# The developers can change the file editor for ansible-vault

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Tags:** ansible-vault\
**Created:** [November 14, 2024, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906 "2024-11-14T09:23:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![a\_m](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/a_m/32/11175_2.png) [@a\_m](https://forum.ansible.com/u/a_m)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/1 "2024-11-14T09:23:44Z")

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hello,  
I can’t edit my vault.yml file with ansible-vault, like :  
`ansible-vault edit group_vars/all/vault.yml`,  
I can’t enter my code correctly yml  
Regards

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**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 11:00am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/2 "2024-11-14T11:00:49Z")

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What `$EDITOR` do you have set? What does this return?

```bash
echo "${EDITOR}"

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jiholland](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/jiholland/32/11273_2.png) [@jiholland](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jiholland)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 11:03am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/3 "2024-11-14T11:03:40Z")

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> [@a\_m](#):
>
> I can’t edit my vault.yml file with ansible-vault, like :  
> `ansible-vault edit group_vars/all/vault.yml`

Do you get an error message?

> [@a\_m](#):
>
> I can’t enter my code correctly yml

What do you mean by that?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_m](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/a_m/32/11175_2.png) [@a\_m](https://forum.ansible.com/u/a_m)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/5 "2024-11-14T13:04:31Z")

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i mean that editor is vi , and i don’t know, how to use it  
Regards

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_m](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/a_m/32/11175_2.png) [@a\_m](https://forum.ansible.com/u/a_m)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/6 "2024-11-14T13:04:58Z")

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echo “${EDITOR}” return nothing

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/7 "2024-11-14T13:06:29Z")

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If you set `${EDITOR}` in your shell then I think it’ll be used, for example try:

```bash
export EDITOR="/usr/bin/nano"
ansible-vault edit group_vars/all/vault.yml

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_m](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/a_m/32/11175_2.png) [@a\_m](https://forum.ansible.com/u/a_m)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/8 "2024-11-14T13:07:34Z")

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so , i found the solution:  
i can type this : `EDITOR=nano ansible-vault edit group_vars/all/vault.yml`

modify this, in ansible.cfg :

```auto

[defaults]
vault_editor = nano

```

or add this , in `~/.bashrc` :

`export EDITOR=nano`  
regards

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2024, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-developers-can-change-the-file-editor-for-ansible-vault/10906/9 "2024-12-14T13:07:36Z")

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