`pijul record` opens an editor for you containing a view of the change as it
will be recorded:

`pijul record` opens an [editor](./editors.md) for you containing a view of the
change as it will be recorded:

# Pijul and text editors
`pijul` does not come with a built-in text editor. Instead, when you need to
make larger inputs (esp. when using the `pijul record` command), `pijul` relies
on any text editor that is installed on your system.
## Linux
On Linux, a program that wants to launch an external text editor may try to
find out which one the user wants by reading the `$VISUAL` environment variable.
If it isn’t set, then usually GNU `nano` is used, because it can be expected to
be installed by default by most (if not all) distributions. A
[manual](https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/latest/nano.html) is available on the
`nano` web site.
### nano (crash course)
`nano` is controlled with the keyboard. You navigate through the text using the
cursor keys. Actions are invoked with key combinations together with the `Ctrl`
key, written as `^` (e. g. `^O` means: while holding the `Ctrl` key, press `O`,
or the `Alt` key (“Meta”), written as `M-` – e. g. `M-U` means: while holding
`Alt`, press `U`.
So, press the `→` key until the cursor is on the last single quote. You can
also get there by pressing `End` and then `←` once. Now you can type your patch
message so that it appears between the single quotes.
Let’s have a look at the bottom of the screen. There you can see a few commands
currently available to you. What is most interesting to us is saving the text
and exiting `nano`. `nano` says “Write out”, but it means “save”, so we’ll use
that first: press `^O` (that’s `Ctrl+O`). Then, exit: `^X`.
Done! You should be back at the prompt.
### Other editors
There is a plethora of editors available for Linux, writing a tutorial for all
or even the most prominent ones would be overwhelming. We’ll assume that, since
you installed the editor yourself and probably also set the `$VISUAL` environment
variable, that you know what you are doing.