Please install yazi. when running Neovim via desktop entry due to yazi being installed for current user

[xfzv]

Linux user here. yazi is installed only for my regular user via cargo so ya and yazi binaries are in $XDG_DATA_HOME/cargo/bin directory.

When running nvim from my interactive shell, no issue whatsoever with yazi.nvim since $XDG_DATA_HOME/cargo/bin is in my $PATH. However, if I open Neovim from the desktop entry (/usr/share/applications/nvim.desktop), yazi.nvim won't open and the following message will be printed:

yazi.nvim/lua/yazi.lua

Lines 20 to 23 in 813b066

	if utils.is_yazi_available() ~= true then
	print("Please install yazi. Check the documentation for more information")
	return
	end

• /usr/share/applications/nvim.desktop content:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Neovim
GenericName=Text Editor
Comment=Edit text files
TryExec=nvim
Exec=nvim %F
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Keywords=Text;editor;
Icon=nvim
Categories=Utility;TextEditor;
StartupNotify=false
MimeType=text/english;text/plain;text/x-makefile;text/x-c++hdr;text/x-c++src;text/x-chdr;text/x-csrc;text/x-java;text/x-moc;text/x-pascal;text/x-tcl;text/x-tex;application/x-shellscript;text/x-c;text/x-c++;

Using Exec=sh -c "PATH=/home/xfzv/.local/share/cargo/bin:$PATH kitty -e nvim" in a local desktop entry ($XDG_DATA_HOME/applications/nvim.desktop) solves the problem.

Just wondering if there is a better way. I never run Neovim via the desktop entry as far as I'm concerned, but I thought this shouldn't be a problem if some users want to.

Maybe some additional checks for ya and yazi binaries availability could be implemented, or maybe adding a note in the README?

---

Edit: my yazi.nvim config just in case:

return {
  "mikavilpas/yazi.nvim",
  cmd = { "Yazi", "Yazi cwd", "Yazi toggle" },
  opts = {
    open_multiple_tabs = true,
    yazi_floating_window_border = "single",
    keymaps = {
      show_help = false,
      open_file_in_vertical_split = false,
      open_file_in_horizontal_split = false,
      open_file_in_tab = false,
      grep_in_directory = false,
      replace_in_directory = false,
      cycle_open_buffers = false,
      copy_relative_path_to_selected_files = false,
      send_to_quickfix_list = false,
    },
  },

[mikavilpas]

As far as I remember, there is no custom checking for path in this plugin. Do you get the same results in :term when using e.g. echo $PATH?

[xfzv]

Do you get the same results in :term when using e.g. echo $PATH?

No I don't, XDG_DATA_HOME/cargo/bin is part of $PATH in this case.

[mikavilpas]

If you start the :term, does which yazi find the yazi executable for you?

Are you sure XDG_DATA_HOME is correct? rustup does not seem to support it rust-lang/cargo#1734

In my zsh config I only set XDG_CONFIG_HOME here but then again I am on osx.

This plugin uses this implementation for finding yazi:

yazi.nvim/lua/yazi/utils.lua

Lines 52 to 54 in 813b066

	function M.is_yazi_available()
	return vim.fn.executable("yazi") == 1
	end

My guess is your environment is somehow not set up correctly - I think neovim does not see yazi and that caused this issue.

[xfzv]

If you start the :term, does which yazi find the yazi executable for you?

Yes.

:term
% which yazi
/home/xfzv/.local/share/cargo/bin/yazi

Are you sure XDG_DATA_HOME is correct? rustup does not seem to support it rust-lang/cargo#1734

I'm using the following in my zsh config:

export PATH="$XDG_DATA_HOME/cargo/bin:$PATH"

My guess is your environment is somehow not set up correctly - I think neovim does not see yazi and that caused this issue.

I think the problem is just that desktop entries use the default $PATH variable:

% mv ~/.config/zsh ~/.config/zsh.bak
# Start a new interactive shell
echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/opt/bin:/usr/lib/llvm/18/bin

# Same with root account, untouched `$PATH` variable
% su -
# echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/opt/bin:/usr/lib/llvm/18/bin

so any binary outside of these paths will be considered as nonexistent. If I do:

sudo cp ~/.local/share/cargo/bin/{ya,yazi} /usr/bin

or use the custom desktop entry in order to explicitly add /home/xfzv/.local/share/cargo/bin to $PATH as mentioned earlier, yazi.nvim runs just fine when Neovim is run from the desktop entry.

[mikavilpas]

Ah I see, that makes sense - I think the desktop entry never extends the PATH variable so the yazi executable cannot be found.

My guess is running :=vim.fn.executable("yazi") without the PATH variable extension will not find it.

I agree that this is pretty surprising behaviour, but I think it's difficult to handle this in yazi.nvim. I would like managing the PATH to be the user's responsibility.

[xfzv]

I agree that this is pretty surprising behaviour, but I think it's difficult to handle this in yazi.nvim. I would like managing the PATH to be the user's responsibility.

OK, fair enough. I doubt many users are launching Neovim with the desktop entry anyway. Creating a custom one to explicitly set $PATH is an easy workaround if this is really needed.

Thanks!