Vim Scoops / Lessons / E45: 'readonly' option is set
E45: 'readonly' option is set
E45 means Vim opened the file read-only, so :w refuses. Use :w! to save anyway. If you don't have permission to write the file, :w !sudo tee % saves it with sudo.
The keys
| Keys | What they do |
|---|---|
:w! | Save anyway |
:set noreadonly | Turn read-only off, then :w as normal |
:w !sudo tee % | Save a file you need sudo for |
:w ~/notes.txt | Save a copy somewhere you can write |
Files open read-only when you start Vim with view or vim -R, when you pick O at a swap file warning, or when you don't have permission to write the file.
In that last case :w! fails too, with E212. That's when the sudo trick, or saving a copy elsewhere, comes in.
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