Mcedit Save As Issue: Troubleshooting & Fixes

Hey guys! Have you ever encountered a frustrating issue where your mcedit program refuses to save a file when you try to save it as a new one? It's like you're doing everything right, but the program just throws a fit and interrupts the process. Well, you're not alone! This article dives deep into this specific problem with Midnight Commander's built-in editor, mcedit. We'll explore the details, error messages, and potential solutions to get you back on track with your file-saving adventures. Let's get started!

Understanding the Issue

This issue specifically affects the mcedit program, which is the text editor included with Midnight Commander (MC). When users attempt to save a file under a new name, the process sometimes gets interrupted, leading to a frustrating experience. The core problem appears to stem from an assertion failure within the editcmd.c file of the MC source code. This type of error usually indicates a discrepancy between what the program expects and what it encounters during its operation. Let's break down the key aspects of this issue.

When you're saving files, you want the process to be smooth and reliable. Imagine spending hours working on a document, only to have your editor crash when you try to save it under a new name. This is precisely the frustration users are facing with this mcedit issue. The problem isn't just an inconvenience; it can lead to data loss and wasted time. Understanding the root cause of this interruption is the first step towards finding a solution. So, let's delve deeper into the technical details and explore what might be triggering this assertion failure.

At the heart of the matter is the assertion failure message: Assertion failed: qc == (quick_widgets + (sizeof(quick_widgets)/sizeof(quick_widgets[0]))), file ../mcsrc/src/editor/editcmd.c, line 422. This message is a critical clue. Assertions are checks that developers put into code to ensure that certain conditions are true during program execution. When an assertion fails, it means that something unexpected has happened. In this case, the assertion is checking the value of qc against a calculated value based on quick_widgets. These variables likely relate to the editor's internal widgets or elements used for quick actions or commands. The fact that this assertion fails during the save-as process suggests a potential issue with how these widgets are managed or accessed when saving a file under a new name. It could be a memory issue, a logical error in the code, or even a platform-specific problem. This is a complex issue, but understanding the error message is the first step in figuring out how to fix it. Keep reading as we continue to investigate the potential causes and solutions.

Technical Details: Midnight Commander and the Error

To really understand this issue, let's look closer at the specific version of Midnight Commander and the operating system involved. The user who reported the issue was using GNU Midnight Commander version 4.8.33, built with various libraries like GLib 2.54.3, S-Lang 3.0.0, libssh2 1.11.1, and Mbed TLS 3.6.2. These libraries are crucial components that MC relies on for different functionalities, such as file handling, terminal emulation, and encryption. The operating system in question is Windows 11, which adds another layer of complexity since MC is primarily designed for Unix-like systems. The combination of these factors might be contributing to the problem. It's essential to note that the user has confirmed that the issue is still reproducible with the latest version of Midnight Commander, indicating that it's not a bug that has been fixed in recent updates. Let's dig deeper into the implications of these technical details.

The specific build configuration of Midnight Commander is crucial because different libraries and versions can behave differently on different operating systems. For example, the fact that MC is built with libw32 emulation suggests that it's using a compatibility layer to run on Windows. This layer might introduce subtle differences in behavior compared to running MC on its native Linux environment. The presence of libssh2 and Mbed TLS indicates that MC supports secure file transfers and encryption, which are features that could potentially interact with the file-saving process. Understanding these dependencies helps us narrow down the potential causes of the bug. For example, if there's a known incompatibility between a specific version of libw32 and Windows 11, that could be a prime suspect.

The error message itself points to a problem within the editcmd.c file, which is part of the mcedit source code. This file likely contains the logic for handling editor commands, including saving files. The specific line number mentioned in the error message (line 422) is where the assertion failure occurs. To truly diagnose the problem, a developer would need to examine the code around line 422 and understand what conditions are being checked by the assertion. They would also need to trace the flow of execution leading up to the assertion to see how the variables involved (qc and quick_widgets) are being modified. This kind of debugging often requires specialized tools and a deep understanding of the MC codebase. However, by understanding the technical context, we can start to formulate hypotheses about what might be going wrong.

Reproducing the Issue: A Step-by-Step Guide

So, how can you actually make this error happen? The user reported that the issue occurs when opening a file and then attempting to save it as a new file. This implies that the standard save operation might be working correctly, but the