External editors

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Text_editor_support

Requirements:

• recent Firefox (>v57)
• Windows support

withExEditor

• GitHub
• Active development, last tag 2026-01
• Needs Generic Host
  • Native messaging host for browser extension withExEditor

Setup:

• mkdir -p ~/.config/withexeditorhost/config/firefox
• cd ~/.config/withexeditorhost/conf/firefox
• Download und unzip latest release
• chmod a+x index
• ./index setup, choose browser and path to editor
• Installer creates editorconfig.json and withexeditorhost.sh
• Due to some issue the index.js is missing, use wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/asamuzaK/withExEditorHost/master/index.js to install

After setting up the host install the browser addon

• Keyboard shortcut can get configured in the firefox add-on menu

GhostText

• GhostText
• Last release 2024-08
• Firefox + Chrome
• Configurable Shortcut for opening the editor.
• Dedicated Hosts for several editors

Other

• chrome-bee
  • Last tag 2025-10
• external-editor-revived
  • Last release 2025-02

Out of scope:

• textern: (Only works on Linux)

Deprecated, no longer maintained:

• itsalltext: With the Firefox 57, It's All Text! has stopped working
• firefox-viewsourcewith: Last commit 2015
• TextArea Sputnik: No github link, unclear what version the download link points to, looks stale