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The edit command opens files or symlinks in your source state in your default editor. If no targets are specified, it opens the entire source directory.

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Usage

chezmoi edit [target]...

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Description

The edit command allows you to modify files in the source state using your configured editor. When you edit files:
  • Encrypted files are automatically decrypted to a temporary directory, and re-encrypted when you save
  • Hard links are created (when supported) so the editor sees the target filename, helping with syntax highlighting
  • Templates preserve their .tmpl extension for proper editor highlighting

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Flags

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-a, --apply
boolean
default:"false"
Apply the target immediately after editing. Ignored if there are no targets. Can be configured via edit.apply in the config file.
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--hardlink
boolean
default:"true"
Invoke the editor with a hard link to the source file with a name matching the target filename. This helps the editor determine the file type correctly. Can be configured via edit.hardlink in the config file.Note: Creating hardlinks is not possible between different filesystems. If your tempDir resides on a different filesystem (e.g., a tmpfs), this won’t work.
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--watch
boolean
default:"false"
Automatically apply changes when files are saved. Can be configured via edit.watch in the config file.Limitations:
  • Only available when targets are specified (not for directory-wide editing)
  • All edited files are applied when any file is saved
  • Only the edited files are watched, not dependent files like .chezmoitemplates
  • Only works on operating systems supported by fsnotify
  • Only works if edit.hardlink is enabled and functional
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-x, --exclude
types
Exclude entry types (comma-separated: dirs, files, remove, scripts, symlinks, always, encrypted, externals, templates).
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-i, --include
types
Include only specified entry types (comma-separated: dirs, files, remove, scripts, symlinks, always, encrypted, externals, templates).
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--init
boolean
default:"false"
Recreate the config file from the template after editing.

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Examples

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Edit a specific file

chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc
Opens ~/.local/share/chezmoi/dot_bashrc in your editor.

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Edit and apply immediately

chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc --apply
After you save and exit the editor, changes are immediately applied to ~/.bashrc.

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Edit with auto-apply on save

chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc --watch
Changes are automatically applied every time you save the file.

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Edit the entire source directory

chezmoi edit
Opens ~/.local/share/chezmoi in your editor (useful for IDEs like VS Code).

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Edit multiple files

chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc ~/.vimrc ~/.tmux.conf

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Editor Configuration

Set your preferred editor using the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variable, or configure it in your chezmoi config file: 
[edit]
    command = "code"
    args = ["--wait"]
Common editor configurations: 
# VS Code
export EDITOR="code --wait"

# Vim
export EDITOR=vim

# Neovim
export EDITOR=nvim

# Nano
export EDITOR=nano

# Emacs
export EDITOR=emacs

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Syntax Highlighting for Templates

You can use modelines in your template files to tell your editor how to highlight them: 
# vim: ft=bash
{{ if eq .chezmoi.os "linux" }}
alias ll="ls -la"
{{ end }}

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Terminal Output

$ chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc --apply
# Editor opens, you make changes and save...
.bashrc: updating
  • add - Add new files to the source state
  • apply - Apply changes without editing
  • diff - Preview changes before applying

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