Reference
Troubleshooting
Use Red's focused checks to separate installation, configuration, runtime asset, language-server, Agent, keyboard, and recovery problems.
Start with the narrow check
| Problem | First check |
|---|---|
| Red doesn't start or bundled tools are missing | red --self-check |
| Configuration fails to load | red --check-config |
| A plugin or theme looks stale or missing | red --runtime-files |
| Codex can't start from Red | red --agent-check --strict |
| A modified Enter shortcut doesn't arrive | red keys |
| A language server doesn't respond | Confirm its executable is on PATH, then reopen a matching file |
| A previous editor stopped with unsaved work | red --resume |
Read messages and logs
Press Space m or run :messages to browse editor notifications, command output, and recent errors. Red writes red.log in its configuration directory by default. Relative log_file paths are resolved from that directory.
Fix common problems
- Command not found after installation: open a new terminal or add the install directory printed by the installer to
PATH. - Language tools are empty: install the configured server executable. Buffer-word completion still works without a server.
- A bundled theme or plugin behaves like an older copy: a file in your configuration directory may be shadowing the embedded asset. Check
red --runtime-files, then remove or replace the ejected copy. - An Agent prompt failed to start: update Codex, run
codex login, then retry the preserved prompt. - Shift+Enter behaves like Enter: use Ctrl+J for a newline and run
red keysto see what the terminal sends. - A dirty file changed on disk: run :diffdisk; use :e!, :w file, or :w! only after choosing which version to keep.
- Detach isn't available on Windows: use
red --resumefor crash recovery. Live detach and attach currently require macOS or Linux.
Report a reproducible problem
Include your Red version, operating system, terminal, the smallest reproduction, and the relevant focused-check output. Remove private paths, source, prompts, and credentials before sharing logs.