pixi global edit

Edit the global manifest file in your default editor

The pixi global edit command opens the global manifest file in your default text editor for manual editing.

Usage

pixi global edit [OPTIONS]

Options

--editor · string

The editor to use. Defaults to the EDITOR environment variable.

Default editors by platform:

• Unix/macOS: nano
• Windows: notepad

pixi global edit
pixi global edit --editor vim
pixi global edit --editor code
pixi global edit --editor "code --wait"

Behavior

Editor Selection

The command determines which editor to use in this order:

1. --editor flag (if provided)
2. EDITOR environment variable
3. Platform default:
   • Unix/macOS: nano
   • Windows: notepad

File Location

The global manifest file is located at:

• Unix/macOS: ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.pixi\manifests\pixi-global.toml

Directory Creation

If the manifest directory doesn’t exist, it’s automatically created before opening the editor.

Examples

Edit with Default Editor

pixi global edit

Opens the global manifest in your default editor (from $EDITOR or platform default).

Edit with Specific Editor

pixi global edit --editor vim
pixi global edit --editor emacs
pixi global edit --editor nano

Edit with Visual Editor

pixi global edit --editor code
pixi global edit --editor "code --wait"
pixi global edit --editor subl

For GUI editors like VS Code, use --wait flag to make the terminal wait until you close the file.

Edit with Environment Variable

export EDITOR=vim
pixi global edit

Sets your preferred editor and opens the manifest.

Global Manifest Structure

The global manifest file has the following structure:

version = 1

[envs.python311]
channels = ["conda-forge"]
[envs.python311.dependencies]
python = "3.11.*"
numpy = ">=1.20"

[envs.python311.exposed]
python3 = "python"
pip3 = "pip"

[envs.tools]
channels = ["conda-forge"]
[envs.tools.dependencies]
ruff = "*"
black = "*"

[envs.tools.exposed]
ruff = "ruff"
black = "black"

Manual Editing Use Cases

Bulk Environment Changes

Manually edit multiple environments at once:

[envs.python311.dependencies]
python = "3.11.*"
numpy = ">=1.20,<2.0"
pandas = ">=2.0"

Complex Exposure Mappings

Set up multiple executable mappings:

[envs.python311.exposed]
python = "python"
python3 = "python"
python3.11 = "python"
pip = "pip"
pip3 = "pip"

Channel Configuration

Configure custom channels for environments:

[envs.pytorch]
channels = ["pytorch", "nvidia", "conda-forge"]
[envs.pytorch.dependencies]
pytorch = "*"
torchvision = "*"
cudatoolkit = "11.8.*"

Version Pinning

Pin specific versions across environments:

[envs.tools]
channels = ["conda-forge"]
[envs.tools.dependencies]
ruff = "==0.1.9"
black = "==24.1.0"
mypy = "==1.8.0"

Editing Best Practices

After manually editing the global manifest:

1. Save and close the file
2. Run pixi global sync to apply changes
3. Verify with pixi global list

Validate Before Saving

Ensure TOML syntax is correct:

# ✅ Correct
[envs.myenv.dependencies]
python = "3.11.*"

# ❌ Incorrect (missing quotes)
[envs.myenv.dependencies]
python = 3.11

Backup Before Major Changes

cp ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml.backup
pixi global edit

Common Editing Tasks

Add New Environment

[envs.newenv]
channels = ["conda-forge"]
[envs.newenv.dependencies]
package1 = "*"
package2 = ">=1.0"

[envs.newenv.exposed]
tool = "tool"

Then sync:

pixi global sync

Remove Environment

Delete the entire environment section:

# Delete this section
[envs.oldenv]
# ...

Then sync:

pixi global sync

Update Dependencies

Change version constraints:

[envs.python311.dependencies]
python = "3.11.*"  # Change to 3.12.*
numpy = ">=1.20"   # Change to >=1.26

Modify Exposures

Add, remove, or change exposed executables:

[envs.python311.exposed]
python = "python"      # Keep
python3 = "python"     # Keep
python3.11 = "python"  # Add this
# Remove python2 exposure

Editor-Specific Tips

Vim/Neovim

export EDITOR=vim
pixi global edit

# Or with specific settings
pixi global edit --editor "vim +set ft=toml"

Visual Studio Code

pixi global edit --editor "code --wait"

The --wait flag ensures the terminal waits for you to close the file.

Nano

pixi global edit --editor nano

Nano is the default on Unix systems.

Emacs

export EDITOR=emacs
pixi global edit

Troubleshooting

Editor Not Found

Error: editor not found or command not found

Solution: Use full path or available editor:

pixi global edit --editor /usr/bin/vim
pixi global edit --editor nano

File Not Created

If the file doesn’t exist, the directory is created automatically. The file is created when you save in the editor.

Syntax Errors After Editing

Error: failed to parse manifest

Solution: Validate TOML syntax:

# Check for common issues:
# - Missing quotes around strings
# - Incorrect indentation
# - Duplicate keys

# Restore from backup if needed
cp ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml.backup ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml

Changes Not Applied

After editing, run sync to apply changes:

pixi global edit
# Make changes and save
pixi global sync
pixi global list  # Verify changes

Platform Differences

Unix/macOS

Default editor: nano

Manifest location: ~/.pixi/manifests/pixi-global.toml

pixi global edit  # Opens in nano

Windows

Default editor: notepad

Manifest location: %USERPROFILE%\.pixi\manifests\pixi-global.toml

pixi global edit  # Opens in notepad

Windows command wrapping:

pixi global edit --editor notepad
pixi global edit --editor code

See Also

• pixi global sync - Synchronize global environments
• pixi global list - List global environments
• pixi global install - Install global environments