How to configure the Sublime Text 3 as Git editor in the Mac OS "zsh" shell

Question

I am trying to use the Sublime Text 3 as the git editor. Meanwhile, I am using the Mac and the default shell is "zsh"

I use the following code to configure the editor

(base) jake@JakedeMacBook-Pro ~ % git config --global core.editor "'/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl' -n -w"

However, when I add the commit, I meet the following failure:

(base) jake@JakedeMacBook-Pro new-git-project % git commit
'/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl' -n -w: /Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl: No such file or directory
error: There was a problem with the editor ''/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl' -n -w'.
Please supply the message using either -m or -F option.

I also checked the Sublime Text path and am sure the "/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/" is right.

I don't know how to fix this problem. Hope someone can help me.

Answer 1

I suspect there're too many escaping in your path to the editor. It should be either apostrophes or backslash but not both. I.e. either

git config --global core.editor "'/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl' -n -w"

or

git config --global core.editor "/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -n -w"

When you use both apostrophes and backslash the path to the editor becomes '/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl' which is wrong. Try yourself from the command line running the editor using paths

'/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl'

'/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl'

/Users/jake/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl

The first one should give an error, the two other should run the editor.