -w"
3. Run ghostty +edit-config

Ghostty Logs

Timestamp                       Thread     Type        Activity             PID    TTL
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560257-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] ghostty version=1.2.0
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560836-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560862-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] runtime=apprt.Runtime.none
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560877-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] font_backend=font.main.Backend.coretext
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560889-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] renderer=renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.Metal)
2025-09-24 14:24:46.560904-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] libxev default backend=kqueue
2025-09-24 14:24:46.561171-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:os_locale] setlocale from env result=en_US.UTF-8
2025-09-24 14:24:46.561309-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] executing CLI action=cli.ghostty.Action.edit-config
2025-09-24 14:24:46.561646-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] reading configuration file path=/Users/jim.boehmer/.config/ghostty/config
2025-09-24 14:24:46.567098-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] reading configuration file path=/Users/jim.boehmer/Library/Application Support/com.mitchellh.ghostty/config
2025-09-24 14:24:46.567193-0400 0x8226d    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:config] default shell source=env value=/bin/zsh
2025-09-24 14:24:46.568314-0400 0x8226e    Info        0x0                  48997  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:sentry] sentry envelope does not contain crash, discarding
2025-09-24 14:24:46.581857-0400 0x4149e    Error       0x0                  3908   0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC callback: terminal.osc.Command{ .end_of_command = terminal.osc.Command__struct_18672{ .exit_code = 1 } }
2025-09-24 14:24:46.582250-0400 0x4149e    Error       0x0                  3908   0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: end_of_command

Ghostty Version

Ghostty 1.2.0

Version
  - version: 1.2.0
  - channel: stable
Build Config
  - Zig version   : 0.14.1
  - build mode    : builtin.OptimizeMode.ReleaseFast
  - app runtime   : apprt.Runtime.none
  - font engine   : font.main.Backend.coretext
  - renderer      : renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.Metal)
  - libxev        : kqueue

OS Version Information

MacOS Sequoia 15.7 Darwin FBG-GGV1W4GW2D 24.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Mon Aug 11 21:16:21 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.140.69.701.11~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000 arm64

(Linux only) Display Server

None

(Linux only) Desktop Environment/Window Manager

No response

Minimal Ghostty Configuration

# n/a

Additional Relevant Configuration

I believe this is just related to having the VISUAL or EDITOR env var value being used as the entire editor command, so it fails to find an editor named subl -w. This works with generally every other command line tool, e.g. git commit.

I acknowledge that:

• I have reviewed the FAQ and confirm that my issue is NOT among them.
• I have searched the Ghostty repository (both open and closed Discussions and Issues) and confirm this is not a duplicate of an existing issue or discussion.
• I have checked the "Preview" tab on all text fields to ensure that everything looks right, and have wrapped all configuration and code in code blocks with a group of three backticks (```) on separate lines.

[jcollie]

ghostty +edit-config does use VISUAL and EDITOR. However, it uses the entire string as the name of the command, as can be seen in the error output. If you run VISUAL=vim ghottty +edit-config I think that you'll see that it works. We should probably use the equivalent of sh -c "$VISUAL ~/.config/ghostty/config" to launch the command rather than using VISUAL or EDITOR directly as the name of the program.

[jcollie]

Converted to an issue. #8898

[jamesboehmer]

Sorry if that wasn't clear, that was the conclusion I came to as well. When I set VISUAL=subl or VISUAL=vim it works fine.

[jcollie]

Yeah should be a fairly easy fix.

[ndrpnt]

Hi, I'm facing the same issue with version 1.3.1 on mac.

It seems the change was rolled back here?

[xpe]

• re-discussed at +edit-config fails when $VISUAL contains arguments #11895
• issue filed at +edit-config fails when $VISUAL contains arguments #11897
• bug fixed at jcollie@6491363
• part of milestone 1.3.2 : https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/milestone/14