docs: explain \$EDITOR variable and how to set it

\$EDITOR is blank by default on many systems -- running it without setting
it fails silently. Added a section before the git/gh instructions that
explains what it is, how to check if it's set, how to set it for a session
or permanently in .bashrc/.zshrc, and common editor options including
VS Code with --wait.

https://claude.ai/code/session_012eTokAaGiZo7aGt1T2W9BC
This commit is contained in:
Claude
2026-04-26 14:27:11 +00:00
parent bea9765caf
commit 711f892ada
+33
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@@ -115,6 +115,39 @@ Look for any of these in the app's docs:
## Getting git and authenticating to GitHub
### Set your preferred editor first
The setup steps below use `$EDITOR` to open config files. It's a standard
shell variable that points to whichever editor you like. If it isn't set,
running `$EDITOR somefile` fails because the shell tries to execute an empty
string.
Check whether it's already set:
```bash
echo $EDITOR # blank = not set
```
Set it for the current session, or make it permanent by adding the export
to `~/.bashrc` (bash) or `~/.zshrc` (zsh):
```bash
# Pick one -- whatever you actually have installed:
export EDITOR=nano
export EDITOR=vim
export EDITOR=micro
export EDITOR="code --wait" # VS Code (the --wait keeps the terminal paused until you close the file)
# Make it permanent:
echo 'export EDITOR=nano' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc
# or for zsh:
echo 'export EDITOR=nano' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
```
Once set, `$EDITOR somefile` opens that file in your chosen editor every time.
### Install git
If git isn't installed on the server yet:
```bash